November 2024: video of a strange hand here
October 2024: Video of a hammered silver penny, etc, click here
October 2024: Had to wait for crops to be harvested. Made 5 trips out recently. Found a small silver hammered. Will post a video soon. Updated views of Chigwell. I think the Fairlop ring is on display at Redbridge museum and the stoneware jar from Ilford 1890s and a pewter tankard from Red Lion, Ilford 1880s, shown above
December 2023: Nice couple of hammereds and I lose my pinpointer here
October 2023: New season. Nice coin video here
January 2023: V2 rocket battery found and my 3 pieces of special metal
video here
March 2022: You probably will have never heard of this find before here
January 2022: Interesting pot stand and V2 pieces including a lovely washer and heavy iron here
December 2021: Interesting bits of V2 rocket still coming up here
October 2021: New video of pieces still coming up here
July 2021: My hoard of 9 silver coins that I found 9 years ago has finally gone into Epping Forest museum. This is my fifth find in museums. All of the fields have crops so no detecting lately but coming soon. Added some new images of Chigwell. Also check out how many times Chigwell was hit by V2 rockets on my V2 tab!
April 2021: Check out the engraved piece of V2 and lovely hammered coin here
April 2021. Found a lovely silver bird and V2 rocket pieces still coming out. See video here
February 2021. New UK Government rules on detecting here
February 2021: Here is a video I did in October. Looking to get out soon subject to Covid and flooded field restrictions. Hope everybody is staying safe
October 2020: Latest video with possible treasure find and more V2 rocket pieces can be seen here
June 2020: I hope everyone is staying safe. Soon be over. I've just uploaded another 12 photos on to Chigwell views page. Not haerd anything re the Treasure find for awhile
February 2020: The British museum have valued the 9 x 1,000 year old coins in the hoard as £140 split between my self and the farmer. From finding to valuation, the process took 8 years! We are both fine with the valuation since it is the giving back that is ther most important thing. They will be on display at Epping Forest museum. I have 2 videos of me finding these coins further down on this screen. Here is my latest video of finds including a couple of very old silver coins and a couple of V2 rocket screws which I have never found before
January 2020: The coins will be valued by the British Museum later in the month. Then, they will let the farmer and myself know of the amount of the valuation and we decide if we agree. Not expecting much. Anyhow, it is about the history. Nothing else. So, that's cool. For interest, 2 metal dectorists who dug up a stash of Viking and didn't declare them and tried to sell them on the open market were jailed for 8 years each. Of more interest is what experts have pieced together was in the hoard. The story of their accomplice and the video of the hoard is here
For interest, here is site detailing the best treasure finds of the past decade and this is an important article in The Telegraph about what waste is being put into fields now. The man talks about not being able to find historis objects anymore but I also think what this waste in the soil could do to people in the future. Have a read here of what is being put into fields. My farmer doesn't do it. None should.
I will be making another video shortly of the live finding of objects including V2 rocket parts and its skin
November 2019: The 9 silver coins which are about 1,000 years old and were found about 6 years ago! have been declared Treasure by Chelmsford Coroner. They will now be valued by the British Museum assessment team. Details of 8 of the 13 V2 rockets that hit Chigwell are on the V2 rocket tab
August 2019: After 6 years of finding my 9 silver coin hoard (with coins dating from Richard I, John and some other King), it is finally going through the Treasure process! Ridiculously long time. Anyhow, it will probably be confirmed as Treasure by the Coroner in Chelmsford on 4 October. Epping Forest museum have expressed an interest in acquiring it. It will go to the valuing stage after that. This will be performed by the British museum. Then they will offer the farmer and myself a sum of money. All landowners get 50%. Contact me if you need anything detected. Or want the history of your garden. On Saturday at Thw Beatles convention in Liverpool, I met the woman who owns 3 of the houses of The Beatles in their childhood. I suggested she should get her gardens detected ;o). Here is a video of I did last month of finding a nice, old silver coin, V2 rocket pieces and showing you the British Museum letter
July 2019: Added more images into my Chigwell museum. The British Museum have finally found my hoard and the Coroner has been approached to declare it as Treasure
May 2019: New video coming soon, mostly of V2 rocket stuff.
