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. Richardson also explains the more shady side of this hobby with ‘nighthawks’ and people who don’t adhere to the rules. The beauty of this hobby is that the English landscape is looked at differently. As Richardson says, he would have chosen Albania or Madagascar rather than Hampshire to go treasure hunting, but his local area suddenly appears to be a kind of undiscovered country. There's plenty to learn besides the laws of digging on farmland, from reading old maps and history books to the new jargon and equipment belonging to the detectorists.

The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground Obsession - AbeBooks The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground Obsession -

Scouring the country from Cornwall to Scotland in search of treasure and the best detectorists, Nigel finds himself more immersed in the culture than he bargained for and makes his own personal journey from cynicism to obsession in his trail through the heartlands of metal detecting. From women’s groups who react against the hobby’s male bias, to the ‘Nighthawks’ who risk jail-time in their pursuits, he finds his preconceptions disabused and gets to the heart of what makes this quiet community so obsessed with happy beeps. An audiobook for my commute to work. A great little tale about a hesitant journalist's foray into the world of detectorists. For obvious reasons, many a nod to The Detectorists TV show but also some very interesting facts about several detectorist led finds and information for would be detectorists also. can certainly see the attraction of becoming a detectorist and seems like a good way to improve health and well-being as a bonus. 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. 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.Charting his course from utter novice to “one of the crew”, Nigel describes his tentative steps into the hobby, which seems for him to be as much about seeking a sense of identity and belonging — following all the upheavals and upsets of Brexit followed by the pandemic — as it does about buried treasure.

The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground Obsession The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground Obsession

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! 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.What starts as a day out to gather material for an article develops into a surprising passion for writer and journalist Nigel. 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. There is discussion about the value of the finds, both monetarily and historically, and how there is sometimes a disconnect between the priorities and values of detectorists and others. What is more important, monetary value or the story told by finds?

The Accidental Detectorist by Nigel Richardson | Hachette UK The Accidental Detectorist by Nigel Richardson | Hachette 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. 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. Searchers, seekers, hobbyists, all of them falling captive to the allure of the hunt - once unearthed a journey that seems to find its own path - and one which, for the author, is an unmistakably compelling one. Finding himself in the process, as, over the course of one year (outlined in this book), he grows from awkward novice to a devotee embedded in a close-knit community of, some would say, oddballs, but really more aptly described as dopamine-linked journeymen (for this band of brothers is by-and-large male). The book is about a journey of discovery as well as a physical journey, and a deeper understanding of the land and our relationship with it. Richardson describes his encounters with other detectorists and how he learns from them, both about detecting and life.

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.

The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground - WHSmith The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground -

The performance of the reader was definitely 5* as I was kept interested throughout as the voice was clear and concise. Richardson's writing style is easy enough, conversational with some humour thrown in but there are only so many times you can read someone saying "found anything good?!" 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! I learned a lot and enjoyed the stories about metal detectoring. I found it fascinating and liked the style of writing and the storytelling. The first time that Nigel Richardson met a metal detectorist he was sat eating his lunch by the edge of a field. It wasn’t a hobby that had any appeal to him, and in a slightly sneering way, they have a terse conversation and it wasn’t helped by Richardson’s dog pilfering one of the man’s sandwiches. He had changed his mind a little about the men (and it is mostly men) who pursue this hobby after watching the brilliant TV comedy, The Detectorists.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. Soon the author is hooked on this hobby and as restrictions lift, he begins to travel to different parts of the county and country to meet others, learn more and attempt to find a hammered coin. This book is also very informative about metal detecting and the detectorists' world. He joins a club of serious like-minded folk who are competitive but supportive. The amount of detail surrounding the laws and regulations on digging, finding, recording and ultimately selling found items is probably all there is to know on this subject. Even the baddies are included: the dreaded nighthawks. These are people who go on illegal digs under the cover of night and keep their finds secret. Exciting stuff. A few weeks later he retrieved his new machine from where it was hidden behind the wheelie bins. He was starting on a journey that he never ever thought that he would take. The excitement and passion for the subject matter comes through from the off, and the historical detail and context makes for a more informed read. If you are thinking of starting this hobby- which the writer certainly tempts you with- this would be a great foundation in which to help you on your way. If you are a history geek like me, you'll also enjoy the context and the finds.