I see this question discussed quite a lot on the facebook groups and there seems to be confusion over which beaches you can detect on without permission. There is also some misinformation stemming from a time when a permit was required to detect on UK beaches.
So just to clarify:
You can view the Crown Foreshore Map here.Anybody wishing to carry out metal detecting on Crown Estate foreshore (defined as the land between mean high water and mean low water) may do so without a formal consent from The Crown Estate, however this is strictly subject to the Terms and Conditions and any third party right(s) as indicated under section 2 of the Terms and Conditions.
This permissive right applies to Crown Estate foreshore only and not to the seabed, river beds, or any other Crown Estate land. Your permissive right to metal detect on our foreshore is subject to detectorists adhering to The Treasure Act 1996.
Metal detecting and mud-larking on the River Thames foreshore requires a separate permit from the Port of London Authority.
Finds above the low water mark are generally the property of the landowner, unless classified as Treasure. Wreck found on the seabed may still legally belong to a third party, therefore we recommend that any finds, particularly whilst you are diving or snorkelling, are not removed and are reported to Historic England and the Receiver of Wreck.
https://thecrownestate.maps.arcgis.com/ ... a5aa1660db
The areas marked in blue are Crown Estate and are subject to the terms above. Everything else is either under local authority control or privately owned. For example many beaches in Cornwall are privately owned by the Duchy Of Cornwall and , as far as I know, metal detecting is not permitted there. But that still leaves plenty of council owned beaches to detect on. A good resource for detecting in Cornwall is the dcdd.uk site:
https://www.dcdd.uk/2023/05/07/metal-de ... -cornwall/
The old permit system for detecting beaches no longer exists although there are certain elements in the hobby looking to push an agenda for permits and training. Which in my opinion would kill the hobby, but perhaps that is the intention
Also bear in mind that detecting on areas owned by the National Trust is usually not allowed. I say "usually" because there are exceptions where free permits are issued but in the main, it is a non-starter.
If in doubt, always ask.