This will be our first time out this year and only the 10th time out this season.
We'd driven past this field last December to find it was drilled but a call to the landowner came with a warning from him that it would be "sticky". We know what this field is like when "sticky" and believe you me, it's murder as the soil sticks to everything. I said I'd call him when there'd been a dryer period.
After what we thought was a dry period, I messaged the landowner and he said he wasn't sure about the field conditions as he was skiing in France.
We took the chance and decided to give it a go.
This would be our 16th visit over the years to this particular field which has produced several Roman coins of various denominations and dates, fibulae and lots of Roman pottery. We're certain that this was an important manufacturing site especially for brooches and jewellery.
It has also given up a few hammered coins as well as Medieval partifacts too.
The ground conditions were perfect, rolled and drilled and we couldn't wait to find out if one of our best fields was going to come up trumps after 15 previous visits.
Sadly we could see that another person had been over the site but not many signs of digging.
The first signal was a Roman minim with the second signal being half a lovely Roman rope/cable type bracelet.
One of the pinpointers started playing up which held up the progress along the track allowing the the rest of the the team to get ahead by around 100 metres!
It wasn't long before 19 more Roman coins and Roman pottery were recovered.
We managed 4 runs along the area of the field we'd targeted before having an early break for a bite to eat and a drink.
A truck passed us with what looked like a tally of shooters in the rear.
10 minutes later a 4-wheel drive buggy pulled up with the driver being a farmer we know. He asked what we were doing and if the landowner knew we were there. When I said we'd interrupted his skiing holiday he knew we had permission to be there. He said he must have forgotten that there was shoot on his land!
He asked if there was any other land we could look at so I asked if he had any? He said no. I said we knew landowners nearby and would try there.
He thanked us for our understanding and said we were more than welcome to return next week as the shooting season was at an end.
A quick "WhatsApp" to the landowner at permission number 2 and he said yes. This was a site where we'd found quite a few Roman coins and other bits. The field was drilled, however, the wind was now horrendous so we decided to have a try at another permission, site number 3.
We pulled up outside the Manor House and the landowner came out to see who it was. She recognised us, just as it was April 2016 since we were there last. Once she realised who we were she eagerly invited in for a cup of tea. We could see she had company so we said we'd pop back when we'd had a couple of hours on her field.
Again, the field was drilled and the soil was quite sandy, so perfect.
a couple of hammered coins emerged along with a few other artefacts.
We called in and enjoyed a great catch-up with our tea and biscuits.
HD images of the days' finds can be seen here.
We'd driven past this field last December to find it was drilled but a call to the landowner came with a warning from him that it would be "sticky". We know what this field is like when "sticky" and believe you me, it's murder as the soil sticks to everything. I said I'd call him when there'd been a dryer period.
After what we thought was a dry period, I messaged the landowner and he said he wasn't sure about the field conditions as he was skiing in France.
We took the chance and decided to give it a go.
This would be our 16th visit over the years to this particular field which has produced several Roman coins of various denominations and dates, fibulae and lots of Roman pottery. We're certain that this was an important manufacturing site especially for brooches and jewellery.
It has also given up a few hammered coins as well as Medieval partifacts too.
The ground conditions were perfect, rolled and drilled and we couldn't wait to find out if one of our best fields was going to come up trumps after 15 previous visits.
Sadly we could see that another person had been over the site but not many signs of digging.
The first signal was a Roman minim with the second signal being half a lovely Roman rope/cable type bracelet.
One of the pinpointers started playing up which held up the progress along the track allowing the the rest of the the team to get ahead by around 100 metres!
It wasn't long before 19 more Roman coins and Roman pottery were recovered.
We managed 4 runs along the area of the field we'd targeted before having an early break for a bite to eat and a drink.
A truck passed us with what looked like a tally of shooters in the rear.
10 minutes later a 4-wheel drive buggy pulled up with the driver being a farmer we know. He asked what we were doing and if the landowner knew we were there. When I said we'd interrupted his skiing holiday he knew we had permission to be there. He said he must have forgotten that there was shoot on his land!
He asked if there was any other land we could look at so I asked if he had any? He said no. I said we knew landowners nearby and would try there.
He thanked us for our understanding and said we were more than welcome to return next week as the shooting season was at an end.
A quick "WhatsApp" to the landowner at permission number 2 and he said yes. This was a site where we'd found quite a few Roman coins and other bits. The field was drilled, however, the wind was now horrendous so we decided to have a try at another permission, site number 3.
We pulled up outside the Manor House and the landowner came out to see who it was. She recognised us, just as it was April 2016 since we were there last. Once she realised who we were she eagerly invited in for a cup of tea. We could see she had company so we said we'd pop back when we'd had a couple of hours on her field.
Again, the field was drilled and the soil was quite sandy, so perfect.
a couple of hammered coins emerged along with a few other artefacts.
We called in and enjoyed a great catch-up with our tea and biscuits.
HD images of the days' finds can be seen here.
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