Swale Search and Recovery Club

Welcome to Swale Metal Detecting Club

The purpose of this web site is to keep our members updated on what's happening within the club and hopefully to encourage new members to come along to our metal detecting club, based in Strood, Kent.

About us

The Swale Search and Recovery Club started back in the early part of 1984. About a dozen metal detecting enthusiasts met every other Thursday in a room above the Seaview Hotel in Sheerness. It was known as the Isle of Sheppey Metal detecting Society then, we had at that time permission to search on a large local farm, one of our younger members recovered a hoard of small gold iron age coins from that site but that’s another story.

We were lucky enough to acquire permission for the whole club to detect on two farms on the Island and we have spent many a happy day together enjoying small rallies in freezing sleet or boiling sunshine, these sites are no longer used as finds dried up after a number of years heavy use by the club.

Unfortunately we lost our usual meeting place and moved on to the mainland, eventually settling at the Crispin and Crispianus Public House in Strood. It is a very comfortable and congenial place to meet having a bar and large lounge at the rear of the building. Our membership began to widen as we could now take in Sittingbourne and the Medway Towns too. We became the Swale Search and Recovery Club. We tried to avoid any reference to treasure hunting as detectorists have never had a good reputation and I am sure you will agree we have had to work hard to present a good image of the hobby.

Due to the tireless efforts and great enthusiasm of our then Sites Officer Shaun Preece, the Club now has access to many more detecting sites. We all hope that our club continues to flourish and expand and that we shall be able to continue to present our local Finds Liaison Officer, Andrew Richardson, with interesting and historically exciting finds to record for posterity.

We have, at present 25 members at all levels of ability and experience and we always welcome newcomers to our club to join us in our fascinating hobby.

Our catchment area is the Medway Towns which consist of: Rochester, Strood, Chatham and Rainham, but also include The Isle of Sheppey, Sittingbourne, Whitstable and Swanley.

Free Recovery of Lost Items

As with most metal detecting Clubs we offer a FREE recovery service and will get volunteers to search free of charge for any lost metal items -farm machinery, jewellery, tools, KEYS or even a manhole cover. Whatever it is you've lost, we'll give it our best shot at finding it for you - no charge.

SO IF YOU'VE LOST A RING - GIVE US A RING!


If you would like any further information please don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

Contact: David Villanueva, 43 Sandpiper Road, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 4DP. Tel 01227 274801. Email: Dvillansue@aol.com



Meeting Dates

We meet every second Thursday at 8 pm. in the Crispin & Crispianus, Public House, 8 London Road, Strood, Rochester, Kent, ME2 3HT.

SSRC MEETING DATES 2009

Thursday 8th January (Annual Finds Competition)

Thursday 22nd January (AGM)

Thursday 5th February (Finds Competition)

Thursday 19th February

Thursday 5th March (Finds Competition)

Thursday 19th March

Thursday 2nd April (Finds Competition)

Thursday 16th April

Thursday 30th April

Thursday 14th May (Finds Competition)

Thursday 28th May

Thursday 11th June (Finds Competition)

Thursday 25th June

Thursday 9th July (Finds Competition)

Thursday 23rd July

Thursday 6th August (Finds Competition)

Thursday 20th August

Thursday 3rd September (Finds Competition)

Thursday 17th September

Thursday 1st October (Finds Competition)

Thursday 15th October

Thursday 29th October

Thursday 12th November (Finds Competition)

Thursday 26th November

Thursday 10th December (Xmas Party)



Important Information



Related Sites:

True Treasure Books
National Council for Metal Detecting
Portable Antiquities Scheme