The socket is of sub-triangular section and contains what appears to be the mineralised remains of the wooden shaft, held in place by an iron wedge. The butt is roughly vertical, the upper side of the socket is convex and slopes upwards, towards the blade, and there is a pronounced lip at its base. The thickness of the blade gradually tapers, towards the convex cutting edge. The upper side of the blade is straight, gradually sloping upwards, while the underside has a pronounced concavity, with its lower corner located well below the base of the socket. The artefact is corroded, there are no discernible stamps and no surface ridge. The point at which the inner edge of the socket joins the blade is also imperceptible.

Dimensions: 178mm long, 92mm high at the cutting edge, 74.8mm high at the socket, 38.5mm thick. Weight not recorded.

According to Ward Perkins, 'bearded' axes of this form were well known during the Viking period in Scandinavia, where their production seems to have halted around the 10th century. Elsewhere, however, their use continued throughout the following centuries, with a peak in production during the latter part of the Medieval period (1967: 59-61), from which this example probably dates. Close parallels on the PAS database include LANCUM-7241D2, which is compared to examples recovered from 15th century contexts in Carlisle (unpublished). The form of this piece suggests it is a woodworking axe rather than a battle axe.