Metal Detectives Group, Providing information on metal detecting to farmers and landowners
- Are you a landowner or a farmer who already allows or is considering allowing metal detecting on your land?
- Does the history of your land and of your local area interest you?
- Would like to gain extra income from your land when not in use?
- If the answer is yes then please read on
The Metal Detectives Group is a very well established and professionally run business offering a 1st class service to all our Landowners & Farmers as well as too our members.
We arrange and organise professionally run Metal Detecting digs, Rallies & events all over the U.K.
We have raised thousands of pounds in extra income for landowners who like to diversify and we have raised lots of money for Charity.
Read our testimonials and find great advice for farmers and landowners on metal detecting laws, rules & regulations in the United Kingdom.
Discover why so landowners & farmers choose the Metal Detectives Group to host well organised & professional metal detecting events on their land.
We are a professional organisation who arrange visits to land for Field walkers, archaeologists and metal detectorists to discover the lost history of our country.
Your fields when not in crop or unused could be of great use to us and we will pay excellent rates to ensure that you get the best out of your land!
Benefits to you!
- Diversify and bring in extra income
- Learn more about the history of your land & the area
- All our events are fully staffed & marshalled
- We work around you and your existing commitments
- Excellent rates paid for one day and weekend events
- All event fully insured
- Full events finds reports provided after each event
- Charity and fundraising events organised
- Minimum input from you and produces great rewards
Explaining what we do...
Once you have contacted us we will arrange for one of our team to visit you, they will explain what we do in more detail and will give you a 'Landowner's Guide to Discovering History'. The guide explains everything you need to know about allowing people to visit your land and search for items using field walking, metal detecting and archaeological techniques.
If you are happy with everything and you agree to allow us to hold an event on your land we will provide you with a written agreement. This ensures that we have the correct legal consent to attend your land for an event and this also provides you with the necessary legalities of what you are entitled to for allowing an event to be held on your land.
We will always give you prior notice on when we would like to visit your land and we will arrange it at a convenient time for you and in accordance to the land you have available, (whether this is in between when the fields are planted, or whether it is on set-aside or on various other areas of land that you may have available for field walking & detecting).
On the event day...
On the day we will control the entire event which means you will be undisturbed and able to carry on with your day as normal. We may need to meet you beforehand to receive keys to gates or get codes to enter premises which we would arrange with you prior to the event.
Many of the landowners who have given us permission come to visit us at some point during the day to see what we have discovered so far and how the day is going, of course this is entirely your choice and if you want to visit us on the day or leave us to it, it's up to you.
After the event...
After the event has finished for the day we will pay you your rate (agreed beforehand) from the monies received on the day, you will received a 'Finds Report' containing photographs and a detailed descriptions of everything that was found on your land. Plus if anything found on your land is declared treasure under the Treasure Act 1996 you and the finder will receive 50% each of the total value of the find/s. This will go through the Finds Liasion Officer for the local area who we send the 'Finds Reports' to and they will contact us if they believe any of the artefacts found to be under the Treasure Act.
(This is a very brief explanation of how the Treasure Act works. Our representative who visits you will give you more details on this but for more information please click on the link to view the Treasure Act 1996.)
The National Archives. 1996. Treasure Act 1996. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/24/contents Retrieved 22nd July 2018.
The event set-up...
The organisers arrive approximately an hour before the event. Signs are temporarily placed near the side of the road and sometimes on lamp-posts and fences to help direct attendees to the event, these are normally put up within a 1/2 mile radius of the event.
We set up a marquee on the day so if it rains or is windy the attendees have some shelter, this is also the base where all finds are photographed and identified ready to be put into the 'Finds Report'. Before the day starts all attendees are briefed on the rules and regulations of metal detecting and told exactly what is expected of them, anyone breaking these rules will be told to leave the premises immediantly and will not be invited back to any future events. So far we have never had to ask anyone to leave an event for rule breaking or any other reason, which makes us fairly confident that attendees enjoy our events enough that they abide by the rules and regulations put in place.
The organisers and several marshals attend the event to make sure it runs smoothly and ensure everyone has a good day and abides by the rules and regulations. (You will be given a copy of the rules and regulations so you also know what is expected of the attendees).
Event Duration...
Events are held for one day. Normally this will be on a Sunday, but occasionally we hold events on a mid-week day or on a Saturday.
Depending on how much land you have available we may arrange to return for more single day events if you are happy for us to do so.
If you are satisfied with the single day events you may wish to consider a weekend event lasting 2-3 days. Again this will depend on how much land is available and how many events you are happy for us to arrange.
