
Table of Contents
We are mainly talking here about metal detecting in the UK, but the pricipile of where you can go metal detecting applies in most countries that allow metal detecting.
Metal Detecting On Beaches
Beaches are one of the most obvious places to go metal detecting, just do bear in mind that beaches are still owned by someone so you do need to make sure that metal detecting is allowed on the beach that you are going to detect on. A large number of beaches are owned by the Crown Estate, so essentially the King owns them. The good thing about this is that the Crown Estate do allow metal detecting on their beaches. To check that the beach you are planning to detect on belongs to the Crown Estate click here Crown Estate Beaches Map.
If the beach is highlighted in pink then it belongs to the Crown Estate and you are free to detect on it. If it isn’t highlighted then you are still probably okay to detect on it if it is a beach that is open to the public. Just keep an eye for signs that prohibit detecting, you won’t often see them, but if you do, go somewhere else instead.
Stay off any areas that are clearly sectioned off and private and stay away from sand dunes, not only will you not find much in them but they are also usually protected and metal detecting isn’t allowed on them.
You want to be focusing on the part of the beach where the tide comes in and out on. The areas where people sit, play and picnic on. Look out for areas where small flat stones build up, because similar sized coins might also be there, and look for areas that things might become trapped against.
Metal Detecting on Beaches will mostly produce modern (ish) finds but of course this can also include rings and other jewellery that has slipped off in the water.
Alse read What Equipment Do You Need For Metal Detecting on the Beach
Metal Detecting in Parks and Other Public Recreation Areas
Just because an area is designated a public area it doesn’t mean that you can go metal detecting there. These areas generally belong to local authorities who often do not allow metal detecting in these areas. They are just being difficult fun killers, they have a duty of care to their visitors which means you and the other members of the public that are there to enjoy the facilities. They can’t have someone threatening to sue them because they broke an ankle tripping over a hole that someone left (yes I know, you wouldn’t do that, but they don’t know that), also they spend a lot of money tending to their lawns and flower borders so can’t just have someone wandering through digging up their prize petunias or digging a hole in the pitch and putt green.
So some local authorities just have a blanket ban on metal detecting, but not all. Some allow it, some allow it but require you to apply for a permit first. The best way is to just Google your local authorities name along with the words metal detecting and you will usually find the answer.
If its not allowed, don’t just go and do it anyway, because you can get into quite a bit of trouble, its better just to go somewhere else.
If detecting isn’t allowed don’t necessarily give up though. My local town council have a complete ban on metal detecting, but my local park is on the site of a known Roman fort. I found the name of the leader of the council and emailed him to ask if there was any way that I could. Fortunately I am reasonably well known in the area and he said yes as long as I carried out a risk assessment first. I did and now I can detect there, with their full approval and permission.
Metal Detecting on Farmland
Farmland is one of these best places to detect, but you absolutely must have the permission of the landowner, and that means the owner of the land, just because a farmer lives in the farmhouse and makes his living from those fields doesn’t necessarily mean that it is his land, he could be what is known as a tenant farmer, meaning that he rents the land and house off the actual landowner. You still need his permission but also the permission of the owner.
Farmland in the UK has potentially been in use for thousands of years. I have one farm that I have permission to detect on that I have found bronze age, Roman and medieval items on. Of course it might have been detected on before but the chances of everything having being found is very slim.
There are roughly 40 million acres of farmland in the UK, most of it will never have been detected on before. Do some research, look at farmland in your area, look at old maps. Then go out there and ask. We will cover getting permission to detect on farmland elsewhere.
Metal Detecting on Organised Group Digs
If you haven’t got anywhere to detect and maybe feel a little bit reluctant to just go up to a random farmers front door and knock you could always pay to go on an organised club or group dig. These have become incredibly popular over recent years.
The most popular ones are those organised by one of the many Facebook Metal detecting Groups, they find the land and get permission to take a group onto it for a day or a weekend, you just join the Facebook group and let them know that you will be coming and turn up on the day. You pay your fee and get out there and detect. Fees are usually somewhere between £15 and £25 per day.
Go to our UK Detecting Dig Days Calendar to see what is coming up in your area
This covers the majority of the land that you might think about going metal detecting on.