The plan was to have a look at three different fields, all of them drilled with wheat and quite damp after the overnight drenching.
As anticipated, the soil was quite sticky, so some time was spent clearing the mud build-up on the spades and boots!
The first field has part of a deserted Medieval village in it and the first find was a cut-quarter of Stephen followed by two Edward I pennies.
The next field was mainly a Roman settlement that has been there for most of the Roman occupation. In all, 13 Roman coins and two fibulae, on was part of a trumpet fibula and the other was an early disc type brooch with a triskelle styled decoration that was inlaid with a red enamel.
Lots of Roman pottery was on the surface made up of four main types.
Lunch beckoned so it was a long trek back to the vehicles for Christmas Dinner butties, crisps and chocolate.
The third field had the rest of the Medieval village and would you believe it, the first coin was a denarius of Septimius Severus dating to AD 193 - 211.
The next coin was a cut-quarter of King John along with a couple of Medieval buckles and typical green glazed Medieval pottery.
I know the days are now getting longer but not enough to stay out beyond 4pm without head-torches.
With the light fading, we called in to see the landowners and spent an hour with the family catching up with a cup of tea and some festive stollen.
HD images can be seen here.