mudlarking thames tours 2023

Archaeology

• Early Modern

Victorian map unlocks ‘incredible’ tale of Romano-British metal hoard

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If you look down onto the foreshore of the River Thames in London at low tide, you might see, besides curious tourists and dog-walkers, solitary individuals staring intently at the ground. Some kneel on knee pads or carry buckets or trowels and others pace slowly, with no visible kit. All search with immense concentration, seemingly fixated on swathes gloopy mud or shingle.

These are mudlarks. And where you or I see muck and stones, they discern traces of 2,000 years of history. For every rare coin or jewel they find, they uncover countless artefacts that are more humble but equally resonant. Bearded faces from German Bartmann beer jugs from the days of Shakespeare, nails from ships of Nelson’s navy and sherds of fine Roman tablewares, to name a few. Sometimes artefacts even carry the names of ordinary Londoners, long dead.

Interest in the hobby has surged in recent years, to the extent that new restrictions have been introduced to curb numbers. Here is what mudlarking involves, and how you can still, legitimately, experience the thrill of the search.

What is mudlarking?

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Thames mudlarks were children and older people who scraped a living by finding pieces of wood, metal, coal, rope, canvas and other recyclables on the river’s tidal foreshore and selling them on. One young mudlark told the Victorian writer Henry Mayhew: “The mudlarks generally have a pound of bread to breakfast, and a pint of beer when they can afford it. They do not go to coffee-shops, not being allowed to go in, as they are apt to steal the men’s ‘grub’.” 

Today, mudlarking refers to the hobby of searching the foreshore for historical artefacts and other objects such as fossils. Mudlarks, who hail from all walks of life, may search “eyes-only”, using a metal detector, or by scraping or digging into the surface within fixed limits.

Mudlarking requires a permit from the Port of London Authority (PLA), and permit-holders must follow rules on exactly where and how they search. They are prohibited from selling finds for personal gain. The issuing of permits was paused in November 2022 after a rush of applicants, fuelled partly by popular books on mudlarking and social media posts. For now, the PLA says people who don’t already hold permits can visit the foreshore but cannot search it “in any way for any reason”. However, it is still possible to search without a permit by doing an approved guided tour (details below) and leaving any finds on the foreshore.

What motivates mudlarks?

Nicola White, an artist and mudlark who runs the Tideline Art YouTube channel , says: “I grew up in Cornwall and always used to like collecting things, whether it was on the beach or in the garden. Then, when I moved to London — close to Greenwich — in about 1998, I found myself down on the foreshore. It was a bit like a replacement beach because I really missed the beaches in Cornwall. I started to pick up bits of pottery and glass. Then I found a coin and I suddenly realised that there was this history to be to be found down there, and so I became fascinated with it.

“The coin wasn’t terribly old — it was a George V, I think — and I held it and I thought the last person who held it lived 100 years or so ago, and it really inspired me and got my imagination going. So I became a lot more interested in history. Because everything I find, to this day, I’m really motivated to learn about. Beforehand, I wasn’t particularly mad about history.”

It is personal, tangible connections to the past that grab her. For instance, most of us have heard of Pudding Lane as the street where the Great Fire of London started in Thomas Farriner’s bakery in 1666. A few years ago, White found a trader’s token issued in 1657 by Brian Appleby who owned a tavern on that very street. As she tweeted at the time: “Farriner’s bakery was close to Appleby’s Maydenheade & it thrills me to think that this token was once held by someone who probably knew Farriner.”

Simon Clarke, director of the Thames Explorer Trust, which organises guided mudlarking tours, says: “When you go to a museum, the objects are behind glass and have been found for you. Here, you find them yourself and you never know what you will find. It’s the very fact that you are discovering something that has been unearthed for the first time. Because Thames Clippers and some of the larger [river] vessels do the scouring for us — they overturn new things every day. It’s not only finding objects but the thrill of working out where they’re from.”

What can mudlarks find?

