Treasure hunting: Here are the best places in Yorkshire to hunt for hidden treasure with a metal detector

Over the last five years a total of 30,390 items were discovered in North Yorkshire, with a further 28,472 found in the East Riding.

The data, complied by website PlatinCasino.co.uk, based on publicly available data of registered finds from the Portable Antiquities Scheme and the UK Detector Finds Database, as well as Google Trends and search data, showed Norfolk is the UK’s top hidden goldmine hotspot, followed by Suffolk and Lincolnshire respectively.

The platform has also created a guide for budding metal detectorists with top tips on how individuals can increase their chances of finding valuable items.

Google searches over the last five years surrounding metal detecting have also seen a significant increase in searches for ‘childrens’ metal detector’ and ‘best metal detector for beginners’, rising by a huge 1,340% and 1,200% respectively.

Out of the list of counties, Hampshire is proven to be profitable for treasure hunters with a fifth (18%) of all finds in the county containing silver and 3.5% of finds containing gold. Norfolk was also found to be bountiful with 17.5% of all finds being silver.

The guide for new metal detectorists gives advice such as reminding searchers to wear the device headphones to increase the likelihood of finding hidden items and ensuring that detectorists resist the urge to clean their finds before verifying them, to avoid risking damage.

A spokesperson at PlatinCasino.co.uk, said: “It’s no wonder that searches on metal detectors have peaked over recent years and during the pandemic. It’s a perfect opportunity to get out and about in nature and exercise, all with the added bonus of finding something that could be historical, and that might be potentially valuable!

“We hope that our insight and tips helps someone new to metal detecting find a hobby for life and hopefully unearth some hidden treasure.”