There’s gold in them thar Fens
Norfolk is No1 for metal detector treasures
TREASURE hunters make fentastic finds in Norfolk, the UK hotspot for metal detectorists.
A study of ornaments, gold and silver coins and treasure over the past five years revealed a whopping 108,500 finds in the county.
Neighbouring Suffolk, with 78,075 finds, is second on the list compiled by the UK Detector Finds Database and The Treasure and Portable Antiquities Scheme, run by the
British Museum.
TV show Detectorists, starring Mackenzie Crook and Toby Jones, is credited for the boom in treasure hunting. Items declared as treasure trove are the property of the Crown – but the finder is rewarded.
Since 2017 there has been a 1,300% rise in Google searches for metal detectors.
The biggest finds in Norfolk include an Anglo
Saxon treasure hoard of 130 gold coins unearthed in King’s Lynn – the largest find of its kind in England. In Salle, 35 miles to the east, a Bronze Age golden ornament and post-medieval silver heart and arrows pendant were found last year.
Dr Helen Geake, who looks after treasure finds for Norfolk, said: “We have a lot of metal detectorists, there’s a lot of arable land for them to go on – and Norfolk was historically a rich county.”
The biggest hoard of late Roman silver and gold in Britain was found at Hoxne, on the Suffolk-Norfolk border, in 1992. Valued at £3.6million, it is now at the British Museum.
PlatinCasino.co.uk conducted the study. A spokesman said: “It’s a perfect opportunity to get out and about in nature and exercise, with the possibility of finding hidden treasure and gold.”