Metal detecting on farmland in stewardship schemes: the rules

A farmer’s yes is the start, not the end. If the farm is in an agri-environment scheme, the farmer has signed a legal agreement with Defra. Some of its conditions are about you.

Most of the time they won’t stop you. But they decide where on the farm you can swing, and they make reporting your finds part of the deal.

This guide covers the schemes in England.

What an agri-environment scheme is

Historic England puts it simply. When land managers enter a legal agreement with Defra for an agri-environment scheme, they sign up to a range of conditions, and some relate to metal detecting.

In England, the names you’re likely to hear are:

• Countryside Stewardship (CS). Running since 2016, according to Historic England. Its current Higher Tier has an applicant’s guide on GOV.UK.
• Environmental Stewardship (ES). Closed to new applications in 2014. Historic England says existing agreements carry on, with the last expiring in 2028. It came in Entry Level and Higher Level versions.
• Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). Its 2026 scheme rules are on GOV.UK.

You can’t tell from the hedge which one a farm is in. Ask.

Countryside Stewardship: the rules

The Countryside Stewardship conditions, as Historic England lists them:

1. Scheduled monuments are off limits. It’s against the law to use a detector on one without consent from Historic England. See our scheduled monuments guide.
2. No detecting on SSSIs. Our SSSI guide explains the consent rules.
3. No detecting on known archaeological sites on agreement land. The agreement holder has the records that identify them.
4. Everywhere else, it’s allowed, as long as it doesn’t conflict with the agreement. Historic England’s example: disturbing ground-nesting birds.
5. The farmer carries the responsibility. Agreement holders must make sure detecting won’t conflict with their agreement.
6. Follow the Code and report. All hobby detecting allowed by agreement holders must follow the Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting, with all finds reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme as that Code sets out.

The current Higher Tier guide says much the same, with one more detail. On the three protected kinds of land, you’re not allowed to detect “without consent”. Elsewhere, detecting must not conflict with actions that are incompatible with ground disturbance. It gives two examples: actions supporting ground-nesting birds and priority habitats.

Then the warning: “Metal detecting in these areas may cause a breach of agreement.”

Historic England adds that the legal conditions can vary from year to year. A farmer should check the manual for the scheme and the year their agreement started.

The HEFER: the record that matters

The document to ask about is the HEFER. It’s short for Historic Environment Farm Environment Record.

The CSHT guide says a HEFER comes from Historic England. It identifies whether the land has historic or archaeological features, including scheduled monuments, and gives advice adapted to that land. A farmer applying to the Higher Tier must have an up-to-date one covering every land parcel.

For you, it’s a map of where not to go. The guide says scheduled monuments, SSSIs and known archaeological sites on agreement land are identified on it. The PAS says the same of the known archaeological sites.

So ask the farmer to go through it with you before you start. Mark those areas as off limits on your permission agreement.

Environmental Stewardship: the older rules

Some farms still have ES agreements. Historic England lists different conditions for each level:

Agreement	Where you can’t detect without permission
Higher Level Stewardship	Archaeological sites on the holding, and SSSIs, without Natural England’s permission. They’re identified in the Farm Environment Plan.
Entry Level Stewardship	Scheduled monuments without Historic England’s consent. SSSIs, and known archaeological sites on grassland.

On Entry Level land, Historic England says there are no other restrictions as long as you follow the Code of Practice and the rally rules.

SFI: what we found

We read the SFI26 scheme rules looking for a detecting condition like the Countryside Stewardship one. We didn’t find one.

What the SFI26 guide does say is that a scheduled monument is protected by law against using a metal detector without Historic England’s consent. It also says each SFI action sets out whether SSSI land is eligible, and whether Natural England’s SSSI consent is needed.

Our reading: the scheduled monument and SSSI rules apply on SFI land as everywhere else. Beyond that, the farmer’s own agreement is what counts, so ask them to check it.

