A lot of people ask how to get a permission… I think some of the answers lie in the fact that if you bother to do some research, it shows a willingness to work in the field and off the field, plus research proves to a landowner that the area you’re looking at, & have found his history and useful information that you think you could use to present to the land owner – this way it shows you care about what you do and your passionate about the history. most farm details are online, you might want to email them with the information you have garnered with your research, and ask if you could make an appointment to talk in person, some times just turning up to someone’s land can be off-putting, but i do that also, i tend to carry an assortment of finds to show the land owner, these finds have found previously, and from where also insurance is a good way of showing how seriously you are and a ten million pound insurance might be helpful…
Is Site Research important before you go onto a site with a metal detector, i think the answer is yes, you would not go dump digging without prior knowledge of where the most likely place a dump is located, or go panning for gold in a stream on the off chance it might contain gold nuggets, but with the right equipment at your fingertips & with the wonders of modern technology, we can upload so many research sites, in an instance, but is there any one better than any other, i think there is one that stands out from the rest, this is the one i have used repeatedly over the years, it is free and very informative, which in today’s society is quite refreshing…. does it work, yes, and it works really well i have found silver coins and nonprecious artefacts that have been dropped or discarded, via old footpaths or little greens that have rerouted or are simply no longer there, so i would say you get satisfactory results every-time…
Below is a screenshot of just one good example, where on a modern map nothing shows up at all but put it alongside an older ordinance survey map of 1885 – 1905, it shows a farm called Villiams, as circled in blue, it disappears from the maps somewhere in the 1920’s, with plenty good finds being found, every time i search this area i find something, i must admit the ground is littered with iron, as is another site i have the privilege of searching… i did find glass from Villiams farm site, they are the remains of a set of dentures, which looks like the upper part of the set & made of glass, these were found lying on the surface, near the gateway…
Pond’s…
The origins of many village ponds in Britain can be traced back to the medieval period, although some may be older. Initially, these ponds were man-made, excavated to provide water for livestock, assist in the retting process for flax, serve as a resource for firefighting, or operate mills. The typical placement of a pond in the village centre, often near the church or along the main thoroughfare.
Urban expansion often required the drainage of ponds to prevent diseases such as malaria, which were linked to stagnant water bodies near human populations. The connection between public health and environmental management became an impetus for altering or eliminating ponds.
Many ponds that had been central to villages for centuries were lost, often filled in or simply left to overgrow and silt up, becoming hidden beneath layers of both earth and time.
Discover more about the original article by Rural Historia.
A tradition of payment, for the use of fields or roadways, that may date back to Saxon times. St Martins’day. 1899 ‘Recorded as ‘ongoing’ 1170 AD and still going strong!’ One of Britain’s oldest and quirkiest rituals, echoing scenes reminiscent of a Little Britain episode. At the break of dawn, a peculiar congregation gathered in a field between Ryton and Stretton, Warwickshire.
Amidst the rustic setting, individuals tossed coins into a stone recess under the scrutiny of an emissary representing a Scottish nobleman. Each participant proclaimed the words “wroth silver” with gusto.
Following this ancient custom, the intrepid assembly retreated to the Queens Head pub in Bretford, indulging in clay pipe smoking and hearty servings of a traditional English breakfast.
The Wroth Silver tradition, dating back nearly 850 years to 1170, occurs annually on Martinmas Eve. The Duke of Buccleuch, also known as the steward of the Ancient Hundred of Knightlow, dispatches his envoy to levy taxes from the 25 surrounding parishes.
The levies range from half a pence to 11.5p per parish, amounting to a total of 46p—a significant sum in its time. Failure to remit payment incurred a penalty: the forfeiture of a white bull with a red nose and ears.
Rooted in feudal law, this ceremony was once widespread across the country and documented in the Domesday Book. Its decline coincided with the emergence of local governance and modern tax collection methods. Today, the ceremony persists solely to preserve this ancient heritage, earning its status as Britain’s oldest surviving ritual.
udigidig.com 