The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground Obsession

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Before he knows it the mysteries of the fields are leading him on, into a world that casts the history of these isles and its people in an intriguing new light. This all piqued my own interest in my local area in North Essex. I went onto the finds.org.uk database and typed in Layer Marney, the name of the village where I live. My house is less than a mile from Layer Marney Tower, England’s tallest Tudor gatehouse, so surely there is treasure in these parts? The database has five finds listed, including this beautiful hammered coin. In the local parish of Messing cum Inworth where I grew up, there are finds from Iron Age, Roman, Medieval and Post Medieval times. We are but a stone’s throw from Colchester or Camulodunum to call it by its Roman name as it is the UK’s oldest recorded city. Boudicca and her armies once razed it to the ground. On the database are many Roman coins in the area, perhaps borne by those fleeing her persecution. I shall walk the local footpaths with a new fascination for what may lie under my feet and the people who walked these fields in years gone by. It’s particularly poignant this week. Today Charles the third will be proclaimed King, as we pass from the Elizabethan age into the Carolean age. History in the making. Erm this was okay, but just okay. I think Richardson does his best with a subject that can be interesting up to a point but after reading, a whole book on metal detecting to me seems excessive. Maybe an article or a short book would have been better?

The Accidental Detectorist by Nigel Richardson | Waterstones The Accidental Detectorist by Nigel Richardson | Waterstones

I have really enjoyed this book because it’s a hobby that I would like to do. The story was easy to follow and you could feel that the author was gaining experience through the chapters using the detector. I also enjoyed information about the different hoards found in the UK. It was a journey that would take him to various parts of the country from his local village to the wide skies of Norfolk. He walked in fields that people had walked across hundreds of years ago and lost the items that he would find later. He would share these experiences with one person sweeping the head of their machine across another part of the field and went to big rallies where there would be hundreds of other detectorists who were as obsessed as he was becoming. The one thing that he want to find was an elusive hammered coin. Everyone else seemed to have found them.If you've ever watched Detectorists, or hankered to find treasure with a metal detector, you're automatically going to be intrigued and entertained with this book. I love the fact that this book weaves in the history of different areas with the finds that people have made and describes a typical day out with other detectorists. I loved reading about the rallies and it has inspired me to see if there is a local group near to me. As a history and archaeology fanatic, I do feel I should tell you where I stand on metal detecting before I share my book review, I know it can be a touchy subject within our community! I often find it hard to get into non fiction books but Richardson’s writing style drew me in and I was keen to find out more about his story. He writes with warmth and empathy as well as some humour along the way. It’s really interesting to find out about his journey into detecting and all the different people he meets, and how his perspectives change.

The Accidental Detectorist by Nigel Richardson - Audible UK The Accidental Detectorist by Nigel Richardson - Audible UK

Memorable experiences, rooted in landscape and history, could be had in objectively unremarkable places — on the A1, a road I know well, for example.”What starts as a day out to gather material for an article develops into a surprising passion for writer and journalist Nigel.

The Accidental Detectorist by Nigel Richardson | Hachette UK The Accidental Detectorist by Nigel Richardson | Hachette UK

can certainly see the attraction of becoming a detectorist and seems like a good way to improve health and well-being as a bonus. Richardson also explains the more shady side of this hobby with ‘nighthawks’ and people who don’t adhere to the rules.There are things below the surface that pull people together in a shared love of history, landscape and the hope that, this time, something incredible will be unearthed. Loved it. Superbly written account of the world of metal detecting. So many brilliant anecdotes. Will be hard to beat as my Non-fiction book of the year. The performance of the reader was definitely 5* as I was kept interested throughout as the voice was clear and concise. I do agree with metal detecting, IF it’s done with a love of history and not monetary gain; the detecting is done legally, with the landowners’ permission; find spots are accurately recorded, artefacts are removed/stored carefully, and finds are reported to a FLO. And finally, no bloody nighthawking! Right, after that rather long-winded start, let’s get on with the book review! I have had a bit of an obsession with metal detecting since I was a child and loved reading stories about treasure hoards and ancient items being found. Although, what I once thought was a treasure box was actually a baking tray!