Did you go beach detecting after 1987 Storm ?

[Dave The Slave]

Obviously a lot on the news about the 1987 storm today.
Did anyone on here go beach detecting in the few days after. How much sand was stripped away etc?
Actually live 10 min drive from sea but can`t remember going down there for a look afterwards.
Thanks for any recollections.
Dave.

[john Colin]

In 1987 two days after the event my chum insisted we went to a beach in south Devon, one he detected on a regular basis, as we walked down we met a dog walker coming back off the beach, he had a hand full of coins he had picked up. When we seen the beach we were amazed, as the sand had gone and it was just the red clay left, you could clearly see coins adhered to the clay. Over four hundred coins in just that day including seventeen cartwheel pennies in pretty good nick, eleven gold rings and one had five big diamonds in a straight bar. A week of incredible finds ended just as abruptly when the conditions changed causing vast amounts of sand to be deposited. To give you an idea, a rock my friend always sat on to eat his lunch became over fifteen foot tall, a week later it had disappeared. Anyone venturing out, be careful and respectful of the conditions, much safer to wait for the sea to calm down.

[Dave The Slave]

Hi John,
Thanks for your memories, sounded like a once in a lifetime experience. 17 Cartwheel pennies in good condition shows the History of the area.
Cheers
Dave

[Oxgirl36]

I was thinking the same thing this morning. If I recollect weren't finds made near the base of uprooted trees too?

[Dave The Slave]

I was thinking the same thing this morning. If I recollect weren't finds made near the base of uprooted trees too?

Were these eyes only or using a detector ?
Looking forward to more replies when people get back from work tonight.
Thanks for taking the time to reply .
Dave.

[Doug]

Yes I had a lot of silver threepenny bits plus Victorian children's silver christening rings from the black sand in front of the clock tower at Weymouth.

I stopped off at Chesil beach (Abbotsbury) most of the shingle had lifted out and down to black sand with a clay bank showing at the back of the beach, I spent the whole week going down on a daily basis.

Hundreds of fishing weights, to be expected, with so many coins I just cheery picked the silver ones for their silver scrap value.

A lot of Roman coins stuck into the clay bank which had come down from the big hill up on the main road, these had come down in the stream which is normally buried by the shingle.

[Dave The Slave]

Thanks for the reply Doug.
Sounds amazing.
Reckon Fred may have a tale or two to share later.
Cheers,
Dave.

[Doug]

Thanks for the reply Doug.
Sounds amazing.
Reckon Fred may have a tale or two to share later.
Cheers,
Dave.

I'm sure I had the Arado 95 at the time although I purchased a Garrett Groundhog to use on the beach/land.

At the time in Bridport there was a chap called Bill Irvine (RIP Bill) who was a Whites dealer who sold machines from his house, his beach and land finds from around the West Bay and along the Chesil beach and surrounding fields was unbelievable.

[john Colin]

Hi John,
Thanks for your memories, sounded like a once in a lifetime experience. 17 Cartwheel pennies in good condition shows the History of the area.
Cheers
Dave

Everyone I have spoken to who has detected this beach have found cartwheels at some point, the general opinion is they have been washed up from a wreck which once was visible at low tide and close enough to reach by swimming, it was very popular with local dive groups. You are right, it was a once in a life time experience but fingers crossed, I have not been on beaches detecting for some years, perhaps if I can motivate myself and make an early start I may try tomorrow.

[LE.JAG]

Hi,

I knew a scottish who had
picked 1.3 kilos of 18k on the month that followed the 1987 Hurricane
on the beaches of France

rock and clay was bare
just pick up............

[Danzigman]

A few good images to give an idea here - http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~imw/chestorm.htm

[beachboy70]

Thanks for the link Danzigman, looking at those old photos and stories we are only having a few waves at present, just be careful not too close. beachboy 70