Can I metal detect on the beach in Charmouth?

Q: Can I metal detect on the beach in Charmouth?

Permit needed. Detecting is allowed with permission: a day/weekly pass from the beach attendant, or a 12-month permit from the Parish Clerk. Keep away from cliffs and mudslides, and significant finds' rewards are usually split 50/50 with the council. Source: https://charmouthparishcouncil.gov.uk/file/cpc-metal-detectors-daily-use-policy-2.pdf (checked 8 Nov 2026).

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Dorset · beach metal detecting rules

Can you metal detect on Charmouth beaches?

Permit needed

Detecting is allowed with permission: a day/weekly pass from the beach attendant, or a 12-month permit from the Parish Clerk. Keep away from cliffs and mudslides, and significant finds' rewards are usually split 50/50 with the council.

Covers: Charmouth foreshore and adjoining parish-owned land
Permission: Verbal application to the Parish Council beach attendant (Beach Office) for a day/weekly pass, signing the policy; or written application to the Parish Clerk (clerk@charmouthparishcouncil.gov.uk, 01297 560826) for annual consent with a passport-style photo. No cost stated.
Watch out for: No detecting on or near cliff faces or mudslides; no digging beyond 1m, into the possible Jurassic forest, or on Evans' Cliff / Evans' Green grassland and paths.
What the source says: "It is the Parish Council's policy that metal detectors may be deployed on the Foreshore subject to:"
Source: charmouthparishcouncil.gov.uk/file/cpc-metal-detectors-daily-use-policy-2.pdf · Adopted June 2024, review due June 2029
Checked: 8 Nov 2026

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