Event Attendees...
Most dig events would have between 20-50 attendees depending on what you are happy with. If you were interested in larger events we also hold charity rallies with between 100-200 attendees, which guarantees good returns for your chosen charity.
Insurance...
All our events are fully insured. Our Public Liability cover is upto £5,000,000 and our Employers Liability covers our organisers and marshals up to £10,000,000.
Testimonials...
“The metal detecting team have been visiting our farms for day and weekend visits now for 11 years. The communication from them prior to their events is excellent, the each event went very well with no input from ourselves and a thorough list of finds and a map stating where the finds were found followed each dig event.
I can thoroughly recommend this team of detectorists.”
J. Bryce - Berkshire and Dorset Landowner/Farmer
"I have found this metal detecting organisation to be friendly and well-run. They regularly invite me to their meetings and also come to the Verulamium Museum to record their finds. The members and management recognise the importance of recording their finds, including treasure, and are even keen to be involved in training which will enable them to input records themselves. All in all they are a pleasure to deal with."
Julian Watters - Finds Liaison Officer, Portable Antiquities Scheme
“We are so happy with the service we have received. They have held five Metal Detecting digs on our farm in Northamptonshire so far this year (2011). They were small digs of about 20-30 detectorists. We found them very pleasant and were very satisfied in the way they conducted themselves.
They abided to the rules of Metal Detecting and reported their finds to the local Finds Liaison Officer at Northampton's Portable Antiquity Scheme.
We found their reports and maps very interesting and look forward to their return and hopefully treasure!”
I. Fountaine - Northamptonshire Landowner/Farmer
“I would be pleased to recommend this group of detectors, who are clean, honest and give clear find reports and I am prepared to recommend them to any landowner.”
G. Bowsher - Berkshire Landowner/Farmer
“I confirm that the metal detecting day search carried out by yourselves was completed in a satisfactory and orderly manner. and would be happy to recommend the group to others.”
Mr & Mrs Webb - Oxfordshire Landowner/Farmer
“I am happy to recommend these metal detectorists to any other landowner who is considering allowing them to search their land. We have been very satisfied and impressed with their conduct and behaviour on their visits to us throughout 2011/2012/2013.”
Mr T. A Martin - Northamptonshire Landowner/Farmer
“I have been very impressed with the way this detectorists group have behaved and carried out metal detecting whilst visiting our farm. We will be very happy to have them return here in the future and are very pleased to be able to recommend them to other landowners. They are very trustworthy and honest, and the reports they provide are very informative.”
J. Nott - Essex Landowner/Farmer
“Myself and the family were all impressed with the professional manner in which you run your organisation and the excellent behaviour of your members during the weekend. Whilst metal detecting can sometimes split opinions, I have to say that you and your group are a credit to this profession and we would have no hesitation in recommending you to other landowners. We would welcome you back next year and I will certainly be looking forward to it!”
M. Reeves - East Sussex Landowner/Farmer
“The team visited the farm this year (2012). They were scrupulously correct in everything they did, conducted themselves with complete integrity, and impeccably respected our requirements. Following their visit they sent us a comprehensive report encapsulating their day's detecting. An outstanding job was made of photographing, weighing and identifying a range of finds dating from the Roman era to contemporary times. They have added to our understanding of local history. I look forward to welcoming them back next year.”
A. Cooper - Essex Landowner/Farmer
"We have had over 10 visits to our farms by the group over the last few years and have been both impressed and delighted with them each and every time, They have been a pleasure to have on our land and have made some wonderful discoveries some of which have been declared as treasure. I would highly recommend this group to anyone considering allowing them permission."
R.Miller - Berkshire Landowner/Farmer
"I had never allowed anyone to metal detect on my land in the past, but decided to give the group permission to search my farm due to a recommendation from a friend and fellow farmer. I can honestly say I have been amazed by the items they have uncovered on their visit's and would be pleased to recommend this group of metal detectorists to other landowners."
A. Patton - Northamptonshire Landowner/Farmer
"Well organised & professional group, detailed finds reports, great communication. Very highly recommended."
M. Culley - Hampshire Landowner/Farmer
"By far the most professional, well organised metal detecting group I have ever allowed on our farms. very good communication both before and after dig days, very interesting reports on the finds made with great photographs and descriptions. it would be my pleasure to recommend this group."
N. Wallis - Berkshire Landowner/Farmer
"Perfect every time, a really fantastic bunch of people, very polite and informative, extremely dedicated and professional, very little input for a good payday."
P. Godwin - Oxfordshire Landowner/Farmer