Staffordshire Hoard inspires metal detector guide to hidden Midland treasure

Apr 19 2010

IT was the once in a lifetime treasure find that sparked an explosion in metal detector sales.

Since Terry Herbert uncovered the largest ever haul of Anglo Saxon gold and silver in a farmer’s field in Hammerwich, Staffordshire, interest in the hobby has rocketed.

But if you fancied pulling on your wellies and detecting for untold riches, where would you find the ‘X’ that marks the spot?

Brian Grove is the Stourbridge-based author of The Treasure Hunter’s Handbook, a reissued guide for metal detector enthusiasts looking to unearth lost jewels.

He said: “The best thing to do is look for old landmarks, like a big oak tree and start looking there.

“If you were looking for a spot to bury your stash, you’d want to find it again afterwards. So you’d use something to remind you where you put it – like a big oak.

“I remember hearing a story about one treasure hunter who made two separate finds next to the same tree.

“If you think about it, banks are only a relatively recent institution and if you wanted to protect your money or property in the past you had to hide it.