Detectingwales.com Rally - Number Twenty One - Wick - The Cutlery Rally…

[proconsul]

The day dawned a little cloudy to start off with as the DetectingWales multitudes made their way to the rally site at a farm in Wick in the Vale of Glamorgan. Generally, though the weather held for us apart from a couple of short showers.

The available land was split into two sections consisting of pasture with grass munched down to a good detectable length by sheep and horses. The few days of rain we’d had in the week preceding the rally had softened the soil and altogether the land was in pretty much perfect detectable condition.

After discussion with the lady landowner on the morning of the rally an extra field of stubble was added to the available land.

After the usual pre-rally briefing members dispersed to the four corners of the farm to start detecting and a small group made a beeline straight for the stubble.

Soon after the start of the rally a feature of the farm started to come to light. The land was covered in cutlery! All over the farm members started pulling spoons, forks and knives out of the ground, most of it fairly modern. Soon little groups of detectorists could be seen comparing their collections of utensils.

Whilst it’s not unusual for detectorists to find the occasional fork or spoon in the ground the amount of cutlery on this land was really quite remarkable.

I don’t usually get to do much detecting on our rallies but I actually made a point of neglecting my organizational duties for a while this time and headed for the stubble field.

The first find of any note actually fell to me this time – a post medieval seal matrix possibly Georgian? Unfortunately it was blank - for some reason the item was lost before the stone had been engraved. But still a nice thing to find.

Other small finds were made by various members on the stubble field but nothing spectacular and generally interest in the field waned towards lunchtime.

On other parts of the farm members were coming up with interesting finds. Peterh was quietly filling up his finds pouch with interesting bits and pieces including a worn silver coin – probably a William III and a very nice, complete but slightly squashed, silver thimble.

Napoleon turned up an interesting railway button and 16:DD found a very nice post medieval buckle.  Tafflaff (Rob) found an unusual sparkly cufflink.

Davtec had an interesting bronze chisel. The jury is still out on an identification but it could be anything from bronze age to Roman.

Soon after lunch a few more people decided to try the stubble field and soon the news went round that the first hammered of the day had been found on it – an Elizabeth I threepence found by bobkoi. This news revived interest in the field and soon it was full of detectorists.

Inevitably this concentration of effort started to produce results and a second hammered was soon turned up by Peterh. A very nice James I halfgroat.
Romansue was next with a significant find – a gold ring. This looks quite old to me and had some kind of lettering engraved into the outside. Possibly a posy ring?

Tafflaff (Rob) then turned the world on its head by finding a hammered at one of our rallies. If he’s not helping with the organization of the rally or photographing finds Rob usually spends his time at rallies talking to the members so he doesn’t usually have much of a chance of finding much. But today was different. He found a nice James I penny or half groat?

Milled silver coins were coming up with regularity, more than one being found by Debbie. Her Victorian shilling was particularly nice.

Roman (Ray) made his presence felt with a nice decorated spindle whorl.

It’s surprising how there always seems to be a rush of finds late in the day at our rallies. Possibly because the hot spots have been discovered and people concentrate on these areas.

Thanks to everyone who came. The cutlery made a nice change to the antibiotic tubes that usually litter the fields…

Geoff

[proconsul]

More pics...

[proconsul]

More pics...

[Debbie]

Great day out - thanks Geoff and Tafflaff.
Some very interesting finds today - I think we can make a complete canteen of cutlery 
Good to meet some new faces - looking forward to seeing everyne again.
Deb

[Neil]

Great report Geoff and some nice finds ladies and gents.

Looks like a good day out.

Well done all. How many bits of cutlery all together do you think? Was it all the same sort of pattern?



Neil

[waltonbasinman]

Some cracking finds again ladies and gents Well done all on a successful day. I think Davtecs Bronze thingy is a Bronze Age Awl from about 500bc to 1000bc. The spike to fix it to the bone or wood handle has broken in antiquity but I have added a picture below to show you how it would have looked.

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

three for me... spoon , knife and fork

[geordiefred]

Well done guys & girls some really nice finds there 

[PHIL YNYSBOETH]

Another Sucessful DW Rally ;0)

Well done everyone involved 

Regards
Phil

[Howie114]

Great report and photos.  My first DW Rally - thanks to the organisers for the warm welcome at the beginning and those other members who spoke to me on the day.  No 'significant' finds but did end with a modern 5p, QEII sixpence 1954, an 1860 Vicky penny and what could possibly be a token (?) although very thin.

Really pleased to have such a close up of the Lizzy hammered on the day and to see the arms being raised in the air when another hammered was found!

Beautiful location, the neighbours were friendly and although I had the handle to what was probably a knife I did come away with a 1959 dessert spoon to add to our collection on the day.

Many thanks again, looking forward to Ludlow.

Howie114

[handyman [Alan}]

A very interesting report to read, and an excellent set of piccies to go with it.

Well done everyone, .... now do we have enough cutlery to open up a DW rally cafe?

[bobkoi]

thanks  to all. always a pleasure to see you. i had three forks and two spoons. 

[llew.5551]

The Twist wire brooch and sixpence we`re found by,Adrian.Known as llew.5551.

[digger]

As for me, I had 2 tablespoons,1 teaspoon, 2 knives,I broken knife, And 1 fork. All
marked stainless. A little badge of a red dragon, engraved under with Wales.Later
I got a watch chain,unfortunately NOT silver or gold.Where the pocket watch was, is
?? Anyway,apart from all the foil,( what great signals ) I had a great day.Digger

[Napoleon]

Hi all,

That was a very good rally really enjoy all togheter nice location, some finds heyy heyy  and nice atmosphere  , Welldone to everyone at this rally and more to come .

Ps: Thank you For my Napoleon coin from a true gentleman .


Nap34