Detectingwales.com headed to the Vale of Glamorgan yesterday for a promising site slap bang in the middle of Roman and Medieval history. Unfortunately the day didn't quite turn out as we had hoped.
The day started with a Welsh verion of Wacky Races! Two days before the rally, the farmer had to change the rally venue to another one of his fields as the original one was not ready. The directions we had were a tad off and when we arrived at 8.20am - there were cars full of detectorists headed round in all directions. Mutley and I rounded them up and added more direction signs, so hopefully everyone found it in the end.
Anyway following a bit of confusion and a bit of shock at the height of the stubble, Rob managed to negotiate a much shorter stubble field (field B) just a few minutes from the original site.
After the introduction, must people headed off to field B. I decided to stay in the original field with about 10 other members. I hadn't even got my machine out of my car when a beaming Melonhead wandered up with a hammered coin in his hand. Well done mate.
I had a brief detect around the area where the cars had parked and firstly found a sixpence dated 1940, which I quickly followed a few steps later with a Vicky "Bun Head" threepence (or Joey as Chef likes to call them!
)dated 1875.
Heading across the field I found Mark who had a giant of a bronze pot leg in his hand. Everyone else I spoke to seemed to have found plenty of coppers, muset balls, buckles, thimbles etc, but nothing of any real age.
Shortly after Benny, Norman the Sheepdog and his good lady happened upon me puzzling over a small box I had found that rattled and seemed very familiar. Benny quickly pointed out thats a tape measure mate! And feeling a little stupid into the rubbish pocket it went!
Before I left the field I found another sixpence 1938 this time. I was having a great milled silver day. I have found nearly more milled and hammered silver this year, than the past two years combined! I have a theory on the reason why which I'll post in a later thread.
Rob and I popped off to see the farmer and secured another rally date with him on hopefully more productive fields. More news on that to follow.
On our return I focussed on field B and found nothing of interest except a sizeable piece of flint, which Debbie had also found a piece of. As we know flint is not local to this area and as Debbie said "We are touching something that was probably last touched by Neolithic man" It makes you stop and think for a moment!
Passingclod happened upon us with a lovely George III shilling, that he was rightfully pleased with.
I had a chat with No Hammies in the field - a really nice guy who is quite new to detecting but looks like he is really enjoying himself. Amongst his finds he had a Victorian name badge with the name Annie on it. He was pleasantly suprised when I pointed out it was silver and showed him the hallmarks. We'll date it for you in a mo mate.
Back near the cars Tom Tom had done pretty well with a broken Roman fibula and a hammered groat that had taken a pasting off the plough, ripping it in half. He searched in vain for the other half, but it was not to be found.
Just as I was heading off Rollingstone had found a Roman that is a tad grotty and adds to the other two that had come up earlier in the day. Photos anyone?
I also know that Alan found a lovely silver buckle ring (sorry for the earlier confusion again Al). There was also another hammered doing the rounds I never got to see, photo please.
Well it wasn't our most successful day out, but I think most people enjoyed themselves going by the amount of conversations going on everywhere. Thats the main thing I love about Detectingwales rallies is the friendships that you see being made.
Time to watch the mighty Bluebirds spank the Hammers for me now. Someone I know is flying a "We are for ever being bubbled!" flag in the Cardiff end in protest to the ludicrous Police policy of "Bubbling" Cardiff fans. Look out forit! It happens to no other team on the scale we face it and is completely unjustified and potentially a breach of human rights. But thats a whole other story - Rant over! Enjoy the game guys.
Until next time
Neil