The anaerobic condition of the Thames mud means that items lost or dumped in the river hundreds or thousands of years ago can emerge, through erosion, in pristine condition. The variety of finds is extraordinary and reflects London’s far-reaching trading connections. Among frequent finds are clay pipes or fragments of them — some dating to the lifetime of Sir Walter Raleigh who popularised Virginia tobacco in the 16th century. Sherds of Roman pottery and chunks of Roman roof tile are also common in places, the latter occasionally marked with the paw prints of cats or dogs that walked on the wet clay. Meanwhile, depending on the details, blue and white sherds might be relatively recent Willow Pattern, Delftware or export porcelain hand-painted in China 300 years ago.

Pieces such as Roman coins, medieval pilgrim badges brought back from shrines, and mourning rings inscribed with names and dates are rarer and coveted. Although some mudlarks target such finds using metal detectors, many succeed in finding small metal objects eyes-only. White says: “For me, mudlarking is an experience of searching and being in the moment and wandering along, looking. If you’ve got a detector, there’s so much metal down there, it’s beeping all over the place. You really have to know what you’re doing.”

She adds that people should have realistic expectations. “A problem is that there are so many social media posts that you might get the impression that you can just wander down and it’s a smorgasbord of finds — and it’s really not like that. It’s important to still see the magic in a few pipe stems, a bit of pottery, and oyster shells, because those are the things that tell the story of London. Even a pipe stem could have been from a pipe smoked by somebody 400 years ago.”

What stories can finds tell?

White is one of a number of mudlarks who use social media to share the backstories of their standout finds after researching them. One of the most evocative is a pewter tavern mug that she found in thick mud. “I pulled it out and it was beautiful,” she recalls. “I saw some lettering through this film of mud. It’s engraved with the name of James Burrows, of the Rose & Crown on Lower Thames Street. He was landlord of the Rose & Crown, near Custom House in the City of London, from 1830 to 1850.

“I use the newspaper archives a lot, so I looked him up and came across a story of when he was a witness at the inquest of somebody who used to drink at his tavern. It was a man who, sadly, drowned himself at Custom House. So I took the tankard down to the foreshore in front of Custom House and made a toast to this man who died by suicide and to James Burrows.

“It’s magical really — these objects tell people’s stories.”

Remarkably, named connections can go back much, much further. As White explains: “I recently found the base of a Roman Samian ware bowl, with the potter’s stamp on the bottom. It was mind-blowing to think about this person, this potter, almost 2,000 years ago, and here’s his name [Borillus] still clear as day and I could look him up and find out where he was making his pots, at Lezoux in Gaul.”

In another case, she found an object marked with the name of a British warship. She says: “I found a beautiful log slate, or slate log, which would have been on a ship. It’s a piece of slate that’s engraved with the name of HMS Merlin . And it’s got all the columns for wind speed and courses. I’ve been told it would have been on the deck of the ship and they would have written on it in chalk. Then, in the evening, they would have transcribed it into the paper log and then wiped the slate clean, which is where the saying comes from. So it was incredible to find this and the museum think it probably dates from around 1760 or 1770.”

This suggests that the log belonged to the British sixteen-gun sloop Merlin , which was commissioned in 1757, was involved in the British capture of Havana in 1762, and scuttled in 1777 after it ran aground in the Delaware River during the American Revolutionary War. The ship was repaired and refitted at Woolwich Dockyard in 1765 and 1766, so the log slate may have been lost around this time.

When do mudlarks lark?

Mudlarking is only possible at low tide. White says: “It all revolves around the tides. I have a tide app on my phone and my computer. If it was low tide now, I wouldn’t be sitting here. So I run my life a little bit around that. You get low low tides, and some of them are a bit higher, depending on the cycle of the tides. I try to go a few times a week, and if it’s really good, and if it’s summertime and there are good low tides, you can sometimes go twice a day. I usually go a couple of hours before low tide, to chase the tide out. You have a nice long time then, and afterwards I probably stay for one or two hours while it’s coming back in. I tend to go to lots of different places, but I’ve got several favourite places and I sort of rotate them.

