The Mid Kent Metal Detecting Club visited Cobdown and took the House’s history back to the stone age.

An eagle-eyed member of the club, Tim Hare, spotted a neolithic axe head or scraper, nicely knapped that fits beautifully into the hand. A 16th Century belt buckle was also amongst a wide range of Victorian and more modern finds spanning the whole history of Kent. A number of coins, half crowns, sixpences and pennies were found alongside more modern money.

Neolithic Hand Axe included amongst Victorian and last century and more modern finds. Tim Hare (middle) with Advo’s Lee Blake (left).

Lee near the Cobdown Sauna and a member on what was the formal gardens and lawns in front of the house when originally a private residence. 

Range of some of the coins found around the Cobdown Estate.

A wide range of everyday Victorian items such as a gardening trowel, thimble, plant name tags help create an image of everyday life.

Advo’s Colin Boxall commented “One of the most exciting finds was a lovely Victorian Penny from 1861 with the Queen herself, dated to just 5 years after Cobdown House was built. The finds by the Mid-Kent Metal Detectorists have added quite much to the story of the site, now showing occupation dating right back to when people first came to Cobdown back in the stone age.”

The finds are being catalogued by the Club and will be returned as part of a display, when Cobdown House Business centre opens later this year, outlining the history of the house.

Catering for the day raised £75 for the Heart of Kent Hospice, Advo’s chosen charity.