An Iron Age expert thrilled children who visited Bradford on Avon Museum on Saturday after bringing along an array of animal skins and weapons, including shields, swords and daggers.

Matt Russell, from Portsmouth, helped the museum launch its Iron Age exhibition, which is due to run until August 2, with an interactive open day attended by about 170 people.

He showed children how the Iron Age people created weapons from metal and helped them to make their own shields and spear tips.

Former teacher and museum trustee Gill Winfield contacted all the local schools in advance of the exhibition, as Year 6 pupils will tackle the Iron Age when they start Year 7 in September.

She said: “Matt was really lovely. He was very enthusiastic and really knew his subject.

“Families came along and stayed for ages.

“Matt was giving little talks about the Iron Age, including one about the animals who would have lived during the period.”

Bradford on Avon resident Moira Forsyth also attended the open day, to demonstrate how Iron Age folk would have worked with wool, including spinning and dying it.

*Former St Laurence School pupil and now Ministry of Defence archaeologist Richard Osgood will be giving a talk on the Iron Age on Salisbury Plain at Bradford on Avon Museum on Thursday, July 23.

The talk will include examples of hill forts across the Plains. Tickets are available from the museum, library or tourist information centre in Bradford.