Metal Detecting in Wales: Can You Detect, and How to Do It Legally

Yes - metal detecting is legal in the UK, and that includes Wales: you need no licence, but you must have the landowner's permission, keep off scheduled monuments and other protected places unless you hold written consent, and report possible Treasure within 14 days. The one big Welsh difference is the law on scheduled monuments, which changed on 4 November 2024.

Below: check the site, get permission, report your finds. This is general information, not legal advice.

Can you metal detect in Wales?

Yes. Wales shares England's basic rules: landowner permission, the Treasure Act 1996, the same countryside access law and the same Crown Estate foreshore terms. What differs is the monuments Act and the bodies: Cadw (the Welsh Government's historic environment service) for scheduled monuments, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) for Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), and PAS Cymru, run through Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales, for recording finds.

For the UK-wide picture, read our UK metal detecting laws guide.

What changed for detectorists in Wales in November 2024?

Until late 2024, detecting on a scheduled monument in Wales was an offence under section 42 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, the same as in England. On 4 November 2024 the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023 came into full effect, and Cadw says the older Acts - "principally the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979" and the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 - "no longer apply in Wales."

For detectorists, the key provision is section 60 of the 2023 Act, which legislation.gov.uk records as in force from 4 November 2024. Guides citing "section 42" for Wales are now out of date.

Did the rules get stricter?

No. Cadw says the Act "will make no changes to the current management and protection of the Welsh historic environment." The same sites are protected - only the Act and section number have changed.

What exactly does section 60 make an offence?

Section 60 says: "A person commits an offence if the person uses a metal detector in a protected place without consent to do so." In plain terms:

• A "protected place" is the site of any scheduled monument, or the site of any monument owned by or in the guardianship of the Welsh Ministers or a local authority under the Act.
• "Consent" means "the written consent of the Welsh Ministers" - in practice, applied for through Cadw.
• Breaking a condition attached to a consent is also an offence.
• Removing an object of archaeological or historical interest found with a detector in a protected place, without consent, is a separate offence.

Using a detector without consent carries a fine of up to level 3 on the standard scale, which is £1,000 under the Sentencing Act 2020. Removing objects without consent can be tried in the Crown Court, where the fine is unlimited.

Is there a defence if you didn't know a site was scheduled?

Yes, but you have to earn it. Section 60 gives a defence if you prove you "had taken all reasonable steps to find out whether the place in which the metal detector was used was a protected place" and did not know, and had no reason to believe, that it was. So check the map before every new site and note how and when you checked - that note is your evidence.

Can you get consent to detect on a scheduled monument in Wales?

Rarely. Cadw's metal detecting guidance says consent "will not normally be granted for the use of metal detectors" unless the survey is part of a consented archaeological excavation or a wider research strategy, and that the rule covers underwater detecting too. An application needs a survey method, a plan of the area, confirmation of the landowner's permission, a research strategy and plans for conserving finds; requests go to scheduledmonuments@gov.wales. For a hobby search, treat scheduled monuments as off limits.

Step 1: How do you check whether a site in Wales is protected?

Before you ask anyone for permission, make sure the land is not a scheduled monument, an SSSI or another protected place. A landowner cannot give you permission to break the law.

Check for scheduled monuments

• DataMapWales. The Welsh Government's map portal carries Cadw's Scheduled Monuments layer, described as "the current, live version of the dataset". Its notes say Wales has over 4,000 scheduled monuments, and that for the original, legally definitive map you should contact Cadw.
• Cof Cymru. Cof Cymru is Cadw's online record of designated historic assets in Wales. When we checked, Cadw's page said the search was unavailable due to technical problems and gave cadw@tfw.wales and 03000 252239 as contacts, so use DataMapWales as your back-up.
• Archwilio. Archwilio gives public access to the Historic Environment Record for Wales, "a Wales-wide database of archaeological and historical information". It is not a list of legal protections, but it shows known archaeology that is not scheduled, which helps you understand a field before you ask to search it.

Castles in Cadw's care count as protected places too. If you cannot tell where a boundary runs on the ground, stay well clear and ask Cadw.

Check for SSSIs

Natural Resources Wales says: "To check if land is designated a SSSI, use DataMapWales." Each SSSI has a list of activities that need consent. NRW's guidance for SSSI owners and occupiers says they must notify NRW in writing and obtain its consent before they carry out, or allow someone else to carry out, a listed activity. If your search area is in an SSSI, raise it with the landowner before you dig - they may need NRW's consent before they can say yes.

Use the map check in our app

Our UK Detector app map check covers Wales: Cadw scheduled monuments, NRW SSSIs and National Trust land. Use it as a first filter, then confirm on the official maps.

Step 2: Who do you need permission from in Wales?

All land in Wales has an owner, and you need that owner's permission to detect on it - fields, woods, beaches and parks alike. Get it in writing, and agree up front how finds will be shared. Our guide to getting metal detecting permission covers finding the owner and what to put in writing.

Can you detect on farmland in Wales?

Yes, with the landowner's permission - and the tenant's or occupier's too if the land is let. Detecting without permission is trespass, and GOV.UK says acting in bad faith, such as trespassing, can mean "a reduced share of the reward, or none at all."

Can you metal detect on Welsh beaches?

