Metal detecting on UK beaches: who owns the sand, and the rules

The Port of London Authority puts it bluntly: “All the foreshore in the UK has an owner.” Detecting isn’t a public right. You need the owner’s permission, on a beach just as in a field.

The good news: the biggest owner gives that permission in advance.

What the foreshore is

The foreshore is the strip between mean high water and mean low water: the part the tide covers and uncovers. The Crown Estate manages around half of it in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The dry sand above high water is a different patch of land, often with a different owner. Getting onto the beach may mean crossing someone else’s land too. The Crown Estate’s terms say getting those permissions is your job.

The Crown Estate’s terms

On its foreshore, The Crown Estate grants a permissive right to detect, with no formal consent needed. The right covers the foreshore only, not the seabed, riverbeds or other Crown land. It comes with conditions:

• Surface only. You may investigate the surface but not dig into the hard-packed sub-surface. The reason given is to keep embedded finds in their archaeological context.
• No machinery. No mechanical tools, plant or equipment.
• Fill every hole. However small or shallow.
• Report archaeological finds to the Portable Antiquities Scheme and follow the PAS Code of Practice.
• Report items of value (jewellery, coins, but not small amounts of modern coins) to The Crown Estate and the police within 14 days. Any money is split equally between you and The Crown Estate, after costs.
• Report Treasure to the coroner within 14 days and send The Crown Estate evidence you’ve done it. Any reward is generally split equally.
• Report wreck to the Receiver of Wreck and The Crown Estate within 14 days.

The Crown Estate keeps ownership of everything found. It can close any part of the foreshore without notice. You go at your own risk, and it tells you to check the tides.

Its ownership map shows which stretches it owns. Check it before you travel.

When the answer is no

Crown Estate permission can be overridden or restricted:

• Its tenants and licensees may restrict detecting on their stretch.
• SSSIs and Marine Conservation Zones. Natural England, Natural Resources Wales or the Northern Ireland Environment Agency may object, and you may need their consent.
• Byelaws. Local authorities can ban detecting through byelaws. Check with the council.
• Scheduled monuments. Some coastal sites are scheduled. Using a detector on one without consent is an offence.

The Thames

The tidal Thames from Teddington to the Thames Barrier is a special case. The PLA says anyone searching it “in any way for any reason” needs a PLA foreshore permit. That includes detecting, beachcombing, scraping and digging. The PLA and The Crown Estate issue it jointly.

There are 4,000 standard permits and 50 creative permits. The waiting list was capped at 10,000 and registrations are suspended. New permits last a year, with no automatic renewal. You must be over 12, under-16s need an adult with them, and applicants need a UK address.

The PLA calls the foreshore “London’s longest archaeological site”, with finds dating back to 10,000 BCE.

Scotland

Crown Estate Scotland manages roughly half the Scottish foreshore. You don’t need permission to detect or beachcomb there. Other stretches are private, public or protected, and you need the owner’s permission.

Scottish finds still go to Treasure Trove. The Code of Practice says to contact the Treasure Trove Unit about archaeological finds from tidal waters, and to report possible shipwreck material to the Receiver of Wreck. Our Scotland guide has the full process.

Northern Ireland

The Crown Estate’s terms cover its NI foreshore too, with one extra rule: report any item of value to The Crown Estate, the police and the Director of the Ulster Museum within 14 days. Northern Ireland’s licensing law still applies. Read our Northern Ireland guide first.

Wreck

Wreck includes material from a ship, aircraft or hovercraft, or its cargo or equipment. GOV.UK says to report all wreck material found in UK territorial waters, including anything washed ashore, within 28 days. Age doesn’t matter. Use the online form or email [email protected].

You may get a salvage award. Wreck nobody claims within a year usually goes to the Crown or someone the Crown has granted the right to. The Crown Estate wants to hear from you too, within 14 days.

Treasure

Beach finds can be Treasure like any other. The Crown Estate requires you to report it to the coroner within 14 days. For what qualifies, see what counts as Treasure.

Beach detecting gets better after a storm. Our guide to beaches after storms explains why, and how to stay safe.

FAQ

Do I need permission to metal detect on a UK beach?

You need the owner's permission, but on Crown Estate foreshore in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that permission is given in advance, subject to its terms and conditions. Other owners, local byelaws and conservation designations can change that, so check before you go.

Can I dig on the beach when metal detecting?

On Crown Estate foreshore you may only investigate the surface, not excavate into the hard-packed sub-surface. No mechanical tools, and every hole must be refilled, however small.

Do I get to keep what I find on the beach?

Not automatically. The Crown Estate reserves ownership of finds on its foreshore. Its terms require items of value such as jewellery and coins (not small amounts of modern coins) to be reported to The Crown Estate and the police within 14 days, with any money split equally. Treasure and wreck have their own rules.

Can I metal detect on the Thames foreshore?

Only with a Port of London Authority foreshore permit, between Teddington and the Thames Barrier. There are 4,000 standard permits, and the PLA has suspended its waiting list after it passed 10,000 people.

What counts as wreck on a beach?

Material from a ship, aircraft or hovercraft, or its cargo or equipment, from UK territorial waters, including anything washed ashore. GOV.UK says to report it to the Receiver of Wreck within 28 days, whatever its age.

Sources

Every figure in this guide comes from one of these. We checked each one on 1 November 2026.

1. The Crown Estate, “Metal detecting & drone flying”. www.thecrownestate.co.uk/our-business/marine/coastal
2. The Crown Estate, Terms and Conditions for metal detecting and mud-larking on The Crown Estate foreshore (22 January 2024). www.datocms-assets.com/136653/1720790091-terms-and-conditions-of-metal-detecting-2024.pdf
3. Port of London Authority, “Thames foreshore permits”. pla.co.uk/thames-foreshore-permits
4. Crown Estate Scotland, “Metal detecting”. www.crownestatescotland.com/scotlands-property/coastal/metal-detecting
5. Treasure Trove Scotland, Code of Practice (2026), §§107–112. treasuretrovescotland.co.uk/sites/default/assets/File/Final_Code_of_Practice_2026_full_master.pdf
6. GOV.UK, “Wreck and salvage law”. www.gov.uk/guidance/wreck-and-salvage-law
7. GOV.UK, “Report wreck material”. www.gov.uk/report-wreck-material
8. Portable Antiquities Scheme, Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting. finds.org.uk/guides/detecting-guidance/code-of-practice-for-responsible-metal-detecting