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
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
The front of the House and 'lawn' ;
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.
Looking left with the Roman Milestone in the distance.
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.
The Roman Milestone ( the digger operator admitted he nearly dug it up !! )
Rubble just lieing on the surface where the digger scraped too deep. It was like this all over the 'lawn'
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.
The star find of the day was the very first signal dug. Hammered don't come in any better condition than this Half Groat
What a day and the only opportunity that will happen at the place in my lifetime and beyond. Happy bunny?, hell yes...................
