I set off at 730am one rainy Saturday Morning in England to the pre arranged club meeting spot. As I arrived at the meet, there were approx 25 people there all in various stages of preparing to detect on a 350 acre farm in the hills of Staffordshire. The rain had just stopped but as anyone whose detected in the Northwest of England this is usually temporary. I kitted myself up in full waterproofs, extended the nox 800 to my preferred settings on the shaft and made my way over for a briefing from the organiser. Briefing completed I set off, onto the nearest field which was nice short sheep grazed pasture . Swinging the 15 inch coil I found the usual spent rifle cartridges and a few george 5th copper pennies but nothing too exciting. I headed towards the 18th century farm house that was elevated up a slight slope and got a beautiful sounding tone showing 23 on the display. I dug the plug and there was a silver shilling from 1920 sitting at the bottom of the hole. Quick clean up and I carried on. I could see past the farm house several more fields with very little vegetation except a small lonely tree surrounded by swamp grass indicating wet standing water. This field was quite steep and not one id usually detect but today I felt I would find something special. There wasn't many signals and the ones I dug were small pieces of modern copper trash. I was the only one who had ventured this far and high on the dig and I could see my fellow detectorists 600 meters below me working away. The rain had just started again and I decided to make my way over to the solitary tree as this would afford the only shelter to others who would have been caught out in the weather so I thought would be a good place to hunt. Few bullitt tips later and then a strong 18 signal. I dug a large plug as I could tell by moving the coil over the target was bigger than a coin. I removed the plug and saw a black smooth patina. I'd been hoping to find an axe head for years and its on most detectorists bucket list including my own. I couldnt be sure. I carefully removed the object, gently wiped away the mud and I finally saw my bucket lister. Not only was this a 3000 year old bronze age axe head it was the rare socketted type and it was in good condition. I took a photo immediately using my nox as a platform and informed the dig organiser via the walkie talkie hed given me of the find of my lifetime. I checked the area for the next 2 hours but found nothing else I low6ly made my way down off the side of the hill towards the meeting point and showed my find to the others in the group. That was me done for the day the rain had started to pour down heavily and I put my nox and finds in my car and looked up the hill towards the solemn tree that been my focus of detecting and had guided me to my best find to date. As I did it disappeared in the rain and low cloud and I ducked into my car and began my journey home thinking of the people who made the axe head and how it had been lost all those years ago.