Rallies

Rallies need extra care. Historic England says rallies are allowed on Countryside Stewardship land if they don’t conflict with the agreement or the conditions above. All detecting, rallies included, must follow the Code of Practice.

On Environmental Stewardship land, Natural England requires up to 12 weeks’ notice of any large-scale detecting event. The PAS adds that Natural England may refuse permission if it thinks the event will damage environmental features. Organisers should follow the rally recording guidance for England and Wales.

Going to one? Our 2027 rally guide has the dates we’ve checked.

Why it matters to the farmer

The agreement belongs to the farmer, and so do the payments. The PAS warns that penalties may be triggered for non-compliance. The scheme guidance calls detecting in the wrong place a possible “breach of agreement”.

That’s a real reason a farmer might say no to part of a farm. Respect it. And if you ask about the HEFER before the farmer raises it, you show you’ve done your homework.

Before you go: a checklist

• Ask if the farm is in a scheme, and which one.
• Go through the HEFER or Farm Environment Plan together.
• Mark the no-go areas: scheduled monuments, SSSIs, known archaeological sites, and any areas managed for ground-nesting birds or priority habitats.
• Put it in writing.
• Report your finds to your Finds Liaison Officer. On CS land it’s part of the farmer’s agreement, and the CSHT guide says “You must report all finds”.
• Know the law on Treasure. See what counts as Treasure.

FAQ

Can you metal detect on Countryside Stewardship land?

Usually yes, with the farmer's permission, but not everywhere. Historic England and the GOV.UK guidance say detecting is not allowed on scheduled monuments, Sites of Special Scientific Interest or known archaeological sites on agreement land without consent. Elsewhere it is allowed as long as it does not conflict with the agreement, for example by disturbing ground-nesting birds.

What is a HEFER?

A Historic Environment Farm Environment Record. It comes from Historic England and identifies historic or archaeological features, including scheduled monuments, on a farm entering a scheme. Under Countryside Stewardship, known archaeological sites where detecting is restricted are identified on it, so ask the farmer to check it with you.

Do I have to report finds from stewardship land?

Yes, as a condition of the farmer's agreement. Historic England says all hobby detecting allowed by Countryside Stewardship agreement holders must follow the Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting, with all finds reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme as set out in that Code. The CSHT guide tells agreement holders they must report all finds to a Finds Liaison Officer.

Are metal detecting rallies allowed on stewardship land?

Historic England says rallies are allowed on Countryside Stewardship land as long as they don't conflict with the agreement or the other detecting conditions. On older Environmental Stewardship land, Natural England requires up to 12 weeks' notice of large-scale events.

What happens if detecting breaks the farmer's agreement?

The scheme guidance says detecting that conflicts with the agreement may cause a breach of it, and the PAS says penalties may be triggered for non-compliance. The agreement belongs to the farmer, so it is the farmer's payments that are at stake.

Sources

Every figure in this guide comes from one of these. We checked each one on 3 November 2026.

1. Historic England, “Metal Detecting on Agri-Environment Land” (updated 1 February 2025). historicengland.org.uk/advice/caring-for-heritage/rural-heritage/metal-detecting-agri-environment-land/
2. Defra and Rural Payments Agency, “CSHT applicant's guide”, sections 9.8 and 9.8.4 (GOV.UK, updated 20 October 2026). www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht/csht-applicants-guide
3. Defra and Rural Payments Agency, “SFI26: scheme rules and guidance”, sections 5.4 and 10.2 (GOV.UK, updated 23 September 2026). www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainable-farming-incentive-2026-sfi26/sfi26-scheme-rules-and-guidance
4. Portable Antiquities Scheme, “Detecting on your land: know your rights as a landowner”. finds.org.uk/detecting-on-your-land-know-your-rights-as-a-landowner
5. Portable Antiquities Scheme, Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting. finds.org.uk/guides/detecting-guidance/code-of-practice-for-responsible-metal-detecting