“The objects you find do reflect the activities that went on where you’re searching. In Central London, you’re going to find much older things — Roman, Tudor, medieval. Then in other places, where was a lot of [later] shipbuilding, you’re going to find different types of objects. So yes, I enjoy that mix.”

Nighttime isn’t an obstacle, but rather an opportunity for seasoned mudlarks. White says: “I do go nightlarking. And it’s surprising, you can find a lot because you’re focusing on a small area with a torch and it’s very effective. You’d be surprised what you can find.”

Is there a knack to success?

It mostly comes down to persistence and experience. White says: “Some people write to me and say, ‘I’d like to find a clay pipe — can you advise me on a place to go?’ And I say, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t. But what I will say is that you just need to go and explore and that’s how you’re going to find an object. There’s no easy way.’ Some people think they’re just going to get a fast solution and not have to put in the work. Some of us have been looking for years to find the places which really work for us.”

She adds: “With practice, you begin to see things and recognise objects. I like to think I’ve got my eye in quite well. The tide tends to sort things out in layers, like bones and metal and bits of coal. Also, you get to know where there’s a bit of exposed mud where things may get caught as the tide is going out. So you do get to know the foreshore, but it changes — you can get to know a place and then it can change completely in a couple of months.”

Tell me about guided tours

The Thames Explorer Trust’s regular tours provide a legitimate way for those without permits to search the foreshore. Participants can find and handle artefacts and have them identified by expert staff. They are asked to take away only memories and photographs, however.

The tours cost £25 each for adults and children aged eight-plus, for two hours on the foreshore with an archaeology guide. The proceeds go towards supporting the trust’s work with schools. The tours have soared in popularity in recent years. Simon Clarke, the director, says: “When I started here, a decade ago, we ran about six walks a year, with another two or three cancelled because there weren’t enough people. The tours that went ahead were half-full. Now we’re running about 160 a year and most are oversubscribed.” 

As for the format, he says: “We start off with a general talk about what happened in the area. Then we show some artefacts from a small collection our staff have and pass them around. Then we give a small health and safety talk and it’s onto the foreshore to have an eyes-only search.

“People tend to branch off in their pairs or small groups. But it’s one of those things where you really have to be silent and look very, very hard. In terms of the spread of things, on some parts of the foreshore, you can put your foot down across 1,500 years’ worth of history. Within a few inches, you might find late medieval, Tudor and Industrial.”

Where can I learn more?

There are various mudlarking-related events this month as part of the Totally Thames Festival , including exhibitions of finds at St Paul’s Cathedral on September 16 and 17, the National Maritime Museum on September 23 and 24, and the Museum of London, Docklands, on September 30 and October 1. The Thames Discovery Programme is organising guided foreshore walks with archaeologists for the festival and also runs walks and events year-round.

Acclaimed books include Mudlarking: Lost and Found on the River Thames by Lara Maiklem and Mudlarks: Treasures from the Thames by Jason Sandy. Many mudlarks, including Nicola White, post videos on YouTube and photographs and videos on Instagram. In addition, there are active mudlarking groups on Facebook.

Visits to museums such as the Museum of London, Docklands, the British Museum and the V&A can provide historical context and opportunities to see complete examples of artefacts such as ceramic vessels often found in fragments on the foreshore.

Find reporting, and hazards

Mudlarks must report all finds that might be of archaeological or historical interest to the Portable Antiquities Scheme so that archaeologists, museum curators and historians have the opportunity to learn from individual objects and wider patterns. They must also report finds that qualify as treasure to the coroner.

