DetectingWales.com

Cotswold Rally Was cancelled

This is down to someone at the council archaeology department who thought it was their business to go beyond their remit and bombard the landowners on the phone with horror stories about detecting rallies

Shaun i find it hard to understand they canceled it on that basis they must be losing thousands of £££s  there must be more to it!!

It is a shame this has happened, I really think the farmer should carry on at the end of the day its his land, its not scheduled, and a flo was going to be on site to record the finds.
A friend of mine last year found a very rare Bodvoc suncross quarter stater 25 BC a coin what no one ever knew existed, is was a very important find because of the numismatics importance.
I know artefacts/coins is only a little bit of what can be learnt about a site but its something.
 
      

It couldn't of been 25BC Dale as Bodvoc was believed to be still in power at the time of the Roman invasion in 43AD. ;)

He was old then Geoff lol..... I was just going by Chris Rudd's id, look up the coin its a good read :)

I can see an end to UK rallies if this starts happening more often

I did not think there would be much interest in this thread when i posted it and it looks like i was right

But it could effect Detecting Wales rally one day who knowes 

Well I read on another forum that the farmer was part of the countryside stewardship scheme ??? If so then how the hell did they think they would be able to have a rally in the first place :-\

What forum did you read that on Geoff  ???

6 - Under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (if the land is not scheduled) metal detecting is allowed providing there is written consent from DEFRA

UK and European I think? Your right but they would never get written permission on a site like that.
It's happened on rallies in the past where they have had to cancel at the last minute because they either couldn't or didn't get permission. I think the farmers must sit down and do the maths and realise how much money they will lose.

Also, the sad fact is, many Tenant Farmers and Farmers who rent land don't seem to know about scheduled areas. Even Farmers who own their own land are a bit sketchey on the rules.
I can say this from my own experience. I seem to know more about what they should and shouldn't be doing. And that's not a lot.
I know, for example, that the mineralised fields I go on have one monument but I've never been told about it by the Farmer who rents these fields. I've found out myself from doing research on the area.
 Also the first Farm I got permission on has a Roman road running through it. The owner was oblivious to the rules attached to the scheduling. I was naïve enough, back then, to point out the error of his ways.

Val
 

What? you have a scheduled Roman Road? Val you must be the unluckiest detectorist in Pembrokeshire  ;D ;D

Yes, and I know where it comes from and where it goes. Strait to a recently Identified Roman fort that no one knew about till this years hot spell. The name Julia comes to mind  ;)

Val

Out of the thousands of miles of Roman roads in Britain there must be less than 1% that is scheduled and you've got some...Ever thought of moving  ;D

It had already been well detected before I got there Geoff.  The field it runs through is a nightmare anyway. The only bit you could walk on was the bit you shouldn't. The rest was deep bog with so much reed in it you didn't know where your feet were going till it was too late. I did find a button and an iron spike the Farmers dad lost.
By the way, I did move, from the heart of Tudor Britain to,  well, you tell me. ::)

Val

I understand it was nothing to do with any countryside stewardship scheme

It was down to a certain lady I use that word very loosely working in the Gloucester council archaeology department  >:(

Oh well that is their job after all :-\

To go beyond her remit and bombard the landowners on the phone with horror stories about detecting rallies

And totally discredit the hobby of metal detecting

Is that  in her terms of reference Geoff  ???

Well unless you have spoken to the farmer then it's all hear say but to try and protect archaeological sites then yes that's their job.
I know nothing about the site in question but their very actions tell something about it's suspected content so the thought of 150 people wandering around with spades doesn't fill me with glee as an advert for the hobby.

It is not an archaeological site, and its certainly not her job to bombard the landowner with phone calls discrediting are hobby.

Your holding a weekend rally in a Roman medieval location so what is the difference between your rally and the Cotswold rally

Nothing and that's the point of the post if this starts happening rallies will be the something of the past

Right from day one that rally was advertised as an archaeologically "sensitive" site. Sites don't have to be scheduled to be archaeological ??? If there is valuable information to be gained by the pro's doing it then let them do it, as I say I know nothing about the site or it's history but I do know that the DW land has no known below ground features and therefore no objections from the county archaeologist.
I don't agree with the tactics "if" that's what happened but unfortunately views and stories become polarised when things like this happen and the truth becomes the first casualty. No doubt a more rational and truthful explanation will emerge in time.
There are over 33 million acres of land in England, I don't think 150 are worth loosing sleep over.

copied from Cardiff scan club ,just had this email from Acorn Detecting:

"This is a very difficult email to have to send and we are all completely devastated by the turn of events over the past 24 hours, so it is with heavy heart that we have to inform you that the Cotswold Rally has to be cancelled.
The landowners have reached a point where they feel that the only option left open to them is to withdraw.
We are not into the blame game, nor naming names, however, some individuals, and one individual in particular has made this glorious pastime of ours a ' dirty word ' and petty, small mindedness has damaged our unblemished reputation hugely.
We hope very much that there will be understanding and compassion on your part and all others involved and that people will support us through this.
We genuinely are very sorry and upset for you all.
All monies in terms of cheques are in the process of being returned."

Pity they're not "into the blame game, nor naming names" as it just fuels the rumour mill and could be anything from archaeologist to nighthawk ???

well what ever the reason it must have been very serious for the farmer to turn down a very healthy payday

Geoff

The rally was not advertised as an archaeologically "sensitive" site

How can they be gaining valuable information by stopping a rally

Acorn metal detecting club are proud to announce our Cotswold rally on the Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September 2013.
 
This is in a historical area in the heart of the beautiful Cotswolds and on undetected land.
For further information please contact

If the stories are true I think its absolutely disgraceful what has gone on

Sorry not advertised but the first I heard of it a while ago it was said to be a sensitive area. I think it's not so much what they are gaining but avoiding what they could lose.
I've been to enough rallies to know that no matter how many FLO's are on site things a minority of finds don't get recorded and I hate to say that your average detectorist doesn't know enough about rally sites (not their fault, sites are generally kept secret) to know when a find is important to it.
Anyway it's cancelled and we shall wait for the truth to out ;)

Looking at the rally farm on Google earth its been ploughed for many years.

Also on old os maps the surrounding fields gets ploughed each year with earthworks clearly in them. 

What a shame it has been cancelled, :( still I expect the nighthawks will be attending at some point and then neither the Archaeologists, FLO's,or indeed the Landowner will ever know what was found ??? >:(

I would think that given its location, they have visited it many times over the last 40 years :-\

Not that it's important but who are Acorn Metal detecting club? I'm not that up on clubs but this one is a new one on me. ???