A WRANGLE over a Bronze Age bracelet between a town council and country estate has been settled after both parties finally reached a mutual agreement.

The torque had been in possession of Richmond Town Council since the 1960s after it was given on loan by the last private owner of Kiplin Hall, to be kept as long as there was a mayor or mayoress in the town.

But trustees of Kiplin Hall, between Scorton and Northallerton, appealed to have the torque returned so it could be displayed in as an exhibition and looked after by professionals.

A torque, also spelled torq or torc, is a large rigid or stiff ring in metal, made either as a single piece or from strands twisted together.

Richmond Town Council has had the plain gold bracelet since 1965 when Bridget Talbot, the last private owner of Kiplin Hall handed it over to the council on loan with the intention that it should be worn by leaders of the council at civic events.

After multiple meetings between the council and trustees, the decision was made to have a copy made for the council to keep, and the original to be returned to Kiplin Hall, where the bracelet was originally discovered.

Richmond Mayor, Cllr Clive World, said: “We will be handing back the torque, which we hope to do on a proper, formal occasion.

“We hope there will be sign with the torque when it is displayed in Kiplin Hall, to mention the time it had spent with the town council.

“I’m very pleased we have come to a compromise. It is sad to see it go in a way but it will be displayed in a museum so everyone can enjoy it.”

The cost of making the replica is £400 – of which Kiplin Hall and Richmond Town Council will pay £200 each.

The town council is using private funds to pay for the replica.

The torque was brought to the attention of the British Museum in 2012 when a similar bracelet found in the same area in the Kiplin Hall estate was handed in.

The museum requested to see the torque to determine whether or not it was treasure trove so the town council took it to London in May last year.

A coroner since ruled that it is not treasure trove – defined by the coroner’s rules as something that is at least 300 years old and has a metallic content of which at least 10 per cent is precious metal.