UK DETECTOR NET Forum

on 2 sites I have permission on,both have had a peel tower on them, now converted to homes, however both have vast open fields around them,and I know from research that a lot of skirmishs and fighting took place, scots/English,around the area.
where do I start??, any tips, it will take years at once a week!!

Start where you start and note where you find things, that will build a previously unknown picture..... which is a big old part of the hobby. It will take time, lots of time.....its not a rush job. You also need the 3 "Ps".....patience, persistence and permission (you have 33.33% already) after that its determination & a fair old splash of luck!

Well, if it was me, i would start by getting as much info as is possible on the site, especially as you say it has historic significance.
After making sure that the area is not a scheduled site, i would try to find the oldest of maps to try and pin down trackways and field boundaries or land features that suggest some usage in times past. Failing that, try and stay initially as close to habitation as possible, as this will most likely have reasonable footfall. If all else fails, then just go arambling!

Go to the highest point on the field, then look in every direction, for churches. Normally there will
be footpaths running form one to another, often crossing fields you may be on, and continuing across
in between land. It is well worth detecting along those pathways, at a width of about four to five
metres overall width. Watch for any other paths which join onto yours, and note the direction they
come from. If your fields are surrounded by drystone walls, the gates will be old, and detecting either
side of them cab be lucrative, (several feet into the land on each side of the hedge/wall). Just because
a field has a galvanised gate does not indicate age.
When you get to the stage of a widespread search, work to a grid of the land, and do it slowly, one section
at a time, it will take ages, but will be worth every minute of your time.
Good hunting.