.
To whom it may concern:
(1) If ever a “hoard” is found on my land I want it dug up slowly, not fast and by archaeologists, not amateurs, OK? Doing otherwise without asking me would be to assume I’m a philistine who doesn’t care about knowledge-loss, which I’m not or that it’s their hoard or their land, which it ain’t.
(2.) If nighthawks (far or very near) are a worry I wish all those present to keep the hoard safe in the ground for me and the country (I’ll repay any expense). If they’re on my land they owe me that duty. Obvious really, innit?
(3.) I’d like to leave a message for the Treasure Valuation Committee. In future hoard cases please ask every landowner if anyone assured them that “out before nighthfall and don’t wait for the archies” was (a.) the only safe option and (b.) was “best practice, honest”. If you always ask that (and adjust the reward accordingly) then trust me, things will suddenly get a whole lot better. (That’s really obvious too, isn’t it?)
(4.) Finally, I’d also like to leave a message for PAS. As Heritage Action suggested nine long years ago, £6,750 spent on a double page spread in the Farmers Weekly would get the hoard conservation message across to people who might actually heed it. Which would be gloriously refreshing, wouldn’t it?
.
Silas Brown,
Founder of TFTT, the Tell Farmers the Truth Group,
Grunters Hollow Farm
Worfield
Salop
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More Heritage Journal views on artefact collecting
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The Heritage Journal 
6 comments
Comments feed for this article
17/01/2015 at 08:39
Peter Perfect
Oh dear sour grapes again,farmers don’t take any notice of you lot. I have a couple of farmers who after I pay them for the pleasure of detecting there land ,often say go find a hoard ,,they’d love us to find one,and who are we not to try and oblige ,love every minute of detecting its a fabulous past time ..
17/01/2015 at 09:01
Pat
As always Mr Abbott you’ve missed every single point made in the article and replied to one that exists only in your head.
It was about digging up, not finding and about educated farmers not hillbillies.
All it was saying was that farmers ought to make sure hoards are dug up by trained heritage professionals with their marvellous opposable thumbs. It’s not THAT hard to understand, surely?
17/01/2015 at 10:30
Edwin
Perhaps a feature in Farmers Weekly on Martin Green would show that farmers can be and are interested in the history of their lands and how rewarding a positive approach can be. I would like to see how he receives detectorists offering to hoik out “stuff”.
17/01/2015 at 17:17
Andy Baines
I
18/01/2015 at 06:42
Paul Barford
“trained heritage professionals….” as opposed to professionals with their “heads down holes” you mean?
18/01/2015 at 07:12
heritageaction
Well, let’s say surgeons not aided by excited abattoir workers on a day trip.