That sounds rather chaotic but fun in small doses with lots of rural characters.

Have you watched 'The Detectorists' on TV at all? One of the few god programmes from the last decade, a gentle and at times poignant comedy. I only know one detectorist locally and one wouldn't know it as she looks like a glam Rock Chick day to day but she loves metal detecting.

Perhaps try the Dowsing rods first, you never know it might work.

Yes, get the metal detector! I’d love to go detecting but the chances of finding Roman coins or gold hordes is pretty small in the Western U.S.

delcatto - yes, we enjoyed The Detectorists and watched all series a couple of years ago. It was filmed not far from where we previously lived. I can dowse, but it's better for water and underground electricity lines etc and I don't think it would be successful for the sort of small metal treasures we are seeking.

Kippy - thanks for the encouragement!

Don't ever go dowsing with me. I had a go at doing it for water and even when I stuck the stick into a stream it didn't twitch. Then recently tried architectural dowsing for Roman stuff on a field trip. Everyone else could do it. The instructor tried holding my hand to boost the signal and after that he couldn't do it either. I saw him at another lecture and he said I was the only person who couldn't do it.

PS I've lost the spring from a pair of secateurs in the garden if you are ever round this way. I've got a toy detector which could detect the glasshouse but never found the spring.

I do know another person, who frequents these parts, who has similar issues Debster.

My neighbour across the fields' farm is on both sides of a Roman road and it was a roadway long before that (and ever since). She finds loads of interesting things. She documents where they were found and sends them to Norwich museum to be recorded, then they're sent back to her. Here, remains are Anglo Saxon (though it's only half a mile away) and mostly stone, with pottery shards. Though a metal detector has found bits of bombs from the last war, presumably dropped when the family was evacuated.