Sunday 22 July 2012

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.

10 comments:

  1. We did midland to Rhyl the other week , good time but not a lot found.

    Good blog

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  2. Hi Woz,
    great blog.

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  3. I have worked Kinmel Bay with a cs4pi but never found more than a few decimal coins, At least the parking is free and the ASDA is close at hand.

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    1. Alas, the Asda appears to be the only find of any use lol.

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  4. thanks for this usefull article, waiting for this article like this again. water proof metal detector

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. Great blog. Really enjoyed it. Made me laugh. (two flakes) Off to Prestatyn soon with the metal detector so should be fun..

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  7. Great blog.ive been to Rhyl and kinmel beach recently,both beaches with ring finds and parking money.
    Kinmel parking is chargeable now and the Asda is the only place to go for number1 or 2,cafe wasn't open today at 9.55am either,nor was frothy coffee or the other huts.
    Loads of bullets on kinmel beach ,got fed up of hearing the things so rejected them.
    No good going for surface finds at any of these beaches as I've recently discovered that a detecting club member goes on these beaches surface skimming.
    Love the Russian agent!!!

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  8. Going on the 28th May will give it a go

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