13 V2 rockets impacted in Chigwell, 8 dates and times shown on the V2 page
November 2018: Been out in the fields and found 5 silver hammered coins in different fields. One is medieval and, well I won't spoil it for you, although don't get your hopes up ;o) Some lovely old pottery. Also found a World War one and World War two fuzes for anti aircraft shells, proving that a Zeppelin or Gotha GV plane flew over Chigwell in World War One. I have found 2 or 3 others here. The finding of the objects is the first video here, and the round-up is the second video here. With thanks to the farmer for his kind permission
November 2018: My hoard has virtually finished going through the Treasure process. Took a while but worth it. You can see it here
This will be my fifth Treasure find. The 9 silver, medieval coins are dated from 1180-1247. With thanks to the Museum of London for IDs and the land owner without whom, this history would not have been uncovered for future generations to learn from and be enthused by. This season, I have uncovered 5 more hammered coins of differing periods. I will post a video soon
May 2018: The hoard of 9 silver coins from the reigns of King John and Richard I have now been catalogued and have gone to the Coroner to confirm whether thay are treasure or not. I will have a link from the British Museum soon
March 2018: I have permission to metal detect in a certain area of a London park. Over a few months I have dug out 110 old pound coins and one dodgy lead one. I have found a bank that takes them and today I bought £80 of unusual plants for the park. I also have 5 small acer trees for them that grew from little seeds at the front. I am looking to show more roman activity in the park, since a roman coffin was discovered there but, as yet, unable to confirm. Have found a few lead pieces but nothing detailed. The oldest coin is 1797. But there is a layer of gravel varying from 3 to 10 inches which, I believe, is impeding me getting to older history. I will post some photos or do a video of the many objects lost and found but not discovered anything of value which confirms this has been a poor area. Interestingly, I have found a WWII anti-aircraft bomb timing fuze and associated shrapnel but not a lot of it. So we did fire over Ilford, and probably killed our own residents. The amount of ring pulls and shards of tin can is phenomenal. These will be recycled. I created a programme on my detector, a CTX3030 supplied by Minelab, which takes out a few ring pull numbers but they are all different so just got to live with it. It makes rings very difficult to find, too, but there's too much junk! Will keep you posted. I am a committee member of The Redbridge Green Fair and do their website, amongst other things. We are looking for volunteers and a sponsor should you be interested. We are particularly looking for a sharp, social media person.
Jan 2018: Currently searching a park with permission for evidence of roman activity that has been proven 300 years ago. Will keep you updated
October 2017: Have had limited success over the summer and now into the autumn more green waste has been spread over the fields rendering them undetectable. It's not farmers' faults, it's Councils. This waste is produced from residents' garden waste. Of course, the general public put loads of litter into their green waste bags when they are tidying up their gardens. This is not removed by Councils and it gets spread all over the lovely clean fields. The V2 rocket field is a right mess with loads of plastics and metals, cut up cans, etc being ploughed into the fields. This metal and plastic waste will hurt cattle and get into our diet and in 20 years time, the fields will turn into dumps and what our offspring will eat will be contaminated. This is happening throughout the country and the sooner Councils start removing the plastic and metal rubbish the better for society.
Anyhow, I did find a few lovely coins and you can see them being discovered here
With continual thanks to the farmer
I have another video to upload soon
I am also metal detecting spoil heaps at an archaeological dig which I initiated in search of roman coffins
July 2017: Another V2 rocket video of 9 months of hunting showing 2 pieces with a Wehrmacht stamp click here
June 2017: I went to the new Ilford Heritage Centre. It is wonderful with access to 2 ancestry sites and excellent paper data including electoral roles and census. I used it to try to find data about the deaths of 2 people who were killed by a V2 in Chigwell in 1944 or 1945 because I am digging some of it up. I have the exact timings and launching places of 8 of the 13 V2s that hit Chigwell on the V1 and V2 tab. Weirdly, the websites had no info of deaths in 1945 but I managed to find the name of a gentleman, Stanley William Dearlove, who was killed by a V2 on 26 Nov 1944 which matched the German data. RIP
June 2017: See my Chigwell Museum tab with the collection of Chigwell items I have collected over the years. Soon I will be doing a new V2 rocket video with some weird pieces
May 2017: Found another piece of Wehrmacht stamped V2 rocket. Second one ever in thousands of pieces, often tiny. Details to follow. Updated the Treasure finds tab to include the plaques displayed at Redbridge Museum. Have to visit Epping Forest Museum to see the others
March 2017: Latest ID from the Museum of London here
January 2017:Found some very unusual V2 rocket pieces and one with blue paint which can be seen here and here
November 2016:
Some of the V2 rocket pieces I have discovered (with a lot of hard work) These pieces were found over a period of one year. When you are digging up a V2, your mind wanders to the wonder of this object and the death involved in its making. Poor people RIP. I now have a theory.