The foreshore is a hazardous environment and people are periodically caught out by rising tides. Anyone visiting the foreshore should use tide tables or apps and stay within easy range of steps or other exit routes. There are trip and slip hazards and sharp objects such as broken glass and needles. There is also the risk of Weil’s disease spread by rat urine in water. Mudlarks are advised to keep any cuts and abrasions covered, to avoid touching their eyes, mouth or nose, to consider wearing rubber gloves and to wash their hands thoroughly after searching.

Artwork at top of article by Claire Carponen Illustration .

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News and features on history and archaeology from Mark Bridge, an award-winning journalist who worked at The Times for 15 years. You can get in touch via [email protected] and read our Privacy Policy here.

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Want to go mudlarking on the Thames? Not so fast!

While you may visit the foreshore, if you do not have a permit you may not search the tidal Thames foreshore from Richmond Lock near Teddington to the Thames Barrier —  in any way for any reason . No searching/digging is allowed for anyone on the foreshore of the River Thames east of the Thames Barrier. Unlike many other shorelines, the  Port of London Authority (PLA) and the Crown Estate are the largest landowners of Thames foreshore and jointly issue a permit, which is administered by the PLA, for searching, metal detecting, beachcombing, scraping, and digging.

Areas along the Thames where a permit is required.

In order to do anything that disturbs the surface of the foreshore you must have a permit from the PLA. However, to protect the unique historical integrity of the Thames foreshore, the ability to request new Foreshore Permits has been indefinitely paused . If you already have a current valid permit, it is still valid and you can  renew your permit via your membership account,  as long as it has not expired yet.

The move comes as permits have surged from just 200 five years ago to over 5,000 today. Reports of mudlarks selling their finds (which isn't permitted) or keeping them and not reporting them have also spurred the change. Basically, there are just too many active permits today and the objects found on the foreshore are in danger of disappearing forever.

The foreshore remains open at this time, so you can still visit the area, you just can’t pick anything up. Even with a permit, digging, scraping, and metal detecting are restricted or prohibited in some areas. See the map on the  PLA website . Magnet fishing in the tidal Thames is not allowed.

Safety considerations

• The foreshore is a tidal river with a cold, fast current so always check tide tables on the  PLA website  before visiting.
• Dress for the rough surface of rocks, metal, and other debris. Wear thick-soled boots, rubber gloves, and plan on your clothing getting muddy .
• The stairs and rocks can be very slippery and there's always a chance you'll come in contact with hazards such as raw sewage, broken glass, needles, sharp metal, and more.
• If you have flu-like symptoms after coming in contact with the water, seek medical attention immediately to check for Weil's Disease.

Reporting your finds

• Holders of Foreshore Permits may not sell items taken from the foreshore for personal gain.
• You must report any and all objects you find which could be of archaeological interest to the  British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) Finds Liaison Officer at the Museum of London [email protected]. The PAS records all archaeological finds made by the public in England and Wales. These finds have the potential to tell us much about the past, such as how and where people lived and about the types of objects they made and used. Learn more about advice about reporting your finds to the  Portable Antiquities Scheme .
• Under the Treasure Act 1996 there is a legal obligation to report all finds of treasure . Learn what constitutes treasure on page 5 of the  Portable Antiquities Scheme – Advice for Finders guide.
• An export license is required if you intend to leave the UK with any archaeological objects of more than 50 years of age. The type of license required will depend on where the object was found and, in some cases, the value of the object.

Visiting the foreshore without a permit

If you don't have a permit, you can still have the   mudlarking experience of finding, photographing, and identifying artifacts found on the  surface of the foreshore with the  Thames Explorer Trust  or the  Thames Discovery Programme . An expert guide will help you search for traces of history and take photographs of your finds. If you would like to visit the foreshore with an organized group, please check the  Thames Explorer Trust  or the  Thames Discovery Programme  for their lists of guided tours.

If you want to organize your own group visit to the foreshore that doesn't involve any disturbance of the foreshore, you must apply for PLA permission at  [email protected] .

