Detectorists searching for battlefield bonanzas clash with Historic England over code of conduct

THEY ARE sites that have witnessed bloody clashes that have shaped history, but now a more genteel war is being fought on the battlefields of Britain.

Metal-detecting enthusiasts have gone head-to-head with Historic England over the heritage group’s attempts to prevent them from scouring the sites for treasures without supervision.

The National Council for Metal Detecting (NCMD) refused to approve a voluntary code setting down guidelines for how detectorists should behave. It withdrew its support after Historic England called for all detecting on registered battlefields to be “a part of an organised and structured archaeological survey”.

There have been accusations that important battlefields – including Tewkesbury, where Edward IV achieved his Wars of the Roses victory in 1471 – have been damaged because detectorists did not ensure items were reported and recorded correctly.

Detectorists argue that because of the scattered nature of material on battlefields, their method is the best way to gather the historical evidence.

The code of practice, issued in 2006, was updated at the end of last year. The NCMD and the Federation of Independent Detectorists both refused to sign up, meaning hobbyists can continue to use metal detectors on battlefields under their guidelines.

An NCMD spokesman said: “The NCMD felt it was being pressured into agreeing a wording of the code it was not fully happy with.”

A spokesman for Historic England said: “We value the opportunity to work with detectorists and discuss how we can ensure the potential that detecting offers for understanding our past is properly met.”