The Unwritten History Survey
Embedded Files
A Community Heritage Project
Rescuing the Unwritten History of our Villages and Surrounding Land
History isn't just in books; it awaits discovery right under our feet. Because we only ever see the surface of the land, it is easy to forget that the ground we walk every day, whether a village garden, a paddock, or an open agricultural field, holds beneath it a hidden layer of human history, memories, and events that were never recorded.
The goal of this survey is to find and map physical proof of our earlier occupiers and land users. The items they casually lost hold the stories of the people who lived, worked, and shaped our villages and landscape—stories that are waiting to be uncovered and remembered.
Landowner Guarantees
Landowner Guarantees
Your privacy is our highest priority, and you have full control over if and how finds are recorded.
Nighthawk Protection: Precise findspots are never published. Public records are blurred to a broad parish or 1km level to protect your land.
Zero Disruption: We strictly follow the NCMD ethical code of conduct, hold £10 million in public liability insurance, and use high-precision recovery techniques that leave your ground exactly as it was found.
Livestock & Property: Fully experienced working around livestock. We keep all gates secure, and report any issues to you.
Treasure Act Assurance: In the rare event that an item qualifying as official 'Treasure' is discovered, it will be handled strictly in accordance with the law, ensuring your legal rights as a landowner are fully protected throughout the official process.
Documenting over 2,000 years of daily life through mapped local finds
A 6th-century Anglo-Saxon gold clasp Officially recognized as a find of significant regional importance and acquired by the Newark Museum. Recovered by the project coordinator.
A Tudor gilt-filigree dress-pin head. Acquired by the Newark Museum under the Treasure Act. Recovered by the project coordinator.
Of course, it is always exciting to occasionally unearth a piece of official 'Treasure'. But the reality is that history doesn't have to be ancient or of monetary value to be important. Whether it’s a Lead token, a Victorian copper coin, a Georgian buckle, or even an ordinary button from more recent generations, every single find is a genuine piece of our local history.
A selection of our local finds from Roman through to Modern.
The Unwritten History local Finds Archive is Coming Soon!
About the Project Coordinator
The Unwritten History Survey is volunteer-run and coordinated by Ian Tindall. Ian is a highly regarded local historical researcher and also a professional metal detectorist with many years of experience operating in both in the UK and the Western Australian gold fields.
While the project is expanding its digital presence this year, our work in the field is deeply established. We have been actively conducting historical surveys across Nottinghamshire for over 15 years, building a trusted network of local landowners.
The Agreement & Your Benefits:
100% Free: The survey is conducted at absolutely no cost to landowners.
Finds & Treasure Agreement: You retain full ownership of all single finds valued up to £100, and a 50/50 split on any higher-valued non-treasure finds. For any items legally defining as 'Treasure' under the UK Treasure Act, the standard 50/50 statutory reward split between the finder and landowner will apply based on the official Treasure Valuation Committee determination.
Archival Insights: To support the fieldwork, we utilise an extensive range of historical resources—from early 17th-century maps to modern high-resolution LiDAR scans. As part of the survey, we can provide digital copies of any data and archival records relating to your land.
Our Service Area: The Survey is currently focusing on NG14 and its surrounding parishes, though we are very open to requests from other areas with a rich historical background.
Recording & Your Privacy
Recording & Your Privacy
While recording historical finds is vital for saving our local heritage, your absolute privacy as a landowner is our top priority.
Official PAS Recording: For significant historical items that qualify for the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), logging the find is entirely voluntary. Even when recorded officially, the exact findspot is always masked from the public database to protect your land.
Our Digital Archive: We are building a digital archive on this website to piece together our local history. With your permission, we would love to include photographs of items found on your land. However, this is completely voluntary, and no specific names, houses, or farm locations will ever be published. To guarantee absolute privacy, finds are simply attributed to a broad parish location.
You remain in total control of what information is shared. We map the history to understand the landscape, but your private property stays strictly private.
Endorsed by the Portable Antiquities Scheme
"The Unwritten History Survey plays a valuable role in uncovering and preserving our local heritage. Ian has a long-standing history of responsible detecting and works closely with the Portable Antiquities Scheme to ensure significant finds are professionally identified, accurately mapped, and recorded for the national database."
