Wild camping and metal detecting.

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Iain Lawrence

Member
Nov 7, 2015
11
0
38
Swinton, South Yorkshire
Just bought a cheap metal detector and intend taking it out into the sticks.
Gonna use my tent system this time I reckon as I want to enjoy the process from a more leisurely perspective so to speak.
Has anyone else ever done this and if so what are your views, advice and do's and don'ts?
Just wanna find mi some GOLD you see, to set me up for the rest of my life lmao.
Plus any advice of locations in the Yorkshire area?
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Do you know where the best results are found ? seriously, where almost anyone can make a bob or two ?
Holiday beaches.

M
 

boatman

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 20, 2007
2,444
4
77
Cornwall
Don't forget that anything you find belongs to the landowner. Show them everything you find. Declare archaeological finds to PAS. If in doubt let them decide not you. Do not use one of those unfair detectorist's agreements that are weighted against the landowner and our common stock of knowledge. Perhaps you had better stick to a beach. Please do not take part in detectorist rallies which pillage fields of their information and valuables.
 

woof

Full Member
Apr 12, 2008
3,647
5
lincolnshire
I've got one somewhere, & when the children were little, we would take it on holiday & .50p worth of .2p's would keep them busy on the beach for hours. I used it mostly for finding nails & metal in tree's before I cut them up

Rob
 

Macaroon

A bemused & bewildered
Jan 5, 2013
7,209
362
73
SE Wales
Definitely don't come around this way with one - you're likely to meet with a very violent and angry reception. There have been a lot of stock gone down with leg injuries from holes, lots of them, dug and either not filled in or done so badly, fences moved and left wobbling around, and nobody knows what's been found and where it went.Folk in these parts are not very happy with the detectorists at all..........................
 

mick91

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
May 13, 2015
2,064
7
Sunderland
Not a detectorist myself although have played around with one. So long as you're responsible and fill in any holes and explain that to the landowner you shouldn't have too much problem getting permission. 2 of them get on where a friend of mine shoots and reckons they're great lads. And they do far less damage than people letting dogs loose in other people's crop or chewing the ground up with horse hooves. So long as you have permission you should do fine
 
Last edited:

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
Welcome Iain,

Iain and Mick91, please use full English words and not 'text shortcuts' as not all members here use English as a first language.

Just get permission to use the detector off the landowner, show anything you find and in full Bushcraft tradition ... leave no trace of your digging.
 

mick91

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
May 13, 2015
2,064
7
Sunderland
That was a 2 to indicate number not a text abbreviation but it did indeed read badly so cheers for the flag up :)
 

dewi

Full Member
May 26, 2015
2,647
12
Cheshire
I was tempted to dig out our metal detector, but after reading this thread... blimey! Doesn't make gr8 reading.
 

Tengu

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
12,778
1,512
51
Wiltshire
Um, as an archaeologist....

...You need a waterproof one, take it to the Med (no tides) I know people who pay for their holidays that way.
 

dewi

Full Member
May 26, 2015
2,647
12
Cheshire
Ill feeling, making sure nobody leaves a trace of them being in a particular location, ensuring to inform everyone of any activities and to top it off, making sure we cater for every non-English speaker.

Quite a thread considering its to do with somebody going out to enjoy themselves.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Tell me ….how do you feel about folks sneaking into your garden in the middle of the night and digging up your long dead pet ? You left the dog's collar on him when you buried him. (True that, I met the couple who found the grave ripped apart, and whose hatred for the m.d. who was the most likely culprit (they live on an old manor mill site) was enough that they had him arrested for trespass and destruction of property, he was caught digging, the next time he was spotted on their land.

Or how do you feel about someone digging up (and not recording, so all context is totally lost forever) heritage sites for the odd coin, buckles and buttons, in the vain attempt to find a hoard ?

That's the reality of most metal detecting. Most folks never make more than a few old pennies out of it, but they can be a damned nuisance as they go about it.

I was quite serious about going to a tourist beach if you want to make money at the game.

I'm not getting into the Archaeology or the destruction of cultural heritage. I know some very sound metal detectorists, but I've come across more than a few that I would cheerfully choke.

M
 

dewi

Full Member
May 26, 2015
2,647
12
Cheshire
Crikey, not the thread for humour either then!

Feel free to interpret it anyway you choose, which is quite obviously the theme of the thread... better things to do with a Saturday night to be honest.
 

Miyagi

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 6, 2008
2,298
5
South Queensferry
I metal detect on the foreshore/beach (Crown property, free permit) especially after a bank holiday weekend. :D Work the bank holiday and take the day off afterwards. Quite financially rewarding.

The law in England and Scotland differs slightly in regard to finds.

I've never found a valuable horde, but in a few years should have enough rusty nails, washers etc that I will be able to retire from their scrap value lol.


Liam
 

widu13

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 9, 2008
2,334
19
Ubique Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt
I metal detect on the foreshore/beach (Crown property, free permit)

I haven't got a clue about permits, but in England and Wales the beach above highwater belongs to the local authority/land owner where bylaws will be in place or tresspass may be committed and the foreshore is the bit between Mean High Water and Mean Low Water which from there onwards belongs to the Crown.
 

skate

Nomad
Apr 13, 2010
260
0
East Devon
Having a strong interest in both metal detecting and bushcraft I would like to bring some balance to this thread.
Firstly...Nighthawks. The bad boys of detecting.
There are plenty of these idiots around just like there are plenty of wild campers who destroy the enviroment and leave beer bottles and cans around.
Neither are any help to our pastimes.
There are many stories on both sides...digging up dead dogs, making Loch Lomand out of bounds etc.
Secondly, to suggest detectorists are only in it to make money (holiday beaches etc.) is quite wrong.
Anyone who thinks they are going to get rich detecting are in for a shock. 99% of finds are rubbish and most keepable finds are not valuable.
Archaeologists do not have a monopoly on history and many important discoverys have been made by detectorists which in some cases archaeologists have tried to claim all the glory for.
Nowadays a good balance has been struck and through the help of Finds Liason Officers and the Portable Antiquities Scheme alot of contributions to history has been made.
I think the article by Nigel Swift is also misleading as no farmer has to allow detectorists on their land and not many detectorists can be expected to spend time searching and digging to then hand over all their finds.
So a balance is struck which suits both parties.
Clubs pay farmers (some times a lot of money) to use their land and anything found with value is reported to them and an agreement is made about ownership.
Farmers are not stupid and are a close knit community. They know what to expect and most of them are only to pleased to allow detectorists on their land.
Both these pastimes can be enjoyed without destroying the enviroment but sadly both on occasions do.
So lets not chop down living trees to play at making camps and lets not dig in sensitive areas and always fill in the holes.
 

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