Metal Detecting Wales, Prestatyn and Kinmel bay.

After my day out earlier this year in Kinmel bay, I thought I might re-visit, and re-double my efforts.

I set out at 5.30am, thinking that an early start would allow me to avoid the traffic which would be heading for the sunshine. I hit the M6 and looked up at the first overhead sign which read "road ahead closed"! Was this a sign of my luck for the day? Anyway a diversion which took me through to Stoke on Trent and almost 2 hrs later i arrived at the beach in Kinmel bay. It was not deserted as there were a couple of dog walkers there. Again the car park was free, which is a bonus after using £15 in fuel to get there. The tide was way out and offered acres of hard flat sand for me to scan. I set the F75 SE up in the basic program with the sensitivity at 85. I quickly found the chatter caused by the wet beach was not helping me identify targets. I ended up knocking the sensitivity down to 55 to get it to a bearable level.

Well to say it was a letdown would be an understatement. It wasn't that i was digging loads of junk up because I wasn't. It was just devoid of signals, (maybe due to sensitivity being very low?) with only three ring-pulls coming up in almost two hours.

The shingle did not give up many items worth keeping, in fact only two. A couple of sea fishing weights, which by the way are not cheap to buy! I put them on a wall while I was getting a cup of tea from the refreshment hut on the car park, when I returned to my car the weights had gone. It was my intention to give them to a fisherman any way, if I happened across one.

promenade with tea hut in left corner.  © W.PARRY 2012

I then moved on to the beach at Colwyn bay, however by the time I got there the tide was fully up to the sea wall.

I drove on to Llandudno, passing through Rhos on sea. On arrival at Llandudno, i discovered there was little sand available to have a go at. I decided to turn back and head for Prestatyn. On the way back I noted the old decaying Victorian pier at Colwyn. Now that is somewhere worth a visit in the right conditions. I stopped off for a cup of tea at a refreshment stall and had a few minutes’ people watching. There were a couple of eastern European fellas running it, they were pleasant enough and made a bostin good cup of tea, served in a china mug. A guy joined the queue, I imagined he was some sort of Russian agent as he had dark glasses a coat and a hold all. Unfortunately they did not exchange cases and my agent departed with a 99 and two flakes!

KGB agent front center. © W.PARRY 2012

Victorian pier. © W.PARRY 2012

I finally arrived at Prestatyn and the tide was retreating like a French army. There were mounds of sand showing in the corners of the stone Groin's. People were on there in a flash digging holes and burying one and other. The tide is very quick in North Wales which allowed me some room on the beach within minutes.

 © W.PARRY 2012

The sand in the corners of the groin was fluffy and fresh which I presumed would be non conducive to finding anything. This I later found to be correct as the only things I found (a £1.00 coin a 20p coin and a 1p coin) came up about 20 meters from the high tide mark.

I love speaking to people when they enquirer how I’m doing, it often leads into offers of land to detect on. One local fell asked what I had found; I said not a lot and showed him. He pointed up to the ruins and said that's where you want to be, in those fields there. i explained the somewhat difficult process of gaining permission. He said go up there and if anyone comes along, tell them Bryn Cerrideg said it was ok. I said do you own the fields then? He said no but they won't say anything if you tell them my name. If only it was that easy lol.

I had a wonderful day out and caught a bit of sun. I will say that it’s hard going on the North Wales resort beaches. Don't go there expecting to come out with a pocket full of jewellery and coins because it won't happen. Go there for the love of detecting and to get some fresh air and exercise, anything else is a bonus.

Happy hunting, god bless and goodbye.

woz.