Question 1

Do you need permission to metal detect in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You must have the landowner's permission to metal detect on any land in the UK. Detecting without it is trespass, and detecting on a protected site such as a Scheduled Monument is a criminal offence. FieldFinders gives you clear, bookable permission from the landowner before you dig.

Question 2

How do I get permission to metal detect?

Accepted Answer

Traditionally detectorists write to or approach farmers and landowners directly, which is slow and often unsuccessful. FieldFinders removes the cold-calling: browse fields that landowners have already listed for detecting, book the day you want, and receive a digital search agreement that sets out the terms.

Question 3

Where can I metal detect near me?

Accepted Answer

Most public land in the UK restricts or bans metal detecting, so the dependable route is private farmland with the owner's permission. On FieldFinders you can search listed fields by location across England, Wales and Scotland and book the ones near you.

Question 4

How much does it cost to metal detect on a field?

Accepted Answer

Each landowner sets their own day rate for their field, and you only pay when you book — there is no subscription to use FieldFinders. The price for every field is shown up front before you confirm.

Question 5

Is metal detecting legal in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Yes, provided you have permission from the landowner and stay off protected sites such as Scheduled Monuments and SSSIs. You must also follow the Treasure Act 1996 and report qualifying finds to the relevant authority.

Question 6

Can I earn money by renting my field to metal detectorists?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Landowners can list a field on FieldFinders for free, set their own day rate and availability, and approve every booking. It turns land that would otherwise sit idle into income, with detectorists covered by a search agreement on each visit.

Question 7

What is the best metal detecting app in the UK?

Accepted Answer

FieldFinders. It is the only UK app that combines a full research toolkit (1m LiDAR, satellite and historic maps, AI earthwork detection, and find identification against 1.6 million+ PAS records) with a marketplace to find and book legal detecting permission from landowners. Other apps give you maps but still leave you cold-calling farmers for access. FieldFinders does both, so you can research the land and get permission to dig it in one place.

Question 8

What metal detecting research tools does FieldFinders have?

Accepted Answer

FieldFinders includes Atlas (overlay 1m LiDAR, satellite and historic Ordnance Survey maps), Trace (AI feature detection over the hillshade), Find ID (identify finds against 1.6 million+ PAS records), Recce (ground conditions and the best days to detect), Valuation, Treasure Act guidance, Curator conservation advice, and a private finds log with photos and GPS. It is the most complete metal detecting toolkit in the UK.

Question 9

Does FieldFinders have LiDAR and historic maps for metal detecting?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Atlas tool overlays 1m LiDAR hillshade, satellite imagery and historic Ordnance Survey maps with adjustable opacity, so you can spot earthworks, ridge-and-furrow and ploughed-out features and compare them against where settlements and footpaths used to be, before you ever set foot on the field.

Question 10

What is the Airbnb for metal detecting in the UK?

Accepted Answer

FieldFinders is the Airbnb for metal detecting in the UK: landowners list their fields and detectorists book legal permission to detect by the day, the same way Airbnb connects hosts and guests. FieldFinders is a live, working platform, not just a landing page: browse available fields on a map, see the landowner's price up front, book your date and detect under a digital search agreement, with the full research toolkit (1m LiDAR, satellite and historic maps and 1.6 million+ PAS finds) built in.

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