2 March, 1945, 2 x V2 rockets landed in Chigwell, one early in the morning and one late at night, but they were fired from completely different places since remarkably, the Germans could launch these WoMD from trailers. So they must have been aiming for Chigwell on that day. Therefore, it is proven that double-agents were telling them the co-ordinates to aim at. Maybe that sounds correct? Anyhow, here are the pieces and here is the moment of finding. Anybody got any land I can search for history, please?
28 September: Found a hammered silver and many pieces of 16th and early 17th Century pottery. Video up shortly. Not many finds since I've taken a lot of history out of the ground (and scrap) already. Always looking for new land to search and to spread the history for everyone. There is always the trusty V2 rocket field but it is too dry to dig at the moment. An important video on different parts I have found coming shortly
12 July 2016:
The display commences today at Redbridge museum in Ilford. See details here. I am being helped by Minelab since my dear E-TRAC is with one of my Treasure finds there and I miss her already :o)
I am always looking for land to discover the history of, so please email me, if you wish to talk about anything. I do not disclose whereabouts of finds unless they are Treasure items, which must be seen by everybody and learnt from:
[email protected]
I will shortly do the video of the V2 rocket pieces I have found recently and some other bits including a hammered, silver coin. One of my V2 pieces with a Wehrmacht stamp is under investigation by the Museum of London with help from the Imperial War Museum
If you wish to see my other Treasure finds, they can be found here
June 2016:
The Fairlop ring will be on display at Redbridge museum from 12 July until 31 December. The exhibition will promote the benefits to history of metal detecting and the importance of declaring objects you find to the local museum. See details here
April 2016:
Latest V2 rocket finds and hammered Elizabeth I silver click here
March 2016:
Redbridge museum are to have a large display of my metal detecting equipment and finds commencing July 2016
February 2016:
Video of me finding V2 rocket parts including a Wehrmacht stamped piece click here
January 2016:
Detecting a field where a V2 rocket landed. Very muddy. Yesterday, I found many pieces of rocket skin, most like a tiny smithereen but some big pieces. For me, a Treasure find would have to be a piece detected last week. It had a Nazi insignia on it as the final proof that this is actually a V2 rocket that was 30 feet long and traveled at 4 times the speed of sound. The aluminium can sometimes be in good condition and hasn't rusted. Respect to the poor people who made them. I found some pieces yesterday and an Elizabeth I silver penny among it all. I am doing a video of discovering the interesting bits and pieces
January 2016: ID of roman coin (rare for Chigwell) I will be giving back to the farmer when the coin is returned by the Museum of London click here
Many photos of old Chigwell in the Old Views of Chigwell tab
December 2015: A good year. Ring found now about to go on display in Redbridge museum. I also donated a 1500BC spear head to them and many war bits and pieces I found in the area, The 1900 Cauliflower bottle I discovered is now in The Cauliflower in Ilford. One of the roman coins I found is in the Museum of London for ID
November 2015:Just given the roman coin to the farmer whose land I strayed onto on a footpath
Found another Treasure Act find on my permission and am taking it to the Museum of London tomorrow. Click here to see it being found
October 2015: New permission looking for something specifically click here
August 2015 Roman finds in Chigwell! I think one of them is Marcus Aurelius. I will check with the Museum of London and report See here
August 2015 I managed to film some deer including a fallow, Epping Forest deer. Click here
I have accepted the British Museum's of £250 (split between myself and the farmer) for this amazing 14th Century silver ring see here. This will be the third find of mine to be displayed in Epping Forect museum
I have accepted the British museum's offer of £600 (split between the farmer and myself) for this beautiful 16/17th gold ring which will soon be displayed at Redbridge Museum in Ilford see here
It has been a very successful year with 3 finds being declared treasure and the 1657 Protectorate ring about to go on display at Epping Forest Museum. Here are 2 of my treasure finds:Click here
and here