Learn more about mudlarking

Learn more about the experiences of mudlarks, who search the shores of rivers, bays, and seas for historical finds and other relics.  Articles ›

Well that just took all the fun out of the thought and going there to do that! Doesn’t the Royal Family and England have enough of their own stuff to also want to take something so fun away from common folks! What are they worried someone is going to find something really valuable then they should be able to keep it! This planet and what’s on it was created by man and if it was thrown out then whomever wants to collect it and clean it should keep it too!

Marvellous history of the Thames mudlarking also an historical thing to do .

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Comes in so handy when beachcombing. Keeps everything clean and dry. :)

Another great guide from Peblsrock!

If you are a “regular” beachcomber then this magazine is for you. The finds of others as well as convention locations and other gatherings are well publicized. Enjoy!

Love the magazine. I get inspired by the articles to create works of art

Been combing for beach glass and sea glass for 5 years or so. Found a community on Facebook to help find beaches when traveling, wanted to learn more about the hobby, the finds, and the community - this magazine was perfect for that! Happy that last issues are available digitally too!

Love the Colors but got distracted and only ordered 1! Now I am going back for the Front plate to quit complaining. These are just Fun and give you great bragging rights.

I got 2 to put one on my Tote Bag and the other for my crossbody Purse. I changed out the blue plastic loop with a Stainless Steel Cable Wire Key Chain in colors! Already got compliments, so I have to going back for a couple more for my luggage. Highly recommend.

The poster is just what I wanted. Vivid colors also.

Very nice journal. Looking forward to using it on my sea glass hunting vacation this spring!

I Love learning more about all of the different treasures and the different places around the world that feature them! I have had a passion for collecting beach glass and treasures as long as I can remember. This is the perfect magazine for me ❤️

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Private Foreshore Tours

​private tours of the thames foreshore, commissioned exploring.

Thames Explorer has been hosting foreshore exploration since 1981 and our experienced guides provide the best way to discover the secrets of London’s previous inhabitants. Join us to get a unique perspective of the capital.

Follow in the Footsteps of Mudlarks

Book one of our knowledgeable staff for you or your private group (maximum group size 25) for 2 hours. Private explorations can be tailored to your needs and take place all year round on the day of your choice (staff and tide allowing). People book for many reasons including birthdays (both children and adults), special occasions, corporate groups, team-building or simply out of curiosity. We see a wide range of ages from 5 to 80 and beyond, from the USA to Japan.

Happy exploring!

Please email us on [email protected] or call 020 8742 0057.

Essential information

Meeting place.

Please read your booking confirmation or consult the person organising your group. Private exploration can take place at either the Millennium Bridge, Southwark, Greenwich, Rotherhithe, Limehouse and Wapping.

Booking information

Advice will be given at the time of booking. As a guide private tours are limited to 25 people. Children must be over 8 years and must be accompanied by an adult (for small family groups we may be able to take children over 5 years please speak to us to discuss). No more than 3 children to one adult. 

Paying for tickets

Tickets are paid for using PayPal however you do not need a PayPal account . Just click on the PayPal logo under “Purchase Tickets” and you have the option to pay with a debit or credit card.

Artefact policy

The experience of finding artefacts on the foreshore is both memorable and unique. In order to preserve this as long as possible for as many people as possible Thames Explorer requests you take only memories and photographs away and not artefacts. Please bring your camera or smartphone to take photographs, a ruler and notebook is also handy. Thames Explorer Trust does not recommend accessing the foreshore without an experienced guide. Access to the foreshore requires a permit from the Port of London Authority (PLA) – Thames Explorer takes groups by agreement with the PLA. Any form of digging or scraping is forbidden, there are however, a great many surface artefacts to discover.

Event updates

Occasionally our events have to be cancelled – problems with the foreshore, weather etc. If we know an event is going to be cancelled we will email you at your booking email address as soon as possible, however if our staff think it is unsafe to continue at the time of the event – you will be issued a full refund. Please respect their experience.

