A large, scenic county with significant Roman heritage along the Hadrian’s Wall corridor and Viking-age settlement evidence. Limited arable but the lowland plains can be productive.
FROM THE PORTABLE ANTIQUITIES SCHEME
Selected archaeological finds from the PAS records for Cumbria.
POST MEDIEVALSilver post-medieval Royalist medallion/pendant/badge. The object is oval-shaped with elaborate detail on each face, and is complete. In the centre of each side and…
Explore this findPhoto: The Portable Antiquities Scheme · CC-BY
Licence label and image metadata on the linked PAS record.
MEDIEVALComplete copper-alloy religious figurine depicting Christ, probably Medieval in date AD 1100-1300. Christ is depicted during crucifixion with the head tilted to the right.…
Explore this findPhoto: Aaron · CC-BY
Licence label and image metadata on the linked PAS record.
No county-linked FLO profile is listed here. Browse the FLO directory to check reporting contacts and area coverage.
Cumbria has a coastline, and beach detecting follows different rules to farmland. Most foreshore between the high and low water marks in England is Crown Estate land, and the Crown Estate operates a general permission for recreational detecting on much of its managed foreshore, though you should check the current terms. Council-owned beaches often need the local authority’s permission, and some beaches are privately owned or leased. Always check for scheduled monuments, SSSIs and local byelaws before detecting, and never detect where it is signposted as prohibited.
Slate and volcanic rock in the Lake District (acidic). Carboniferous limestone in the east. Glacial till across the lowland plains. River alluvium along the Eden and Solway coastal plain.
Eden Valley farmland, Solway Plain arable fields, fields adjacent to Hadrian’s Wall, coastal lowland farmland
Roman military equipment (Hadrian’s Wall corridor), Viking-age silver and Norse material, medieval material in Eden Valley
The Crosby Garrett helmet (Roman cavalry parade helmet) was found in Cumbria in 2010. Multiple Roman coin hoards from the Wall corridor.
Upland soils are too acidic for most metalwork survival. Focus entirely on the lowland plains and river valleys. Wall-corridor fields can be heavily detected – seek out new permissions.
You can detect on private land in Cumbria with the landowner’s permission, and on much of the Crown Estate foreshore if you are on the coast. You must avoid scheduled monuments, SSSIs and other protected sites. Joining a local club is the easiest way to reach permissioned land.
Yes. Metal detecting is legal in Cumbria on land where you have the landowner’s permission, as long as you avoid protected sites and follow the law on reporting treasure and recording finds.
Cumbria is covered by a Portable Antiquities Scheme Finds Liaison Officer who records finds made by the public. See the FLO section on this page for contact details, or search finds.org.uk.
PAS lists 6,858 database records representing 10,145 recorded objects for Cumbria, checked 2 November 2026. These are recorded entries rather than a count of every find made. The period and object-type categories shown in the PAS section are selected, incomplete lists.
Ask Cumberland Council, Westmorland and Furness Council or the relevant local landowner about the site you want to search. Public access does not itself give detecting permission.
PAS data from finds.org.uk. Last checked 2 November 2026.
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