My fish-thingy has been described by the Curator of Roman Collections at the British Museum as probably roman although nobody has seen the like so they can't confirm since there is no precedent
Click here to view their report
The gold button has entered the Treasure Act process
The German 1650s coin has entered the Treasure Act process
They have taken the gold ring I found a couple of weeks ago for investigation and the possible Roman part of a bowl found at the seaside
My aim is to help keep and add to history. My website is to display what I find and what will go to museums. If you would like some land searched, please see my contact page. I like finding things and gaining history knowledge
August 2015: New permission. Fields being ploughed :o)
November 2014: Click here to read an interview with an archaeologist about metal detecting
October 2014: Check out these beautiful milled silver coins, the like of which I have never found click here
October 2014: Finding of a lovely silver hammered coin and a stone click here
September 2014: Part of a Belamine jug and a silver spoon click here
September 2014: Check out these World War One bi planes I saw overhead click here
August 2014 6 silvers including an hammered coin click here
August 2014: Georgian ring click here
July 2014: Check out my friend's amazing Saxon coin found elsewhere click here
July 2014: Fantastic World War one fuze click here
April 2014. Just dug up quite a few pieces of V2 rocket in Chigwell. If any residents would like any, please email me
June 2014: Working on an archaeological survey, I find a stonking ring click here
February 2014: I found a beautiful, inscribed, Georgian mourning ring click here
22 January 2014: Lovely ring and a one inch bullet found at the seaside click here
14 January 2014: Amazing bowl found after the storms click here
8 January 2014: Big gold ring and a beautiful roman ring at the seaside click here
28 December 2013: Henry VIII silver penny click here
20 November 2013: Nice Elizabeth I coin click here
1 November 2013: Interesting piece of V2 rocket click here
28 October 2013: Beautiful Gothic coin click here
8 October 2013: a Charles I or II silver sixpence click here
30 September 2013: 8th and 9th silver hammered pennies click here
28 September 2013: 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th silver hammered coins click here
24 September: 3rd hammered coin click here
22 September 2013: 2 silver hammered pennies: Richard I and Henry II? click here
21 September 2013: a few V2 rocket parts click here
13 September 2013: an Elizabethan hammered silver coin and a silver thimle click here
1 September 2013: finding gold down the Thames estuary click here
26 July 2013: Article in the newspaper about the 1657 bling click here
28 June, 2013: I have been offered £500 by the British Museum for the 17th Century silver thimble and £150 for the 12th Centruy silver ring. Obviously, I have to split 50/50 with the farmer
21 June, 2013: more live metal detecting silver hammered coins and anti-aircraft fuzes click here
19 June, 2013: Charles Horner silver thimble finding whilst metal detecting click here
15 June, 2013: live hammered silver coins find and Gotha bombers' Graf Zeppelin fuzes click here
15 May, 2013. The 1657 gold ring will go on display at Epping Forest museum from Saturday in an exhibition called The Tudors and Early Stuarts. See here
April: 3 cardiac arrests
15 March, 2013. The gold button which I very interestingly was found in the same field as the 1657 gold ring has been issued a treasure number and gone to the Coroner under the laws of the Treasure Act. See video below dated 10 October of its finding live. They date it to the 1600s. Interestingly, I found the Protectorate period gold ring on 10/10/10 and the tiny button on 10/10/12. London museum told me that the very rich people used to wear many tiny gold buttons on their clothing to show off their wealth. Elizabeth I was very fond of gold buttons but that is slightly earlier. I think the gold buttons are quite rare though since there are very few on Google images
25 March 2013: link to 1650s German coin found in Chigwell (what was it doing there (Prince Rupert/English Civil War)) click here
14 March 2013: Click here to see me and my friend finding 5 gold (almost) rings on the beach
7 March 2013: Rings and a roman coin from the beach click here
3 March 2013: Beautiful american coins sent to me by a metal detectorist from USA click here
28 February 2013: A golden stone found at the beach click here
27 Fenruary 2013: Gold and silver rings found at the beach click here
24 February 2013: An alian hand and a ring found at the seaside click here
