Metal Detecting on Crown Estate Foreshore
Anyone wishing to go metal detecting on Crown Estate foreshore will require a permit.
This page contains a brief description of The Crown Estate’s general position regarding metal detecting and treasure hunting on our foreshore.
Applying for a Permit for Metal Detecting on Crown Estate Foreshore
Note – this does not apply to searching below the foreshore, i.e. on the seabed for which a separate consent may be required. Please direct any enquiries over seabed searching to:
 Enquiries
The Crown Estate generally seeks to encourage access over, and responsible use of, the foreshore and as a result our consent for non-commercial metal detecting on the foreshore will not incur a charge. Foreshore in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is defined as the land between mean high water and mean low water. In Scotland the definition is between mean high water of spring tides and mean low water of spring tides.
Apply for a metal detecting please follow the link:
 Metal Detecting Permit
Why is Consent Required?
All the foreshore in the UK has an owner. There are a variety of activities which take place on the foreshore which require the owner’s permission. Unlike the ancient public rights of fishing (including non-commercial bait digging) and navigation, metal detecting is not a public right and as such it needs the permission of the landowner.
We are required by an Act of Parliament to manage our foreshore and regulate activities such as the locating and removal of finds, including those that might be identified as ‘treasure’. The Treasure Act 1996 deals with the definition of treasure, along with the payment of rewards in relation to permitted metal detecting. Items which are not defined as treasure and found in the course of metal detecting are in principle also owned by the landowner.
The Treasure Act 1996 and Rewards
A full version of the Treasure Act 1996 can be found at either:
Treasure Act 1996
Portable Antiquities Scheme - Treasure
The Act is accompanied by a code of practice which gives advice on the discovery, ownership and valuation of treasure, and on the identification and care of finds. A key provision of the Act relates to the payment of rewards in relation to treasure, with the relevant extract as follows:
“Those eligible to receive rewards are the finder(s), landowner and / or occupier. Where the finder has a valid permission from the occupier or landowner… he will receive his full share of the reward. It is normal practice to divide rewards equally between the finder and landowner on a 50:50 basis.”
This is our normal practice where metal detectorists are searching with our consent. The Act also states that if a finder is searching without permission they may receive a reduced or no reward.
Third Parties
If we own an area of foreshore and it is not leased to a third party such as a local authority or an organisation such as the RSPB, our consent will generally be available.
If the foreshore is for example is within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) then the relevant authority may object to certain activities on the foreshore if they risk damage or aggravation to the area, and so access may be restricted. We expect detectorists searching on our foreshore to be sensitive to environmental designations and if necessary obtain any additional permissions.
Finds
All objects found on our foreshore, other than treasure, are in principle the property of The Crown Estate and may potentially be claimed by us. The procedure for reporting finds and the general principle in terms of rewards for treasure and non-treasure are explained on the terms and conditions page.
If you believe a find may qualify as treasure then you should contact us and the coroner for the district in which the object was found, usually within fourteen days of making the find; in practice many finders report treasure via their local portable antiquities scheme finds liaison officer, which is also acceptable. The coroner or finds liaison officer will give instructions as to the procedure to be followed. The Treasure Act code of practice contains a directory of UK Coroners.
The Portable Antiquities Scheme exists to record all archaeological finds made by the public in England and Wales. We stipulate that all archaeological finds found on our land are reported to your local Finds Liaison Officer. Archaeological finds found in Northern Ireland should be reported to the Police or the Director of the Ulster Museum.
Finds Liaison Officer
Obtaining Consent
First confirm that the area of foreshore is owned by The Crown Estate using our ownership maps, and not regulated by a third party.
Please visit the maps at the top of this page for foreshore in England and Wales:
For foreshore in Scotland and Northern Ireland:
Enquiries
Once you have established that the area of foreshore is Crown Estate then please register and acknowledge your acceptance of our terms and conditions. The address you give when registering should be the same that will be used in any correspondence regarding any finds.
Once registered you will be sent a confirmation email containing a link to a permit PDF.
We also ask you to read the Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales, available on the FINDS website, and abide by its terms. The code has been endorsed by the main archaeological, landowner and metal-detecting organisations including the National Council for Metal Detecting and Federation of Independent Detectorists.
Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales
PDF (477 KB)
We also recommend that you join a recognised metal detecting club. Membership of such clubs may offer additional benefits such as third liability insurance.
National Council for Metal Detecting
Federation of Independent Detectorists
Note – The River Thames only:
In respect of the River Thames foreshore only The Crown Estate and Port of London authority jointly administer a permit.
For this a permit from the Port of London Authority is required. Please contact:
Port of London Authority
London River House
Royal Pier Road
Gravesend
DA12 2BG
Port of London
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