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“A Christmas present changed my life!” Detectorist Ian writes . . .
“It was Christmas 2017 and I was to receive a present that was to change my life!” Ian Walkley [right] is the Junior Warden at St John’s Lodge, Dursley. He has discovered a hobby which has increasingly occupied his spare time and simultaneously opened up a new fascination in our history.
“My wife had bought me a Garrett 300i metal detector. My first thought was, ‘What am I going to do with this?’ My second was, ‘When will I get the time to use it?’
“Come spring, this magnificent machine was still sitting there in the box. And then I had a minor operation on my leg which laid me up for a couple of weeks. My wife suggested that I use the detector to get up and exercise and she even offered to dig my holes for me. I got the permissions to detect in the local allotments; fired up the Garrett and found my first treasure . . . an old
Page 1 pound coin. What’s more, included in that haul was a brass tap! From “Now I had all the gear, yet no idea how to use it properly, so I decided this point onwards, I was hooked and I jumped at every chance to get to join a local club. That actually proved very difficult as the hugely out and play! popular BBC Four TV series ‘Detectorists’ with Mackenzie Crook and Toby Jones, had vastly increased the number of people wanting to join “Luckily, I know a lot of land owners from my rugby and cricket playing clubs. All the local ones had long waiting lists. days and also have good contacts through work, so I had no problem getting permission to detect. Three months later, and with heavy heart, I sold my Chrimbo prezzie; upgrading it to an all-singing-and-dancing XP Deus. A top-rate detector, it does, however, take some studying to get the best returns.
“I got lucky. As I had a landowner who was happy for a club to go on his land, this got me in favour with Taynton Metal Detecting Club, near Newent. I jumped the queue . . . clubs are always looking for new land to detect.
”It’s like unwrapping a present . . . “
“The TV show certainly captured the sometimes bizarre activity of club- life precisely, but joking aside, the members helped me considerably in getting the best out of my hobby. After three years, I now consider myself a competent detectorist. I have uncovered Bronze Age, Roman, Saxon, Viking, mediaeval and post-mediaeval finds . . . including gold! Alongside these, of course there has been the inevitable tonnage of shotgun cartridges, ring pulls, buttons and horseshoes. But when you dig a hole it’s like unwrapping a present. It could be the most amazing gift you have always wanted, or that pair of socks that you have been dreading.
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“Ten years or more of digging and I know some detectorists have never found a gold coin. I have been very lucky. Amongst my ‘muddy presents’ I have already unwrapped two; a 1701 William III guinea and a Victoria half-sovereign.
The compulsory ‘Gold-Dance’
“It was an almost indescribable feeling . . . apart from the shaking with excitement . . . and the amusement [or embarrassment] of my poor wife as the celebratory ‘gold dance’ in the middle of the field was naturally compulsory!
“I have been called ‘an anorak’, of course, but anyone who really knows me will be aware I am far from one. This hobby has taught me so much more about history then I had ever previously learned. When researching those coins and artefacts I have found, it has certainly inspired me to discover more about their history. I now have a fair collection of English coins; the earliest is Saxon and dating back to 720 AD.
Left: The very moment of striking gold . . . complete with trembling hands!
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“I am often asked what happens if these finds are worth anything. I always declare them to landowners and it’s usually a 50-50 split if we decide to sell. All my coin and artefact finds over 300 years old are recorded with the Gloucestershire County Council Finds Liaison Officer and put on the portable antiquities scheme (PAS); https://finds.org.uk. This is a national database for archaeologists to use for research. I feel I am doing my bit to save our history. There is no comparable feeling like being the first person to handle a coin or artefact that has been in the ground for perhaps hundreds of years.
Great for mental health
“Not least I have found this hobby great for my own mental health over the last six months, what with lockdown and shielding. It has been such an escape to spend a few hours in a field, self-isolating and being close to nature, wildlife and fresh air. And it certainly makes you feel good when you get a nice find . . . that’s a bonus!
“So, if there are any land owners out there interested in the history of their land, please contact me [[email protected]]. I am always looking for new places to detect and I am happy to help anyone considering having a go at this hobby. There should be a public warning, however! It is very addictive. But as in everything you do, you have to put in the time. Not all ground holds treasure. But if you are also searching for peace and quiet . . . dirt-fishing might be for you!”
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