Digging in Old Buckenham

The detectorists are back
Not the BBC4 comedy show, these are the REAL detectorists from Norfolk Heritage Recovery Group who arrange metal detecting digs at locations across Norfolk every weekend to raise money for good causes. On Saturday 28 September, they’ll be in Old Buckenham, raising money for Raise the Roof. The money is raised by the NHRG members paying a fee to attend the digs, with all of the proceeds being donated to good causes. This will be the fourth such dig in Old Buckenham, with the three previous digs raising £1,400 for Raise the Roof.

The dig will take place on fields owned by Tom Baron of Old Hall Farm, Harlingwood Lane, who has kindly given permission for the event to take place on his land. Previous digs have discovered several significant items from Old Buckenham’s dim and distant past including two Roman brooches, a few Roman coins, a nicely decorated Anglo Saxon strap-end and over twenty medieval hammered silver coins. These included a 13th century Scottish penny of Alexander, a Queen Elizabeth I sixpence dated 1574 , a 16th century Venetian soldino and two very well preserved Charles l silver shillings. A fair amount of artefacts associated with weaponry have also been found, including several Civil War period musket balls, a gunpowder measure, a dagger chape and a pistol handle.
Finds will be on display during the day in the registration tent, located about half a mile past Old Hall Farm on the right hand side. It’s probably best to wait until the afternoon, to give time for the detectorists to do their stuff, and there will be someone on hand to help with identification and explanation of what’s on show.
As with all NHRG digs, they are only open to club members but if you have an interest in metal detecting please come along and have a chat. And if you are a landowner willing to donate the use of a field for another fundraising dig - whether for Raise the Roof or any other charity - please contact the NHRG chairman Godfrey Pratt who lives in Old Buckenham. Contact details are godfrey.pratt@mail.com or by phone 07761 726343.