Part of a rockery - or priceless relic?

This may seem like a lump of old rock to you, but to one expert it is priceless.

Until a few weeks ago the 80 million-year-old fossilised fish head was part of a garden rockery - until a chance conversation led to it being viewed by Dr Ed Jarzembowski, Maidstone Museum’s keeper of natural history.

“I have never seen one of these before. Quite simply it’s priceless,” he said.



The cod-like creature, which stares eerily from its prison of rock, probably roamed the open ocean at around the same time as Tyrannosaurus Rex still lived on what would become the continent of North America.

The head was owned by Maidstone councillors Peter and Daphne Parvin, who believe they found it on a beach about 15 years ago. Since they moved to their home in Meadow Walk, Maidstone, the stone has been sitting in their rockery, giving visitors its creepy stare.

The Parvins have resigned themselves to the fact that the fish head won’t be returning to their rockery. They are now considering donating it to the museum.