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This website contains a comprehensive guide to responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales as well as some history and archaeology from England, Scotland and Wales.

 

The Portable Antiquities Scheme funding is at risk - see here for more information and to see how you can help 


This web site is archived by the UK Web Archiving Consortium, consisting of the British Library, The National Library of Wales, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, JISC, The National Archive, The National Library of Scotland and  The Wellcome Trust at:

http://www.webarchive.org.uk/index.html

preserve your finds

 

Metal Detecting

I’ve only been detecting for a couple of years or so, but before that, when I was looking into the pro’s and con’s of taking up this hobby, I found it very hard to find any comprehensive information online on detecting in the UK – especially for beginners like me!

I had joined various detecting forums but the advice given to beginners was diverse and confusing. There are also lots of enthusiast’s websites, but mainly from the USA and these were not really relevant to the detecting situation in this country. I also spent a bit of time going to various detecting rallies to really see if this was really what I wanted to do and what type of people these detectorists really were.

It was at two of these rallies that I bumped into staff of the Portable Antiquities Scheme – who were there recording finds made on the day. I decided to build a website for people like myself who wanted to detect, but wanted to have the knowledge to be able to do it in a responsible way by recording finds with the Portable Antiquities Scheme, detecting in a way that did not cause any damage to underlying archaeology below the plough soil and recording an accurate findspot using GPS.

Once I had taken the plunge and bought a detector, I joined a local detecting club in Colchester which gave me access to various “club sites” to detect on and also membership of the National Council for Metal Detecting which provided me with insurance cover.

On one of these "club sites" I bumped into a gentle giant of a man detecting alone by the name of Terry who was a massive help to me as a beginner. From then onwards Terry and I have detected together most Sundays – normally on one farm in Essex where we have thoroughly enjoyed discovering more about the history of the area and sharing this information with the landowner – and the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

The majority of our finds are returned to the landowner after recording, as he is very interested in the history of his land.

We both record all of our finds with the Portable Antiquities Scheme – even the grotty bits – as they all help us to understand and build a picture of the history of the area we detect in. This includes finds made by eye only too – such as pieces of worked flint, pottery etc.

 

mxt

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Comment

  1. This site is rather nice. How did you do it :)

    — DP · Feb 12, 08:28 AM#

  2. Hi Corinne,
    I am the chap who id some of your pottery on the pas site before it was closed down,“which was a shame” anyway real nice site and one i will visit again, i to have just started a site which you may be interested in.
    It is good to see someone with similar views, well done.
    Kind regards,
    Chaz.

    — Chaz · Feb 24, 06:25 PM#

  3. Greetings from Shipley. I do a lot of reading the comments from folk who wish metal detectors to be banned.
    No harm is done providing the law and common sense are observed in a very strict manner.
    Do you have any experience on metal detecting in the Western Isle. Such places as Mull and Arran?
    Best wishes,

    Gerry @ Shipley

    — Gerry Woodgate · Apr 4, 12:16 PM#

  4. Hello Corinne,
    Yours is well thought out and responsible metal detecting site. Keep up the good work!
    Kind regards,
    Lycra

    — Lycra · Jun 4, 06:48 AM#

  5. Hello Corinne,

    I have enjoyed reading this site and we have included a link to it in the blogs section of antiques tv (www.antiques.tv). If you can include a link back to antiques tv that would be great

    Thanks!

    — Tessa · Jul 20, 07:11 AM#

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