Life Skills and Hobbies

• Health and safety in relation to the classroom, and in the field. Some background history in relation to the use of metal detectors, and the hobby of metal detecting: books and magazines: the Internet.
• How to basically setup, and use a metal detector. Equipment associated with metal detecting. How to correctly dig, and recover an item from the ground.

Day 2

• Legislation relation to metal detecting: the Treasure Act: the NCMD and the Code of Conduct: Permission and search agreements: the Portable antiquities scheme (PAS): Finds liaison Officer (FLO): Clubs.
• Fieldwork: Detecting on College grounds - below the White Horse where Cromwell set up camp.
• Classroom: Log and display days finds.

Day 3

• Refresher on how to pinpoint, dig and recover an item from the ground: making good the recover area
• Fieldwork: Detecting on College grounds - top fields in woodland area.
• Classroom: Log and display finds.
• Visit to a local museum.

Day 4

• Well known finds: hoards: and about research. The use of maps: Google Earth and GPS.
• Guest speaker for example - the finder of a UK hoard or an archaeologist

Day 5

• Fieldwork: Metal detecting on land with pre-agreed permission subject to a search agreement. This could be college grounds or possible nearby privately owned farmland.
• Classroom: Log and display finds.
• Competition as to who had the best finds of the week.

• A suitable digging implement - (a strong garden trowel will be fine)
• A hand held probe
• Safety gloves
• Waterproof shoes/boots, or wellingtons, and wet weather clothing (just in case)

• Finds apron or small bags (such as freezer bags)

• Metal detectors will be provided. If you have a metal detector please speak with the tutor. If agreed that you may use it, you will need fresh batteries and the instruction manual.

  
  

David Rees

About David

David is a self-employed teacher now working with children that havespecial educational needs or disability. He has enjoyed the hobby of metal detecting for over 40 years. He is currently the Chairman of an established Metal Detecting club in Wiltshire and the Chairman of the Western region ARMD (Affiliated Regions for Metal Detecting).

He works in partnership with Wiltshire Police, and assists the delivery of Heritage Watch training devised by Heritage England to metal detectorists in the UK. He is also a consultant for the Association for Metal Detecting Sport that provides public liability insurance to those detecting responsibly in hobby.