Coil & Ground field guide
Places to go metal detecting in the UK
Explore UK beach, field, woodland and park detecting guides. Check permission and protected status first, then plan for the ground, weather and safe recovery.
The best place to search is one where you have clear permission, know the boundaries and can leave the ground as you found it. A promising old map does not override a landowner's decision or a protected-site restriction.
Choose by permission before potential
Start with the UK permissions and law guide. Beaches can have different owners above and below the tide line; a public park or footpath is not automatically open to detecting. Check scheduled monuments, protected habitats, leaseholders and local byelaws for the exact area, not just the place name.
Match the method to the ground
On fields, season and soil condition govern whether a clean recovery is possible. On a beach, tide time and a reliable exit route come before detector settings. Use the guides below to plan a search that fits the surface, then carry a field kit and a way to record significant finds.
NEXT ROUTES
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Beaches and foreshore
Separate ownership and tide safety from the practical search plan.
Open field note →Field noteWet sand versus dry sand
See why salt response changes detector setup and recovery.
Open field note →Field notePasture
Work with livestock and preserve turf on a permitted field.
Open field note →Field notePloughed fields
Plan around cultivation and avoid damaging archaeological layers.
Open field note →Field noteStubble fields
Adapt coil control and recovery to cut stems and rough ground.
Open field note →Field noteWoodland
Check ownership and protected status before negotiating roots and leaf litter.
Open field note →Field noteParks
Public access is not detecting permission; check local rules first.
Open field note →Field noteRiverbanks and streams
Understand ownership
Open field note →Field noteMineralised soil
Diagnose unstable signals and adjust one detector control at a time.
Open field note →Field noteWeather and soil moisture
Choose ground that can be searched and reinstated responsibly.
Open field note →Field noteTides and beach detecting
Set a safe turnaround and exit route before following targets.
Open field note →Field noteAfter harvest
Coordinate field access with the farmer's actual work schedule.
Open field note →