Often, but find out who owns the beach first. Much of the foreshore - the land between mean high and mean low water - belongs to The Crown Estate. Its metal detecting page says detectorists can search its foreshore without a formal consent, strictly subject to its terms and any third-party rights. The terms (dated 22 January 2024) say:

• The permissive right "does not apply to the seabed or river beds or any other Crown Estate land".
• You may only search the surface, not dig into the hard-packed sub-surface, use no mechanical tools, and refill every hole.
• Lessees and licensees can restrict detecting. Where foreshore is in an SSSI or Marine Conservation Zone, the relevant authority may object; the terms name it as "Natural England, Natural Resources Wales or the Northern Ireland Environment Agency" - for Welsh foreshore, that is NRW.
• Local authorities "have the power to ban metal detecting and other activities through the use of byelaws", so check with the council.
• You must report archaeological finds to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, possible Treasure to the coroner within 14 days, items of value such as jewellery and coins to The Crown Estate and the police within 14 days, and possible wreck to the Receiver of Wreck within 14 days. The Crown Estate reserves its right to ownership of objects found.

Councils own many Welsh beaches outright, and their rules vary. Swansea Council, for example, runs a metal detecting permit scheme covering Swansea Bay and most Gower beaches. Check the council's current terms - who can apply, the insurance it asks for and what happens to finds - directly with the council before you go, and check any other council's byelaws the same way.

Can you detect on National Trust land in Wales?

No, not as a hobby. The National Trust covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and only allows detecting under a written Archaeological Research Agreement issued by a Trust archaeologist for a defined archaeological project. That includes its beaches, and a tenant farmer on Trust land cannot give you permission. See our National Trust and Crown land guide.

Can you detect on Natural Resources Wales land and in Welsh forests?

The Welsh Government Woodland Estate is owned by the Welsh Government and managed by NRW, and covers around 6% of Wales. We found no published NRW policy on metal detecting on the land it manages. That is not a yes: ask NRW, as landowner, for written permission for the specific site.

Can you detect in Welsh national parks?

Most national park land is privately owned, so the owner's permission is what counts. On land a park authority owns, expect a no: Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority says "Permission for metal detector use is unlikely to be granted on National Park Authority owned land" unless it is part of a supervised and accredited programme of archaeological research.

Does the right to roam let you detect in Wales?

No. Schedule 2, paragraph 1(k) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 takes away your access rights if you "uses or has with him any metal detector" on access land. It extends to England and Wales and came into force in Wales on 28 May 2005. A public footpath only gives you a right to pass along it. Ask the owner.

Step 3: How do you report finds in Wales?

Does the Treasure Act apply in Wales?

Yes. The Treasure Act 1996 applies in Wales as it does in England. GOV.UK says you must report possible Treasure within 14 days of finding it, or within 14 days of realising an item might be Treasure. In Wales you can get help reporting to your local coroner from the curators at Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales (treasure@museumwales.ac.uk, or trysor@amgueddfacymru.ac.uk in Welsh). Museum Wales says it "has a legal role linked with the reporting of Treasure finds made in Wales": its curators advise coroners on which finds qualify. Our Treasure Act guide explains what counts and how rewards work.

Did the 2023 Treasure changes apply to Wales?

Yes. The Treasure (Designation) (Amendment) Order 2023 extends to England and Wales, and Northern Ireland, and came into force on 30 July 2023. It added a class for objects made at least partly of metal that give an exceptional insight into national or regional history, archaeology or culture, judged on rarity, where they were found, or links to a person or event. The Order's explanatory note says such objects must be at least 200 years old. It does not apply to objects found before it came into force.

Who records finds in Wales?

Most finds are not Treasure, and recording them is voluntary but encouraged - and on Crown Estate foreshore it is a condition of the terms. In Wales, the Portable Antiquities Scheme is run through Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales as PAS Cymru. Its page lists four Finds Liaison Officers, based in Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham, and says 20-30 items are declared Treasure in Wales each year. Records go into the national database at finds.org.uk.

How is metal detecting in Wales different from England?

How do England and Wales compare with Scotland?

See Historic Environment Scotland and the Treasure Trove Unit for the Scottish rules.

Frequently asked questions

Can you metal detect in Wales?

Yes. You need the landowner's permission, you must stay off scheduled monuments and other protected places without consent, and you must report possible Treasure within 14 days.

What law covers metal detecting on scheduled monuments in Wales?

Since 4 November 2024 it is section 60 of the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023, not section 42 of the 1979 Act. Using a metal detector in a protected place without the written consent of the Welsh Ministers is an offence, with a fine of up to £1,000.

How do I check if a site in Wales is a scheduled monument?

Look it up on Cadw's Scheduled Monuments layer on DataMapWales or in Cadw's Cof Cymru records. For the legally definitive boundary, contact Cadw.

Do I need a permit to metal detect on Welsh beaches?

Not from The Crown Estate on its foreshore, though you must follow its terms. Council-owned beaches can need one - Swansea Council runs a permit scheme covering Swansea Bay and most Gower beaches - check its current terms with the council.

Can I metal detect on Natural Resources Wales land?

We found no published NRW detecting policy, so ask NRW for written permission for the specific site, as you would any landowner. SSSIs in Wales also come under NRW's consent rules.

Does the Treasure Act apply in Wales?

Yes. Report possible Treasure to the coroner within 14 days of finding it or realising it might be Treasure. Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales can help you report it.

Can I detect on access land or footpaths in Wales?

Not without the owner's permission. Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 access rights do not apply if you use or carry a metal detector, and a footpath only gives a right to pass along it.

Who records metal detecting finds in Wales?

PAS Cymru, the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales, run through Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales, with Finds Liaison Officers based in Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham.