A big find was made by a long time metal detectorist, and it’s making waves in England.
The largest gold nugget ever was found in England soil after just 20 minutes of searching by veteran metal detectorist, Richard Brock.
Planned Search in Shropshire Hills
Brock, 67, joined an organized search team just 3 hours away from his home in Somerset, located in Southwest England.
He joined the expedition in Shropshire Hills, a small area known for its rolling hills and wet marshes.
The Historical Finds in Shropshire Hills
As a relatively unpopulated area with historic roots, Shropshire Hills has been known as a place with excellent archeological finds.
Like many coastal areas, Shropshire was once far below a prehistoric ocean’s surface. Detectors and gem searchers have been known to find stunning displays of coral in the area.
How Gold Was Discovered in the Area
Although Shropshire is not well known for having extensive amounts of gold or precious metals, the material is known to move around throughout the years.
Gold and copper were often mined in the neighboring nation of Whales during the Bronze Age. Experts suspect that the gold nugget had been moved from one area to the other as old railway tracks are also present in the area.
Brock’s Involvement in the Search
When Brock arrived in Shropshire, he was met with a few issues and assumed that he wouldn’t be finding anything that day.
After arriving more than an hour late and finding out his trusted metal detector was malfunctioning, he never thought he’d find one of the biggest gold nuggets under English soil.
Previous Successful Expeditions
Brock tells the Telegraph he’s been successfully detecting gold and other precious metals since 1989.
Although Brock had a trip planned to Australia the previous year to detect gold in the rich red soil, it was unfortunately canceled.
The Search Begins With Little Excitement
Since he was an hour late and had malfunctioning equipment, Brock began the expedition excitedly but with little finds, using only a backup detector with a faded screen.
He reported that his first few finds were worthless; just a few rusty tent pegs from campers in the area.
The Big Find Shocks the Group
After only 20 minutes of searching, Brock found the biggest find of his life.
Brock found the massive nugget, weighing over 64 grams, located a few inches under the ground after just a few minutes of searching the area.
A Good Detectorist Doesn’t Blame His Tools
The detectorist proves that even with subpar tools, his knowledge about searching for treasure is not beholden to high or low-grade equipment.
Although his equipment had a broken screen, he knew to check for every small alert. After being notified that something was just below the surface of the ground, he used his instincts to know when to dig and when to pass on a spot.
His Find Brings a Swarm of Searchers
After finding the massive gold nugget, he admits that he probably shouldn’t have been so honest with the rest of the group.
Showing off his priceless find brought a swarm of fellow detectorists from the expedition. They began searching desperately in the same area in hopes of finding something similar to Brock.
Similar Finds in the Area
Although nothing has been found in the direct area, the UK has been home to some major gold nuggets.
A larger nugget was found in Scotland just a few years prior. These finds show that although many places in these populated countries have been explored, there are still plenty of priceless finds lurking just below the surface.
Selling the Gold Nugget
Keeping the nugget doesn’t seem to be on Brock’s mind. He will be selling the massive gold nugget at auction and hopes to fetch around 30,000 British Pounds.
As the nugget was found on private land, Brock has already stated that he plans on splitting the proceeds with the land owner. The UK has a Right to Roam law, which allows anyone to walk through privately owned farmland.
