The Fosse Way Roman road bisects the county, creating a reliable corridor for Roman finds. The Soar and Wreake valleys, plus Charnwood Forest fringe, add further detecting potential.
FROM THE PORTABLE ANTIQUITIES SCHEME
Selected archaeological finds from the PAS records for Leicestershire.
MEDIEVALA silver seal matrix set with a damaged intaglio gem. The legend reads: +SECRETUM: ACE: The final two letters are less distinct and the…
Explore this findPhoto: Birmingham Museums Trust · CC-BY
Licence label and image metadata on the linked PAS record.
EARLY MEDIEVALAn Early Medieval copper alloy Ansate brooch, dating to c.AD 700 - 900. Weetch type X, The brooch is bilaterally symetrical with two flat…
Explore this findPhoto: Phil Harding · 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.
Triassic mudstones and Liassic clays dominate – productive but heavy. Charnwood Forest granite is ancient and acidic. River terrace gravels along the Soar and Wreake give better conditions.
Soar and Wreake river valley farmland, fields along Fosse Way, eastern Leicestershire arable farmland, Rutland border area
Roman coins and bronzes along Fosse Way, Iron Age Corieltauvi tribe coins, medieval dress accessories, Bronze Age material in the Soar valley
The Hallaton Treasure (Iron Age: 5,000+ coins, a gold coin, and silver bowl) was found just over the border in Leicestershire – one of the most significant Iron Age finds in Britain.
The east of the county near the Rutland border is the most productive area. Fosse Way fields are well-picked over near market towns – try fields further from obvious centres.
You can detect on private land in Leicestershire with the landowner’s permission. 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 Leicestershire 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.
Leicestershire 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 22,474 database records representing 33,016 recorded objects for Leicestershire, 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.
Contact the relevant council or landowner for the specific site. Archaeological finds records or planning surveys do not automatically permit recreational detecting.
PAS data from finds.org.uk. Last checked 2 November 2026.
Submit your club, suggest a correction or share a great spot – help make this guide the best local resource for detectorists in Leicestershire.
Submit a ListingSuggest an Edit
