Northleach Historical Society: Metal Detecting in Gloucestershire

We are all familiar with Detectorists, the comedy show on BBC television.  But what is the reality? Detectorists use metal detectors to search for buried items such as historic coins or pottery – subject to legal requirements such as landowners’ permission and the reporting of discovered treasure.

Nicola Potter of the Cotswold Heritage & Detection Society has unearthed “lots of rubbish but also lots of really interesting finds”. These include crotal bells, also known as rumble bells, which were used on horse-drawn vehicles and were made of bronze; gold rings; and silver medieval coins such as a Celtic stater,  a coin imitating ancient Greek designs.

Nicola will tell us what lies beneath the fields of our county – and how it can be unearthed. “It’s just an incredible feeling to hold something in your hand that hasn’t seen the light of day for a long time – in some cases over 2000 years”.

Members free, guests £3.