Saving Our History

I am currently looking for fields, woods, unused paddocks and disused land with permission to metal detect.

Alternatively, any land that is due to go under tarmac, concrete or to be developed in the near future is also a great opportunity to save any possible artefacts before they are lost forever.
I am based in Sedgefield and I am especially interested in metal detecting on land within the parishes and surrounding areas.

As a metal detectorist, I look forward to uncovering the forgotten past which lies concealed beneath our feet.  It is amazing how much can be discovered about the past of an area by the retrieval of a few lost artefacts or everyday items.

All historic objects found (metal or otherwise) would be reported to the respective landowner, and with their permission, recorded with the portable antiquities scheme's Finds Liaison Officer.  

To protect the landowners confidentiality, precise find-spots, i.e. the six or eight digit Grid References, are only published on a need-to-know basis and not in the broader public domain.  

To protect their interest, landowners are advised to enter into a simple, written agreement with the searcher(s).  A 50-50 agreement is the norm, i.e, 50% of the monetary value to the landowner and 50% to the individual finder(s).  A search agreement is recommended by, among others, the NFU Country Landowner's Association, National Council for Metal Detecting and Council for British Archaeology.

I am a member of and abide by the National Council for Metal Detecting Code of Conduct and the DCMS Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales.

It is the tangible link that an artefact gives us, to those that lived here in the past that drives me, not the value of the item.  A bronze Roman coin may only be worth a few pounds but the excitement of finding such a thing 1,800 years after it was lost never goes away. 

I would particularly like to record any finds (Medieval, Anglo-Saxon or Roman) on this site as an ongoing record of our areas past history.

If permission were granted, I would adhere to the following points-

• All holes would be filled and the land would be left in as close condition to that  in which it was found with as little disturbance as possible.

• I would remove any scrap metal whilst on your land and dispose of it in a responsible manner.

• I would adhere to all of your requirements.

• Not make any noise.

• If required, let you know in advance when I would be hoping to turn up to do a little detecting.

• Respect your privacy at all times.

• Adhere to all boundaries set out by your self, only searching the fields that you have specified.

• I would be happy to provide a map from Google earth so that your property boundaries and any exclusions could be marked up with yourself.

• I would be an extra set of eyes and alert you immediately to any damage to your land, property animals etc that I notice.

I would be pleased to meet any landowner who with agreement wishes to consider having their land searched.  If interested, please contact me via the "contact us" link at the top of this page.

Where I can't go: National Trust land even if managed by you and under the plough.  Any recognised historical or archaeological site, or designated SSSI.