Except in emergencies our staff will be at the meeting point to greet you, however in the unlikely event that they are not only unable to be there and also unable to communicate their absence to us (and therefore us to you) we ask that you call our office – 020 8742 0057. If a member of the office team is not available, please wait at the meeting point for 40 minutes but no longer. If you are sure you are in the right location and that no member of our staff has turned up, you should contact Thames Explorer by email ([email protected]) and you will be issued with a full refund.

In the extremely unlikely event that a member of staff is unable to attend a session and unable to communicate this to us please wait at the venue for 35 minutes. A full refund will be issued in this case.

We go out in all weathers with the exception of: snow and severe ice, lightning, very high winds and dense fog. Please keep any eye on your booking email address in the rare case of cancellation. If our staff think it is unsafe to continue at the time of the event – you will be issued a full refund. Please respect their experience. In the event of sudden, high rainfall making the foreshore inaccessible we will notify you with as much time as possible, full refunds will be offered.

Practical information

Please bring wellies, walking boots, old trainers or shoes which you don’t mind getting muddy (no crocs or open toed sandals!) Be prepared for rain or shine and possible mud. Waterborne diseases can be a risk therefore it is important that those with open cuts or eczema have them covered and that all participants keep their hands away from their faces and refrain from eating or drinking on the foreshore – children should be closely supervised.  You should wash your hands thoroughly afterwards and especially before eating and drinking! If you prefer to wear rubber gloves then please bring these with you.

The Thames Explorer Trust is a huge fan of dogs (and cats) however as some people are not, we ask that you not to bring your dog with you.

We have several sites for foreshore exploration. Please check the location for your event before setting off. Please also check the time of your event particularly if you have attended one before. Low water times vary as much as one hour per day and by ten hours per week.

Please note the foreshore steps can be quite steep and people with mobility problems should call us first for more information. Please read any guidance notes about your site carefully.

Please dress appropriately for the season. Be aware that the foreshore is very exposed and can be subject to much colder or hotter conditions than the rest of the city.

Activities take place on riverside paths and the foreshore. Access to the foreshore (draw docks or steps) may be slippery and steep, the foreshore can also be muddy and uneven. Please listen to the advice and follow instructions given by our staff.

You are responsible for your own safety and those of your children at all times.

Health and safety guidelines for visitors to the foreshore

We do everything we can to keep our visitors safe and we have a very low accident record over many years.  The Trust has public liability insurance, a child protection policy and we comply with Health and Safety Executive regulations. We follow ‘good practice’ for operating procedures and staff training.  All staff have enhanced DBS checks. Our staff are not allowed to administer first aid.

Covid update

We adhere to current Covid guidelines issued by the government – please read the most recent Covid guidelines before embarking, particularly advice about social distancing, mask and glove wearing. This is an outdoor event where clear communication is essential for safety. For this reason our staff may not be wearing a face covering. Please bring hand-sanitizer as there may be no local hand-washing facilities – wash your hands with soap and water at the first available opportunity.

Leptospirosis (Weil’s Disease)

This is a bacterial infection transmitted through contact with animal urine and contaminated water.  There is a small possibility of contracting this disease when in contact with river water. In most cases the disease is only mild but in serious cases it can be life-threatening and symptoms should not be ignored.  Early symptoms are flu-like and include headaches, chills, high temperature, vomiting and muscle pains.  If you experience any flu-like symptoms within 3 weeks of visiting the river foreshore inform your doctor, referencing river water and Weil’s Disease. Tests are available and early treatment can limit the severity of the infection.

Cancellation policy

Please note that tickets bought within 2 weeks of an event are non-refundable unless the following criteria apply:

In the event that you are unable to attend due to suspected coronavirus, or if you have been told to isolate: It is important to let us know at the earliest opportunity so that we may re-advertise your ticket and you will be issued a refund. Please note that we can only issue refunds if you let us know before the event, not after.