21 February 2013. I have been paid £225 for my half share (the other half to the farmer) for the 29 August 1657, hallmarked, inscribed gold ring which I didn't think was enough but hay ho I am adding to history and giving back
19 February 2013. My fish-ring thing is returned to me by the Museum of London next week. How old do you reckon they say it will be? Click here to view its finding
9 February 2013: 3 rings found at the seaside including possibly a 17C ring which will go
to the Museum of London for analysis click here
4 February 2013: A bit of a hammered coin found in the fields click here
24 January 2013: Gold ring found at the seaside click here
14 January 2013: Some nice tokens and tin farthing on the banks of the Thames click here
11 January 2013: Viking bracelet find? click here
17 December 2012: Treasure Hunting down the Thames click here
30 November 2012: Old silver coin and some lovely marble? stones (so Isis says ;o)) Click here
26 November 2012: Old silver coin and Isis testing a very old silver, coin bag. Any idea how old? Click here
15 November 2012: Lovely hammered coin find (see comments on vid for dating) click here
12 November 2012: Possible roman fishthingy see here See below for the finding of it live
9 November 2012: Letter received from the Coroner declaring the silver thimble to be treasure. Third treasure find but taken 2,500 hours. See Chigwell gallery to view
7 November 2012: is this gold in this stone?...click here
1 November 2012: Amazing Mexican silver coin. Why would it be in Essex? Click here
29 October 2012: Me finding 5 silver coins in the mud click here
24 October 2012: Amazing German silver coin to be analysed as Treasure by the Museum of London since the hole through it makes it an item and not a coin. Click here
10 October 2012: Gold button found in the same field as the Treasure 1657 gold posey ring now in the Museum of London for analysis. Me finding it live click here
3 October 2012: Redbridge Museum wish to acquire the gold poesie ring I found in Fairlop.
See Fairlop gallery to view the ring inscribed in Latin. Email me, please, if you know the age of it
1 October 2012: The 1657 gold poesie ring has gone to the Secretary of State since a value cannot be agreed upon
26 September 2012: lovely Elizabeth I hammered three pence. Click here
22 September 2012: more finds and update on Roman zoomorphic ring. Click here
18 September 2012 My first Roman find in over 2,000 hours of detecting here and it is amazing.
Click here
16 Septmeber 2012: live metal detecting find of a tiny dog's head and 2 suns in the sky clcik here
11 September 2012: live metal detecting find of Charles I silver penny and some beautiful slipware click here
9 September 2012: live metal detecting video of antiaircraft fuzes and old cross click here
6 September 2012: Edward IV groat live video metal detecting find click here
4 September 2012: very unusual token found here
29 August 2012: Re the balloon I found:
Hi Richard
Many thanks for taking the time to do this it is much appreciated. I have forward your mail onto John who looks after the Balloon Race returns.
The furthest return so far is from Scotland at 501 miles however still plenty of time before the closing date.
If you have the opportunity please have a look at our web site www.cowesrotary.org for further info on the balloon race.
Best regards
Barry Myland
Cowes Rotary Community Chair
this concerns the video here
25 August 2012: Unusual flint and medieval bits. Click here
24 August 2012: Lovely token, Unsure of age.Click here
20 August 2012 from the British Museum about the posey ring I found:
Mourning rings were rings produced in memory of someone who had passed away. Often people set aside money in their will for the production of a certain number of rings to be given to their friends and families upon their death, as a memento. The inscriptions on mourning rings are very similar in format, and usually consist of a rendering of the date on which the deceased passed away. The message on this ring ‘You must follow’ is also a variation on a common theme, whereby the wearer of the ring is reminded of his or her own mortality – other similar, known messages are ‘Bee prepared M.B July 79’; ‘Wee parte to meet Et: 19 mar: 1658’; ‘Not lost but gone before’. The black enamelling, traces of which are visible on this ring, are also indicative of a mourning ring. According to O.M Dalton (Catalogue of the Finger Rings, etc. 1912), black enamelling indicated that the deceased was married, whereas white enamelling indicated he/she was single at death.
