DEATH-DEALING arrow heads capable of penetrating plate armour or ripping through chain mail are going on display for the first time.

The objects were found at Pickering Castle in the 1920s, along with other specimens used for hunting wild boar and deer in the surrounding forest in medieval times.

Now, they are among 800,000 artefacts kept under lock and key by English Heritage at its main archaeological store for the north in Helmsley.

Normally, the facility is off-limits to the public, but a series of free tours starting on Wednesday, April 23, will give people a glimpse behind the scenes.

During its heyday from the 12th-century, Pickering Castle was a royal lodge, owned by the Crown, and used as a base for hunting expeditions.

The arrows were among the most striking finds recovered from the site after the First World War, when many of Yorkshire's historic monuments were cleared of rubble and debris by ex-servicemen.

English Heritage curator Susan Harrison said: "They are fascinating and well-preserved objects, each carefully shaped to fulfil a different function.

"They are evocative reminders of life at the castle hundreds of years ago and examining them at close quarters really does help to turn back the clock and make a connection with the past."

Exceptionally well-preserved medieval manacles from Pickering are also going on display, a token of the treatment meted out to those who transgressed the King's Law.

Other relics on show from the castle include keys and spurs, along with selected objects from other sites, such as a Cistercian drinking vessel from Mount Grace Priory at Osmotherley. Free tours take place on Wednesday, April 23, May 28, July 30, August 27 and September 24.

To book in advance, contact the tourist information centre at Helmsley Castle Visitor Centre on 01439-770173. Tours take place at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.