A Medieval Harvest at Swineshead – Treasures from 50 Acres of Stubble
On Sunday 17th August, detectorists gathered at Swineshead to explore a brand-new 50-acre stretch of stubble land. With its light silt soil and rich medieval history, hopes were high — and the field did not disappoint.
Hammered Coins from the Past
It didn’t take long before silver appeared. Glen struck lucky with a hammered coin, a gleam of medieval history that had been buried for centuries beneath the soil. Meanwhile, Danny had success straight away — finding a hammered coin on his very first hole of the new field. A moment every detectorist dreams of.
Shane followed with a cut quarter, adding to the tally of medieval silver, along with a few other intriguing artefacts. Each hammered coin tells of markets, trade, and everyday life in the Middle Ages — when coins like these were exchanged by villagers, pilgrims, and travelling merchants.
A Pilgrim’s Relic
One of the most remarkable finds came from Alan Carr, who unearthed a medieval pilgrim’s ampulla — a small lead container that once held holy water or oil, carried home from a pilgrimage to a saint’s shrine.
“Well found mate, they don’t turn up every day,” commented fellow detectorist Tim Howard.
These sacred tokens were treasured possessions in their time, a sign of faith and devotion. To hold one today is to touch the story of a medieval pilgrim’s journey.
More Silver and Artefacts
The medieval theme continued when Sam Smith uncovered an Alexander voided long cross penny, its cross design still sharp despite the centuries. Finds like this help us imagine Swineshead’s medieval villagers — earning their pennies from harvests, then spending them at market stalls buzzing with life.
Elsewhere, Nathan Cawdron added a mix of finds to the day’s haul, including an old ring with flat ends and a curious lead piece etched with decoration. Ian Smith uncovered what he called a “real mixed bag,” with buttons, a drawer handle, pot leg, bullet, and other relics scattered through the soil. Each item — whether centuries old or only decades — adds another layer to Swineshead’s story.
A Penny for the King
The silver didn’t stop there. Darren Danny Holland proudly revealed his Edward penny, carefully straightened after centuries underground. Fellow detectorist Heath Stanley suggested it was an Edward III, York mint coin — a valuable clue to its age and origin.
The Story of Swineshead’s Fields
From pilgrims carrying ampullae, to medieval villagers counting their silver pennies, to more recent farmers dropping buttons and badges, Swineshead’s 50-acre field proved to be a time capsule of everyday life. Every signal, every dig, told a story — and on that Sunday in August, those stories were brought back into the daylight once more.
