Getting Permission
Getting Permission

The information below is derived from the Portable Antiquities Scheme pages and has been jointly produced by the Country, Land & Business Association, the National Farmers Union and the Portable Antiquities Scheme, September 2010.

When Approaching Landowners the main benefits to get across are:

  • Many people go to the countryside to search for archaeological objects. They mostly search on cultivated and arable land. The majority of people looking for archaeological objects are metal-detector users. EDMDC members are members of the National Council for Metal Detecting (www.ncmd.co.uk) which has a Code of Conduct by which members are required to operate as a condition of membership and also provide members with public liability insurance.
  • A Code of Practice on Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales (see www.finds.org.uk) has been endorsed by all key archaeological bodies and metal-detecting and landowner/farmer organisations. This is the first time that these bodies have joined together to define responsible metal-detecting and provide a clear definition of what constitutes good practice.
Benefits

  • Undertaken responsibly, with all discovered finds identified, reported and recorded , then metal-detecting can provide valuable information about the archaeology and history of the countryside. Today, most archaeologists recognize the benefits of responsible metal-detecting, particularly for retrieving and recording finds vulnerable to corrosion and damage.
  • The presence of people on land with permission also may discourage trespassing, fly-tipping, vandalism and other illicit or unwanted activity by others, as well as provide warning of sick, injured or straying livestock.
  • EDMDC will also pay landowners for Club metal detecting events.
Permission

  • Anyone wishing to search for archaeological objects must have the landowner's permission to search. An occupier of the land, such as a tenant farmer, may need to clear any permissions with the landowner or landlord first. If a tenant fails to do so, he may be in breach of his tenancy agreement.
Landowners' and Farmer Occupiers' Checklist

  • Have a written 'finds agreement' with detectorists wishing to search.
  • Ask to see all archaeological finds discovered.
  • Ask that all finds are recorded with the local Finds Liaison Officer - each find will have a unique reference number that can be searched online.
  • Consider donating important finds to a local museum, or give them first refusal on objects offered for sale.
  • Report any illegal activity to the police.
Finds Agreement

  • It is recommended that landowners/farmer occupiers have a written 'finds agreement' (available from the CLA or NFU) with anyone wishing to search, outlining the nature of the permission, the area to be searched and what happens to any objects found.
Restrictions

  • It is illegal to use a metal-detector on Scheduled Monuments, without permission from English Heritage (England) or Cadw (Wales).
  • It is a criminal offence to undertake works affecting a scheduled monument without written consent from the Secretary of State. New applications for scheduled monument consent, and applications to modify existing consents, should be sent to English Heritage or Cadw.
  • Metal-detecting is not permitted on archaeological sites on holdings with Higher Level Stewardship agreements or Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) without the permission of Natural England: such sites will be identified in the landowner/farmer occupier's Farm Environment Plan.
  • There are no restrictions on metal-detecting on Entry Level Stewardship land providing searchers follow the Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales and that the landowner/farmer occupier's permission is obtained: Natural England requires up to 12 weeks notice of any large scale metal-detecting events (known as rallies).
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