Crotal Bell

Post Reply
User avatar
Kenleyboy
Posts: 1012
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2020 3:08 pm
Has thanked: 1986 times
Been thanked: 1628 times

Possibly my last day out on the fields this side of Christmas unless I can swing it one more time for a few hours on Sunday .It will then be my last time for a temporary period of using the Deus Lite which has been an interesting and productive journey despite the interruptions of the lockdown rules .
This of course is the nice and pleasant side of the hobby where others are willing to help and pass on their generous knowledge and advice , it goes a long way and makes a change for the recent negative news that seems to be trawling around the hobby as of late . I was entrusted with another members machine on loan for the duration and this kind offer has certainly helped make my mind up and given me a better understanding of a much talked about and favoured piece of kit and I am very glad to have been given the chance to test run the Deus Lite just to see how I got along with it , I was not disappointed .

My usual machine is the Quest Q40 and I love it .I know this machine inside out but it has taken me three years to get to really understand it and in that time I have learnt a great deal and will continue to learn more about what this wonderful hobby has to offer .I feel a little guilty because I havent switched on the Q40 since taking out and using the Deus although we will soon be reunited until I make my purchase and the Q40 will be my faithfull back up machine in case of any mishaps .

Today was also gift day , take some goodies for Christmas to the Farmer by way of thanks for the allowance of wandering his land and sneak a few hours in before dark , at least a couple of hours walk about would blow away the cobwebs . No usual mince pies and a cup of tea over the kitchen table this year though due to the virus so we made do with a chat outside and put the world to rights , its a strange old time at present but the fields beckon and I am soon walking up through the winding track , past the old barns and stable blocks now just empty overgrown shells . They are beautiful charming buildings yet they are a far cry from the hive of activity that the farm was once known for , horse drawn plough and carriages , now they are dormant and empty but still retain that rustic charm .

The track takes me further away from the farm buildings , the tunnel of trees that crouch over and above the pathway slowly peter out and the landscape becomes more open and despite the gloomy grey skies , the vista of Norfolk landscape suddenly comes into view .. The fronds of winter barley had just sprouted through soil and it had a the look of a well manicured lawn , it felt almost sacrilege to walk upon it but I am lucky here , as long as the crop is not wallowing in pools of water , then the farmer is unconcerned , he knows I respect his land and is comfortable with my judgement of where tread and where not to , so with a few hours of light remaining I choose my field .

It was a good choice especially of you like Crotal Bells and they are one of my very favourite items to find and so far this season I havent managed to find a full one , this one was though and is a ringer . It was a very solid signal , nice and strong and my spade snuck into the damp soil with ease and plucked out this gem of a find which was about 5 inches down . This for me was a great start to a short session and it is always a pleasant feeling to find something decent early on , it calms you down and I find I can relax and enjoy the journey even more , if I did not find anything else it would not matter . The patina on this dinky little bell is in remarkable condition , a nice even gunmetal grey with a neat scallop design .
20201218_133411_resized[2005].jpg
With that uplifting moment over and a stiff breeze behind me , I continued my walk along the line I intended to follow . Along the way I had three buttons , two shotgun shells , four ring pulls and a couple of scraps of tin foil , they all sound good so they need digging but thats the lottery of the hobby , whats in the hole . A few interesting pieces of lead which also sound good and one heavy duty pot mend which is the first for quite a while , it is not unusual to come away with a couple from these fields so plenty of past activity .
Coins seem to be few and far between this season , many are blank but now and again a Vicky penny surfaces and they are often in excellent condition but the only coin on this occaision was a George half penny , a bit bent up and no readable date although I assume around 1806 .

All too soon the light is beginning to fade and the grey skies have not helped , I am sure if the skies were winter blue I would have been able to stretch a little longer out of these short winter days but yet again I had been blessed , to be able to out is reward enough and the Crotal Bell was my favourite find of the afternoon . With a bit of luck and weather depending I may get lucky and nab one more afternoon session in on Sunday . Great days indeed
20201218_174242_resized[2006].jpg
20201218_174821_resized[2010].jpg
TheFenTiger
Posts: 772
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2020 4:46 pm
Has thanked: 223 times
Been thanked: 1030 times

I put a ribbon on one and hung it on my Christmas tree and have given my landowners some to do the same.
Dave
User avatar
Bors
Posts: 849
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2020 6:18 pm
Has thanked: 161 times
Been thanked: 515 times

I had a good run on them about 5 yrs ago, about 6 in a month . Then nowt ever since :shock:
Things aint cooking in my kitchen
User avatar
Easylife
Posts: 8335
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:47 am
Location: Valhalla
Has thanked: 8202 times
Been thanked: 7041 times

It's always good to make a decent find early on. :thumbsup:
Good things come to those who wait.
User avatar
Mucky
Posts: 205
Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2020 10:30 pm
Location: Somerset
Has thanked: 75 times
Been thanked: 154 times

Another good post thanks! :thumbsup:
Got to say I especially agree with you about finding something nice early in a search. It really does mellow you out.
Then you usually find something else nice. A great feeling that. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
User avatar
Oxgirl
Posts: 10917
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2020 4:21 pm
Location: Oxfordshire
Has thanked: 8012 times
Been thanked: 9125 times

Finding a crotal bell is special at any time, but at Christmas it’s even more fitting. Wonderful :Party: .

Hope you get out again on Sunday - there’s more to find!
Yes I really don’t like Roman coins, I’m not joking
Blackadder43
Posts: 3677
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2020 4:08 pm
Has thanked: 2538 times
Been thanked: 2174 times

Got to love a crotal bell :thumbsup:

The only ones and bits i have found have been when i have been invited to others permissions, never found one of my own turf
User avatar
figgis
Posts: 6459
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2020 6:21 pm
Location: Norfolk (just)
Has thanked: 3677 times
Been thanked: 4194 times

Lovely find, that, and a nice way to end the year (though I rather suspect you'll be out on Sunday, given the sniff of a chance :lol: ). Glad you got on with the loaned machine, too. My trusty 400i makes a great backup and loan machine which I'll never part with and I'm sure you're the same with your Q40.

We've got 4.5 ringers* and there's a vague plan to string them from a cane and jingle them at a given signal from next door, the idea being to convince their 4-year-old that Santa's flying overhead and won't come back until the little blighter goes to sleep. Or something like that - I'm a little hazy on the details. They do sound remarkably sleighbellish, so much so that I suspect the plan will backfire and the subject will be bug-eyed with excitement and won't sleep for hours, possibly days :lol:

*The "half" is a monster with a large hole in it, but remarkably the pellet was still there and it rings (though you do get the odd bum note).
User avatar
Steve_JT
Posts: 763
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 8:10 am
Location: Salisbury
Has thanked: 587 times
Been thanked: 1044 times

Nicely done, cant beat a crotal bell (but you can ring one :lol: )

Well found and saved :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Regards Steve
A foolish faith in authority, is the worst enemy of truth." Albert Einstein
User avatar
the-roman
Posts: 307
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:44 pm
Location: Somerset
Has thanked: 431 times
Been thanked: 359 times

I have been lucky enough to have found a few ringers over the years but these days they all come up in bits, shame, but well done on yours though mate :thumbsup: :clapping:
Dave The Slave
Posts: 3034
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2020 6:36 pm
Has thanked: 8812 times
Been thanked: 3126 times

Very descriptive account, Paul
Ringing Crotal bell, great to be able to HEAR, as well as SEE,, a find hundreds of years old..
Although you can hear a whistle if you find one by blowing it, a bell is probably the only find we can make and hear its acoustics.
Cheers, :thumbsup:
Dave.
Post Reply