— Local Finds Liaison Officer (FLO), Portable Antiquities Scheme
What Local Landowners Say About Us
What Local Landowners Say About Us
"Ian has regularly searched our land over the years. He always keeps us fully updated with reports about his fascinating finds, and even provided us with a very interesting 17th-century map of our farm. He is completely honest and we split the value of some (non-treasure) scrap gold items he uncovered. We would highly recommend him to anyone." — Local Farmer, NG14
"We own 40 acres of land in the village with an old footpath crossing it, and we've always been curious about its past history. Ian has been methodically searching it over several visits and made some quite impressive finds so far, including nine silver hammered coins of various monarchs spanning from the early 13th century." — Local Landowner, NG14
For more reviews - Click here
For more reviews - Click here
"I was really surprised by what Ian uncovered in my 10-acre horse field. The finds were quite amazing—which included an Anglo-Saxon brooch, a Medieval key, a gold watch, and even a silver mount that successfully went through the official Treasure Act process. He is so proficient and we could not even see where he had dug." — Local Paddock Owner, NG14
"Ian searched our 4-acre horse field, and it was fascinating to see what he uncovered. He found quite a few pre-decimal coins, historical buckles, trade tokens, some lead weights, and even a few silver hammered coins." — Local Paddock Owner, NG14
"Our house was built in the late 1970s so we didn't expect to find anything at all, but Ian was still happy to give our medium-sized lawn a thorough search. It didn't take too long but surprisingly, he uncovered about a dozen coins dating from 1929, including a 1974 US dime from right around the time the house was being built!" — Homeowner, NG14
"Ian methodically searched our fairly small back lawn. While historical finds were few, he still uncovered a couple of 1960's toy cars and a few old coins. It was great fun to see what had been hiding under the grass." — Village Resident, Burton Joyce
FAQs - Click here
FAQs - Click here
Are you insured?
The survey is fully insured with £10M Public Liability insurance through the National Council For Metal Detecting (NCMD). Your property and peace of mind are fully protected.
How long does a survey take?
An average sized lawn could take an hour, whereas a large field would take multiple visits to fully cover if warranted.
Will my lawn be ruined?
Not at all, the turf is minimally disturbed as the items are recovered. In most cases, the spot is invisible within minutes.
How deep do you dig?
We only target the plough-zone (typically the top 6 to 8 inches of soil).
What about livestock and property?
We are highly experienced in working around horses, cattle, and sheep, and we treat your livestock with the utmost respect. We ensure all gates are kept securely closed, keep a safe distance so animals are never stressed, and immediately remove any hazardous debris—like sharp wire, scrap iron, or litter—that we uncover while surveying. We also report issues like broken fences, fallen trees, or straying stock to you.
What happens to the finds after the survey is completed?
The finds receive a light, non-destructive clean and are photographed.
Who keeps the everyday finds?
It is your choice, finds like Victorian coins, musket balls, pottery fragments etc. These legally belong to you so they are yours to keep if you wish. We only ask to photograph and add them to the survey.
What happens if you find 'Treasure'?
If an item qualifies as Treasure under the UK Treasure Act 1996 (such as gold or silver over 300 years old), it is reported to the Finds Liaison Officer and is processed accordingly. If acquired by a museum the landowner and finder receive a 50/50 split.
Do I have to do anything?
Not a thing. You are welcome to watch the process and see the finds as they come out of the ground, or you can simply carry on with your day and we will provide a summary of the findings once the survey is complete.
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Still got a question?
Please email: info@unwrittenhistory.co.uk and I'll get back to you.
Discover the story beneath your feet
The Unwritten History Survey is dedicated entirely to uncovering and preserving our local history. We operate with complete openness, driven simply by a shared passion for our past.
If you are curious about what history might be hidden beneath your land, we would love to hear from you. Drop us a quick email to express your interest—we can arrange a friendly, no-obligation chat to discuss your land, answer any questions, and see how we can work together. If you prefer, a standard paper agreement can easily be provided when we meet.
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