Gaining Search Permission

Seeking Permission To Metal Detect Or Fieldwalk

As with so many aspects of this hobby there are no hard and fast rules to gaining search permission. However, the advice that follows is based on many years of experience and should produce good results.

Our suggestions are by no means exhaustive and you may, on occasion, simply need to use common sense and tailor your research and permission seeking to suit particular areas, and individual landowners. For example, carrying out a little background investigation into the interests of a landowner will give you a conversation point should the opportunity arise.

When making an approach to a landowner, we have found it best to be casually but well dressed, and make our visit at an appropriate time (e.g. not during Sunday lunch, or at a very busy time of year such as the harvest).

If there is a group of you asking, it’s perhaps best if you send one person to the front door, as this is less of an imposition. Some landowners will say “No!” and may be rather offhand; you must be prepared for this. Should you receive an abrupt negative, simply say something along the lines of, “Oh well that’s a shame, but thank you for your time anyway.” Never argue the point, even though it may be very frustrating; always be courteous. You can depart by offering to leave your telephone number should they have a change of mind or circumstances for refusal change.

The Pastfinders are very lucky in that they all combine effort to produce articles for Treasure Hunting magazine. One of the greatest benefits to this is that we take past copies with us when we seek permission. We have found many landowners are very impressed, and on several occasions we have turned “No,” into “Well, perhaps it would be rather interesting.” Not everyone writes articles; therefore as an alternative option why not take along a small neat portfolio of documents relating to your research?

At all times try to put forward the advantages of having a detectorist operating on the land, and show a passion for your hobby. We have found many landowners are fascinated by the history of the land they farm. Sometimes you may hear “Well, I already have several people who come once or twice a year and detect all my land.” This is sometimes a simple refusal with an excuse; but it is not always an unredeemable situation. Try and find out who these other detectorists are. Perhaps they are members of an established club and you could even join it.

As members of The Pastfinders group we are fortunate enough to have quite a few sites to search. When we are attempting to obtain permission for other areas and such is granted, we always ask that the landowner does not deny permission to other detectorists just because he has given it to us. We just do not have enough time to cover all of our sites, and would hate to think that we are tying up large areas of land when other detectorists might be having trouble finding somewhere to search.

Fig. 1. This is one farmer’s own collection of Roman pottery found on his land.

Above all, never be downhearted when you receive a refusal. Look forward to all the permissions that your hard work will eventually obtain for you.

Having researched the history of the land previously, you might well be able to inform the landowner of important historical happenings or previous finds that he/she was not aware of. In many cases you will find that this can be reciprocal, and the landowner can also tell you about past finds. This will be of great assistance in helping you to pinpoint productive search areas.

A wonderful example of this occurred just as I was writing this chapter. It involved the landowner of an area where we have just secured permission to search. Research into this area had shown that there had been an extensive Roman settlement. We therefore wondered if, and where, there might have been an associated temple. Incredibly, the landowner revealed to us that when his father’s house had been built, the workmen had found a number of Roman oil lamps and curious tripod-legged incense burners. Sadly, this means that the temple itself is most likely now beneath a modern building. However, arable fields surround this modern house and hopefully there will be some very interesting finds to be made in them.

It is necessary at this point to address an important issue. When you seek permission or obtain it please make sure that it is indeed the landowner you are dealing with. A tenant farmer might be very obliging but cannot legally grant search permission without the landowner’s consent. This is worth bearing in mind, as you could well get the tenant into trouble as well as yourself, and all your previous research might be wasted.

Once ownership is established and you have been successful in obtaining permission from the actual landowner, it is a good idea to ask if there are any Scheduled Sites on his/her land. You must not detect on these without specific permission from the relevant authorities, and only in special cases is this likely to be granted. If the landowner is uncertain, then you will need to establish the possible Scheduled status of any sites yourself. Your local museum is one of the ways that you can confirm site status if you are uncertain or, alternatively, you could contact English Heritage.

One other consideration is required, and that is to know the exact extent of the land for which you have gained permission. It is a good idea to ask the owner to outline his/her property boundaries on a map. This will avoid any accidental trespassing on adjacent land on which you might want to gain search permission later.

When permission is granted you need to bear in mind that other people’s pastimes may also be in operation on the land concerned. Ask the landowner if there are regular shoots etc on his land as you would be most unpopular if you appeared round a hedge into the middle of a pheasant drive.

At this stage it is also a good idea to discuss potential finds with the landowner. Remember, too, that if you are asking on behalf of other individuals make sure the landowner is aware of numbers involved. This is where some landowners may set conditions such as, “I don’t mind one or two but seven is a little too many.” This, of course, is their prerogative.

Concerning any finds that we make, we normally operate a policy of giving the landowner first choice of anything we uncover. We show the person concerned all of our finds, including shotgun caps, lead dross etc. In the case of a really valuable find we normally abide by a 50:50 share with the landowner.

It is a good idea to discuss and establish a finds sharing agreement at the earliest opportunity with a written and signed contract. There have recently been a number of serious “fallings out” and legal disputes where these agreements have been neglected. We are fortunate in having many sites to search, and a number of very good friendships have developed between us and the landowners concerned.

Landowner/Detectorist contracts are available free:download a copy at www.treasurehuntng.co.uk or send a SAE to: Treasure Hunting Magazine, 119 Newland Street, Witham, Essex CM8 1WF

It is important to maintain these good relationships. As a thank you, The Pastfinders present many landowners with a bottle of whisky or red wine at Christmas along with a card. Without the co-operation of landowners our hobby would not be able to exist in its present form.

We have found that a picture frame, containing a mounted selection of coins and artefacts from a farm, is always most gratefully received by the landowner and provides a good talking point for guests who visit.

One other service that can be offered is a free jewellery or agricultural implement part recovery service. We have found this to be highly successful. In offering it to friends and family of the landowner we often gain permission for even more land to search.

When you have got permission to detect upon what might be your very first site always remember that you now represent the thousands of other detectorists in the UK. Should you encounter inquisitive persons such as walkers etc, always take the time to inform them what you are doing. Show them the detector, how it operates, and any finds you have made. The more people who are made aware of our good work and efforts, the better. We have often found that stopping for a chat, or passing on a few Georgian coppers to such people often results in such suggestions as “Would you like to detect my garden?” or “I own an acre or so down the road, perhaps you would like to try your luck on that sometime?”

If you are polite and informative to the public, you might one day just be lucky and get to detect on a small seemingly insignificant patch of land that happens to have a hoard of coins on it!

Remove all rubbish that you find and dispose of it thoughtfully. Once you have permission to detect on one farm, you can quote this fact when you seek permission for different areas.

From this stage it’s up to you, but we wish you the very best of luck and success.