12 August 2012: Boer War find? click here
5 August 2012: Coincidental find during the Olympics click here
Update: 6 June, 2012. Report received from the British Museum about the fourteenth century silver ring which can be seen on the Chigwell link:
A medieval finger ting of stirrup shape with two clasped hands engraved on the back of the loop. The hoop consists of a flat band with an inscription which reads:
+AVE M(?) ARIA:G=
The last letter is incomplete but appears to form the vertical stroke for the letter R
The full inscription would read:
AVE MARIA GRAZIA PLENA
This is the salutation of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary at the time of the Annunciation of Christ's birth. The words carried amuletic significance in the middle ages and were frequently inscribed on rings and brooches
The finger ring is silver and dates from the fourteenth century. It qualifies as treasure under the Treasure Act
Update: 14 March,2012 My first gold posey ring will probably go to the Epping Forest museum
Update: 14 March,2012 Thames metal detecting video click here
Update: 26 February, 2012: latest finds here
Update: 13 December, 2011: medieval, possibly lyre-playing, musician's silver ring found: see Chigwell gallery for photos
Hi. My name is Richard. I am very interested in local history and have been a keen amateur archeologist and metal detectorist for 30 years. I have many finds documented on various websites including www.youtube.com (110 videos). These can also be viewed above and on the Chigwell and Fairlop gallery pages where you are able to view slide shows of finds dating back to Roman times for Chigwell and the Bronze age for Fairlop. I also have a licence to detect at the Thames (see Thames' mudlarking link)
In October 2010, I discovered a very rare poesie ring dated 29 August 1657 which is in the British Museum and was declared treasure on 14 October, 2011, under the Treasure Act (T.A.) 1996.
It can be seen here:
Click here
Please also see the Chigwell gallery page to view the ring. In October, 2011, a 17th century silver thimble with a maker's mark and the owner's initials was unearthed, and this is currently being researched by the Museum Of London. This can be also be viewed in the Chigwell gallery
In March 2011, I discovered another poesie ring in Fairlop, this time embossed on the outside with a latin inscription inside, which would indicate that latin was still part of the language at that time (17th century). This can be seen here. A silver button on the gallery page also has wording in latin and would probably come from the same period
If you wish to uncover the history of your land and find artefacts of potential value; in return for your permission to detect on your land, I would offer to:
1 Report all worthwhile finds and discoveries to you, all subject to The Portable Antiquities Scheme and T.A. 1996 (which would mean that a museum would want to look at the object(s))
2 Share any finds or their subsequent value with you on the customary 50:50 basis and return anything that you have lost and requested me to find
3 Work tidily without leaving any mess and remove any unwanted items uncovered. The holes are created with 3 sides about 6 inches wide. The plug is folded towards the uncut side. Soil from the hole is placed on a cloth. The item is pinpointed and removed and the plug is lowered into its original position and a small cut is made in its turf to help it breathe and grow again
4 Respect your property and take care to avoid causing damage, loss or hindrance
5 Abide by any conditions you wish to impose. I am a member of the British Archaeology Society, a member of the National Council For Metal Detecting and have public liability insurance of £10M, both in the UK and abroad.
I abide by this click here
Please note that many of my clients use the dating information from the finds as an additional means of selling their house or property via its history. I can imagine a display case of finds from your garden/grounds and dating from the ages would look great
There is no call-out fee
My intention is to give you your history and NOT to keep it for myself. Alot of my finds are domated to schools
I also offer a free-of-charge local finding service for Chigwell, Ilford, Loughton, Stapleford Abbotts, Havering-Atte-Bower,etc
The video below is not mine but I use the same technique
