Essex man stumbles upon ancient treasure in back garden, turns out to be lost garden gnome

A man from Chelmsford has made what he initially believed to be an extraordinary archaeological discovery in his back garden — only for it to turn out to be an old, neglected garden gnome.

Martin Trowell, 42, was digging up weeds when his shovel struck something hard beneath the soil.

Speaking to The Colchester Times, he said: "I thought I’d found an ancient Roman coin or something, maybe even a hidden relic from the Saxon era."

"But when I unearthed it, I was stunned. It had a hat, a beard, and a suspiciously cheerful smile."

The item, caked in dirt and partially covered in moss, was initially mistaken for a rare figurine, perhaps dating back centuries, with Martin even considered calling in an expert.

However, upon further inspection, it quickly became clear that the "treasure" was no ancient relic but a garden gnome lost to the elements for what could only be described as "decades."

The once-vibrant colours were faded, and the gnome’s once-pristine white beard had acquired a very 'lived-in' look, but it was unmistakeably one of those cheap ones sold at garden centres.

"I was a bit disappointed, to be honest," Martin confessed. "But I wasn’t going to just leave it. It had a sort of character to it."

Local historian and amateur archaeologist, Dr. Daphne Pile, examined the gnome and declared it to be of "no significant historical value."

"It’s certainly old," she said, "but it’s not quite the treasure Mr. Trowell thought. This is probably just an unfortunate garden decoration that wandered off in the night."

The gnome, now cleaned up and placed on Martin’s porch, is being referred to as "The Lost Gardener." It has already gained a small following on social media after Martin posted about his discovery, with fans admiring its "rustic charm."

“It’s a bit of a letdown, to be honest," Martin said, though he smiled as he dusted off the gnome. "But hey, at least it's still got character. Plus, it looks great next to the begonias."

As for the treasure hunt, Martin is now keeping his eye out for anything else that might be hiding in his garden. "Next time, I’ll try digging by the shed. You never know what’s buried there."