Metal Detecting

Good evening gents.

I'm just starting my adventure with metal detecting. I apply for Thames foreshore permit(as is the easiest and closest place for me to reach and get to know my detector better), did anyone know how long it takes to get one? Just wondering if I am gonna be able to do any detecting this weekend.

Regards.

And happy hunting in the new year.

Hi Karol. I applied for a PLA licence on 17th December. They've told me I'll receive it by mid January. So, I would give it a month or so. There are some excellent Youtube videos out there. Nicola White's is one of the better ones, and has some great tips and hints for rookie mudlarkers.

Westcoastdetector wrote: Thu Jan 09, 2020 4:18 pm Hi Karol. I applied for a PLA licence on 17th December. They've told me I'll receive it by mid January. So, I would give it a month or so. There are some excellent Youtube videos out there. Nicola White's is one of the better ones, and has some great tips and hints for rookie mudlarkers.

Last time I applied it took less than a week to come through.

Thanks a lot Ladies and Gentlemens

I've done my research on how-to and all that and I'm familiar with Portable Antiquities Scheme only thing I'm missing now I something to record

Good luck, it may be well worth to do research first while you waiting as some place are impossible to detect - too deep mud, too much metal rubbish, no easy access, too many people either dog walking or strolling (some of them can be really annoying :/ ) as well as learn how to check tides etc.

Karol1989 wrote: Fri Jan 10, 2020 3:30 pm Thanks a lot Ladies and Gentlemens

I've done my research on how-to and all that and I'm familiar with Portable Antiquities Scheme only thing I'm missing now I something to record

Did you get it yet?

Christian.

Karol1989 wrote: Thu Jan 09, 2020 3:28 pm Good evening gents.

I'm just starting my adventure with metal detecting. I apply for Thames foreshore permit(as is the easiest and closest place for me to reach and get to know my detector better), did anyone know how long it takes to get one? Just wondering if I am gonna be able to do any detecting this weekend.

Regards.

And happy hunting in the new year.

If you don't mind e asking, how did you apply?

thank you!

Christian.

Hofling wrote: Fri Jan 10, 2020 8:45 pm

Karol1989 wrote: Thu Jan 09, 2020 3:28 pm Good evening gents.

I'm just starting my adventure with metal detecting. I apply for Thames foreshore permit(as is the easiest and closest place for me to reach and get to know my detector better), did anyone know how long it takes to get one? Just wondering if I am gonna be able to do any detecting this weekend.

Regards.

And happy hunting in the new year.

If you don't mind e asking, how did you apply?

thank you!

Christian.

Details here viewtopic.php?f=12&t=19813

I had a Thames permit a few years back but didn't bother with it too much, but then I think I was using the wrong machine for the foreshore ( laser B1 Hi power ). Found more with my eyes than with the detector.

There are areas where you can't go at all, but the map supplied with the permit explains all that.

Be very careful about getting cut off by the tide as it can come in very quick and deep mud. Good luck.

For those still thinking of applying, the foreshore is very heavily over searched, so finding a recent coin is a great find, there is a lot metal rubbish from the last few decades (nails, melted aluminium, random coper pipes bits and in general random broken parts). I have done so far maybe 5 searches in various places and the best find so far was a bullet case from ww2, broken phones and parts of clay pipes - which can be spotted without license. Once every few years you hear of somebody finding something old but.. there is many people searching daily, and hundreds eyes only lookers. Although this is the only place around me where I could get permission..

Yes, it has been very heavily searched, but some areas have more than others and there's still things to be found. It is surprising how much is still there. I found the amount of rubbish to be the biggest problem. You really need a machine with a small coil, such as a Tesoro Compadre, otherwise you're wasting your time using a metal detector.

new rules in force from Jan1 about the depth you can dig to ,its been reduced

Hofling wrote: Fri Jan 10, 2020 8:44 pm

Karol1989 wrote: Fri Jan 10, 2020 3:30 pm Thanks a lot Ladies and Gentlemens

I've done my research on how-to and all that and I'm familiar with Portable Antiquities Scheme only thing I'm missing now I something to record

Did you get it yet?

Christian.

Nope still no luck.

I agree the Thames is not the best place to search, but it's close for me and also I travel only by motorcycle or public transport.
I still believe is better to do some detecting and get experience with the machine than don't do it at all.
Tides are moving and revelling objects all the time so i don't really believe you can oversearch the area.
The best example is Staffordshire Hoard that field was detected in past and nothing was found.
Im not aiming for gold or silver in the Thames but you never know

Any more info on the depth restriction change, Targets? Their website seems to state it's still 7.5cm, as before:
http://www.pla.co.uk/Environment/Thames ... re-permits

I suspect you could be waiting a while for the permit, Karol, the 'three year' fixed period means that a lot of renewals will be taking place now. Plus all the eyes-only / scraper folk need permits these days, too. And also the proof of ID process is a bit more involved, too ... ever increasing bureaucracy, KYC , and no doubt concerns about terrorism, being central London.

Note that their website states "allow a minimum of 4 weeks to get a permit".