HDMDS is one of the oldest detecting clubs in the UK. The club exists not to make a profit but for the pleasure of searching local land in the hope of finding interesting artefacts. Its members search on Sundays, mainly on ploughed farmland in the beautiful and historic Hertfordshire countryside. The club holds monthly meetings with talks by guest speakers from local historians to experts from the British Museum.

Club member Barney Bryant describes a memorable dig:

On a surreal silent frozen foggy morning, on the last club dig before Christmas, I arrived at the farm. Finding only three or four other cars parked up, I walked double-socked and double-gloved towards the area of the field I had in mind. My fingers and toes became painfully numb and I felt sick with coldness. I stopped, and started walking back. However, the walking started warming me up, and I stopped again, turning defiantly towards the dip in the field I’d had ‘a feeling’ about.

After several hours searching, and digging frozen soil, and only meeting ONE other ghostlike familiar figure, I had a nice sounding signal. A bent coin?

I had to sit down and de-glove, pouring a cup of tea from my flask to warm me up. I rubbed off the mud and was greeted by a bizarre looking face. I posted on our facebook group, getting a quick reply from ‘Slayer’ Phil, congratulating me on ‘a decent find’ – my first Henry 3rd Voided Longcross, from 700 years ago!

Driving home, as the fog started turning beautifully into snow, I smiled a deep content peaceful smile, knowing this memory would always stay with me.