Visiting England from Czechia

[Brabiik]

Hello,

My name is Lukas, and I'm going to visit my family in Folkestone in May with my dad. We've been detecting in the Czech Republic for a while now, working with archaeologists and local museums, and we're very interested in the history of Great Britain. So I would like to ask for advice if there is anyone who has the time to explain to me how it works. I have already checked out information on the NCMD, where we will buy a membership so that we have insurance. I've been looking at maps where the coastline is marked where you can search with a detector. But we're more attracted to fields. I've also seen various contracts that are used for me and the landowner. But I believe it will work a little differently in practice. That's why I'd love it if someone would be so willing to help us.

Thank you very much in advance for your time.

[ManOnTheMoon]

Welcome to the forum, Lukas.

You appear to have some idea of the rules that apply to the detecting in the UK, but I hope to point you in the direction of further, important information.

If your relatives are in Folkestone, then I hope that other Kent-based beach detectorists on this forum can offer you accurate advice on which beaches allow detecting. It is important to consider that if you read something which states that detecting is allowed on a certain beach, it may be that detecting is not allowed on all of the beach. Detecting might be restricted to one particular section of a beach, so be sure to be clear on that.

It might make for an unpleasant visit to Kent if you ended up detecting on the wrong part of the beach, and got into trouble with the local authorities because of a misunderstanding. Additionally, the local detectorists would be very unhappy if such actions then meant the authorities put extra restrictions on future detecting, for that beach, or all beaches in their area, because of an 'incident'. So please take care, get clarification if you are unsure of the area permitted for detecting e.g. ask someone to draw the permitted detecing area on a Google maps screen capture. As I have already written, hopefully Kent-based members of this forum can help you with accurate advice about beaches available for detecting near Folkstone.

But we're more attracted to fields. I've also seen various contracts that are used for me and the landowner. But I believe it will work a little differently in practice. That's why I'd love it if someone would be so willing to help us.

I am trying to understand the precise meaning of your thoughts there, because permission to detect on land in the UK can be a tricky and emotive subject. It requires time and effort from UK detectorists to gain permission from land owners to detect on their property.

Gaining permission for detecting often means that only the single detectorist is allowed on that land, and cannot invite temporary guests. It was certainly a very specific requirement of my permission, that I could not bring anyone else onto the land, and a requirement like that needs to be strictly respected, otherwise I lose the land.

So, if your thought is that it will be easy for a Kent-based detectorist to take you onto the land they have permission for, you need to accept it may not be. On the other hand, you might be very lucky, and someone here on this forum can have you accompany them on to land they have permisson for, but it isn't as common as you, perhaps, think.

Detecting rallies are a feature of the metal detecting community in the UK, so you may be fortunate to have one coincide with your visit. These events are usually arranged over a couple of weekend days, and detectorists pay the organisers to attend one or more days, with intensive detecting activities in several fields on a farm somewhere. I have not been to a detecting rally, so others here can hopefully provide more detail.

Assuming you are fortunate enough to acquire some sort of permission to detect on land, or attend a rally, and are even more fortunate to find an artefact of value and interest, there are then laws about the handling of your finds. Is the find 'treasure', or is it not 'treasure'? The word 'treasure' has a specific legal meaning in connection with detecting, and I strongly recommend you visit this UK Public Antiquities Scheme webpage, read it, and download and familiarise yourself with these two documents listed on that webpage:

'Advice for Finders of Archaeological objects, including Treasure'
'Full code of practice for the administration of Treasure'

Something else to consider, having done the work of gaining land permission for detecting, many UK detectorists will justifiably feel that, if there is something interesting and/or valuable within the soil on their permission, then any value that can be gained from the artefacts found belongs to the land owner and them (depending on the arrangement they have with the landowner). If someone can accompany you on their land permission, are you willing to accept that much, or maybe even all, the potential value of a find, will not come to you?

Even if the find is not treasure, it may still be considered a cultural object. What do you intend to do with that find?  Do you have intentions of taking your finds back to the Czech Republic? Licenses, of which there are several types, are required for exporting all sorts of 'cultural goods' from the UK, and it is an extensive subject on it's own.  Merely as a starting point, this is one category of Cultural Goods where an export license is required:

Archaeological objects more than 100 years old which are the products of:
• excavations and finds on land or under water
• archaeological sites
• archaeological collections

I don't wish to intentionally discourage you, Lukas, but it is important to understand that great care is needed to detect legally in the UK, and then having found something in the soil, there are laws about the handling and international movement of many categories of artefacts, even if they are not considered 'treasure'. You will need to be sure of what you are doing in order not to cross over into illegal activity, which could so easily spoil your visit to the UK.

All the above aside, I hope you have an enjoyable time in the UK.

[Brabiik]

Thank you very much for such a great long answer.
I'm aware that it's not that simple, it's not my first time in England, and I've considered it a few years ago, but it didn't work out precisely because I wanted to study everything first. I know that 99% of the land is private, so I'm trying to research and try to find out where and especially who would give me help in this regard. Detectorist meetings would be great, I'd just have to see if there were any in my timeframe.
Any artifacts or treasures would of course be handled according to the law. That means careful documentation, and then sending it to the proper authorities. My family who live in England would certainly help me in this regard. I am resigned to the fact that I might not get a financial reward, after all, that's how it works in the Czech Republic. It's all about history and a different environment than we have here. Above all, we want everything to be legal and we don't want to have problems with anything. That's why I want to be prepared and find out everything I can.
Thank you for sending me the links, which I will study.

[ManOnTheMoon]

Okay, Lukas, you understand the potential traps, so I hope you are fortunate enough to get some enjoyable detecting done when you are in the UK.

[f8met]

Export licences are required for any item 50 years old recovered from the ground.

https://finds.org.uk/treasure/advice/export

All UK archaeological objects found in the ground and at least 50 years old need an Export Licence before they can be exported overseas (for further details see the Arts Council England's guidance). Finders/exporters should also familiarise themselves with the Treasure Act and follow the procedure for reporting items of potential treasure.

The process looks quite straight forward and if you have someone in the UK who can look after it then they can forward finds to you after they have been given the necessary paperwork. It is explained quite well here on the Colchester treasure hunting website on how they do it for their detecting tours.

https://www.colchestertreasurehunting.c ... export.htm

[KevinB]

........we're very interested in the history of Great Britain.

Hi Lucas, If You fancy a break from detecting if you hav`nt before check out Leeds Castle just up the road from Folkestone. Visited this week fantastic day out and the tickets are valid for a year. Have fun. Kevin.....