DetectingWales.com

Well, what a superb day I had.

Ok, my sister lives in a rather posh house that has been involved with my family for years..

It is originally the site of a Tudor Farmstead and over the years has evolved into the current house that was last altered in 1680. If you want history, this place has it in abundance and it is a little family history project of mine. One Of the fields I have identified as the site of the original Tudor buildings and this field has yielded all manner of finds over the years. all recorded with the PAS and now in a display cabinet in the house as it traces the history of the house and estate. A lot of Roman history in the surrounding areas as well and a Roman milestone sits in the garden. As sites go, they don't come much better than this.

I have 'done' the gardens many times before but pristine lawns don't make for easy searching but still, had some nice tudor buttons and a cracking, pefect condition fish Scale Crotal bell with the pea intact and it still rattled ;D

So, I then get a phone call from my sister that went like this;

" We are having the lawns re-landscaped, the hedges torn out and new driveway put in and the excavotor has removed the topsoil. It might be good for metal detecting as you can dig as deep and a messily as you like!!

BANG, I was there like a shot. This is what I had to detect on ;D ;D ;D ;D

The front of the House and 'lawn' ;8)
Now, as if that is not good enough, they have added some topsoil from the site of the Roman road to level it in places.

(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n244/Dunkmanp/BannistersLawn001.jpg)

Looking left with the Roman Milestone in the distance.

(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n244/Dunkmanp/BannistersLawn002.jpg)

Left side of the house with the Roman Milestone in the foreground. This area was the most productive. There must have been a building here as yuo could see the Tudor demolition rubble and the soil was darker in line with the house. Most of the finds, including 2 hammereds came from here.

(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n244/Dunkmanp/BannistersLawn004.jpg)

The Roman Milestone ( the digger operator admitted he nearly dug it up !! )

(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n244/Dunkmanp/BannistersLawn003.jpg)

Rubble just lieing on the surface where the digger scraped too deep. It was like this all over the 'lawn'

(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n244/Dunkmanp/BannistersLawn005.jpg)

The finds; Top left to bottom left

Possible iron age potty sherd-Pottery for ID- Early Tudor Green Glaze- -Silver Thimble-Pot leg-Bottle stopper-Lock surround-Odd thing - Ring thing

First 5 things = Dross- Superb 1736 Georgian Coin - 1928 Penny-Lizzie Sixpence- VF James 1st Half groat - Roman Grot.

(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n244/Dunkmanp/BannistersLawn006.jpg)

The star find of the day was the very first signal dug. Hammered don't come in any better condition than this Half Groat 8) 8) 8)

(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n244/Dunkmanp/ScottishCoin2.jpg)

(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n244/Dunkmanp/ScottishCoin.jpg)

What a day and the only opportunity that will happen at the place in my lifetime and beyond. Happy bunny?, hell yes...................

Who's a lucky boy then?  I am sooooo jealous.
That is one brilliant site you have and some brilliant finds, I'm sure there must be a lot more where they came from.

The display cabinet is choc full with stuff from the last 6 years detecting. Laid out in a timeline there are a few Roman coins, then a Saxon bridle mount and then nothing until 1500's and then it goes bananas in terms of nummbers of and quality of finds. That soil is very sandy so finds come out pristine. The garden around the house was the icing on the cake 8)

They ploughed and seeded the Farmstead field last year and that bought it 'alive' once again with signals.

Thats a lovely place you got there for detecting, and looks like you had some great finds, great pics too m8, well done fella
Ace  ;)

a lovely james groat there fella lucky to have a good site was diging near a 13 th c church the other day all that came up was georgian {the field was pasture full of lumps n bumps}give your site some breathing room to cut down on junk any old property will  have activity around it{next field , across road etc,,,,,,,it works well.}

What a fantastic opportunity, you've had some lovely finds there, well done. 8)

OMG !

That is Detecting pornography lol

Good luck in your Search

Regards
Phil

nnice property junkman, and what a site to detect hope you have more great finds good luck

Well i spoke to my sister last night for an update. They are totally re-aligning the drive and have had the excavator strip off 12'' of topsoil across the field so the new driveway can be laid and in one area, they have found loads more tudor bricks and what looks like the remains of a building in a certain area of the field.

" Looks like it might be good for metal detecting"

Oh yes, i'm off there tomorrow for another session and staying the night as well to get some detecting on Monday as well.

well done that is a great site keep looking and keep us up to date on what you find
debs