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Why we should give thanks for metal- and mettle-detectorists |
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| Another key part of the story of Thanksgiving Field | ||
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BEFRIENDING
FLY2HELP & ROSIE
SCHWEINFURT RECONCILED 1943-2014
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 THANKSGIVING FIELD
COULD ONLY HAVE HAPPENED thanks to Berkshire
Detectorists - a excellent club of which I've been a member since autumn 2012.So this is page in thanks and tribute to its organisers - and and to the landowning host who set the scene for the Winkfield Hoard! It was at the very start of the club dig on Sunday 20th October 2013 that I unearthed the cartridges at Winkfield. The usual arrangements for a Club dig day had been made with Chris Adkins, manager of Tally Ho Farm. According to the pre-dig briefing sent out by leader Ray Laidlaw, during WW2 an American bomber had crashlanded at what was RAF Winkfield. And what came to light brought a surprise and smile. Good detecting clubs help provide and informal but responsible service to archaeology in finding and recording many items of historical interest. Anything believed to be over 300 years old has to logged with a Local Finds Officer under the Portable Finds Scheme. Digs also make a good day out in fresh air, with lots of exercise and the chance of surprise! Farms and other sites give permission for Club members to come on their land for the day and search for buried metal artefacts. (NB If you have land in Berkshire and are interested in letting 30-40 well-behaved metal detectorists walk sensibly over it with headphones on as a service to local history, contact the Club Secretary.) The Club pays owners for giving their permission - which is essential before anyone starts detecting anywhere. If finds later turn out to have financial value (and a buyer such as a museum can be found) then the money's shared between the finder and the owner. So it's important for the owner to be in the know on this - and give permission beforehand. Don't get excited at the idea you may be sitting on a big hoard - but many landowners enjoy seeing the variety of things that members have unearthed. Under Clubs' codes of conduct, members should leave the land as they find it. They must replace divots, fill in tidily any holes dug, and take away any metal rubbish that they find - not simply rebury it. Livestock and crops must be treated with respect - though horses and cows often wander over to see what's going on. The Club was founded in 2011 by Ray Laidlaw and Kelly LeDvon. Like a lot of people in and around Reading, they wanted to go detecting but had no land to go out on. After some intensive research, Kelly was granted permission to detect on 2000 acres of pasture - made possible with the great kindness of farmers Gilbert and Harvey Crocker. Ray and Kelly decided to set up a group where like-minded members could meet up and enjoy the hobby together, and also have the benefits of socialising and showing off finds to the county. Digs are usually fortnightly on a Sunday, and Members get details of the venue and notes of any history a few days beforehand. Club members also meet monthly on a Friday evening in Central Reading. Meetings often have an invited speaker from the world of archaeology. At Christmas and other times, social events take over!
If you'd like to know more, the first place to go is the Club's richly stocked website www.berkshire-detectorists.com |
 At the October 2013 meeting, Ray Laidlaw presents Lu Selwyn with the Find of the Month award for her quarter stater. As it was a gold coin, she was also presented with the 'Gold Member' embroidered cap, and this was topped off with a find of the month mug carrying a picture of the quarter stater and the club logo.  Secretary and co-founder of the Club Kelly LeDvon presents Allan Walder with his Find of the Month award during the dig on 3 November 2013. The award was for his crumpled gold Noble. Allan took it a jewellers and had it flattened so it looked lovely. He too received a 'Gold Member' cap. The setting was a typical dig field in rural Berkshire - though not all days have such clear blue sky! Cows and diggers may safely graze. In June 2013, the stony ground in this field was rock hard after the summer's drought - making anything more than half an inch deep hard going on detectorists and spades.   The Tally Ho Hoard found on the 20 October 2013 dig. Note the ruler to give some idea of scale. |
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BEFRIENDING
FLY2HELP & ROSIE
SCHWEINFURT RECONCILED 1943-2014
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