In the event that Thames Explorer is unable to host the event due to suspected coronavirus or because our staff have been told to isolate: We have arranged cover from a second member of staff for as many of our events as possible, however in the event that both your guide and the cover guide is unable to attend, we will let you know at the first available opportunity by email and you will be issued a refund.

Except in emergencies our staff will be at the meeting point to greet you, however in the unlikely event that they are not there within 15 minutes of the start time please first check that you are in the right place and then call our office – 020 8742 0057. If a member of the office team is not available, please wait at the meeting point for 40 minutes but no longer. If you are sure you were in the right location and that no member of our staff turned up, you should email Thames Explorer ([email protected]) and you will be issued with a full refund.

In the event the government alters its guidance on outdoor events which prevents us from hosting the event: we will inform you by email at the earliest opportunity and you will be offered a credit note for a future event or issued a refund.

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MUDLARKING TOURS

If you had a Ferrari you would'nt take it to a back street local garage to be serviced would you..............you'd take it straight to Ferrari.............the Best !!!

You want to go on a one to one Mudlarking Tour & be taught how to Mudlark correctly..............you use the same principle above................so you go straight to Ferrari again..............nope thats wrong...........you come to me Steve the "Mud-God" Brooker the T.V Mudlark.........a kinda Mud Main dealer of the Thames and a real registered mudlark, fully registered Thames tour guide, Speaker & hands on history teacher trainer for councils all over the country.

You maybe just want a tour, maybe a new hobby, a birthday gift for a friend, anniversary prezzie for the wife, Christmas gift, works doo or you just ran over next doors cat so you wanna treat your neighbour to an outing with me as his now suicidal after Smokeys death.

Brush up on your Mudlarking skills if you already have a permit & lark already.................i still see so many people doing things that with a slight tweak can give you 10 fold better chances on your finds ratio's................if you're not finding give me a shout and lets see what your doing wrong and open up those elusive finding lines for you...................its easy when you know how and all one to one..............just you and your eyes.

I won't bore you to death on here but will send you all the info and gumph you'll ever need plus rules and regs for the Thames as you cannot search the Thames foreshore at all without a permit these days............it is now totally illegal to search the Thames foreshore without being licensed and a fee must be paid to the PLA just for you to walk onto the foreshore..............this too is in all the info that will be sent to you.

CONTACT THE MUD-GOD ON             [email protected]

'I always wanted to try mudlarking so contacted Steve "Mud God" Brooker from the history channels Mud Men and other television programs associated with the river Thames and registered mudlark & tour guide.

My friend from another department in the museum had gone on one of his one to one teaching trips on the foreshore and raved about it for days.

From the minute we met to five hours later steve talked non-stop about the history of the Thames, amazing stories, funny anecdotes and so so much more.

My friend had told me you could sit in the pub with this guy for ages and listen to his stories from the Thames and that he was exactly the same as he is on television.

He was right as i have never laughed so much or been so intrigued by wonderful tales and as my work partner said he feels like your best mate for those five hours.

This dynamic, surprise-a-minute, extremely atmospheric training session 

has certainly saved me so much time in acquiring the expert skills

and the eye searching techniques of a mudlarker on an ancient shore of the Thames. 

Steve Brooker or the Mud God's vivid lore about the Thames and its long history

poured into my ears, all while he jumped from spot to spot. 

Whilst walking the mud we looked at shifting stone/pebble finding lines, metal lines and then he showed me how  to look 

and where to look for fascinating finds just being sorted in size and weight by boat wave erosion.

Crucially, he taught me all the roles played by river currents, muds, 

sands and stones, and the pull and drag of waves and ships' wakes 

and the wind. But most important, he taught me how to discover, to

calculate and recognise "finding-lines" - that is, the lines along which the 

Thames waves sort and shift its treasures. 

We gazed through Henry VIII's palace rubbish dump and spotted Tudor nails notched and nicked with makers marks, black Tudor leather (still perfectly 

preserved) Tudor dress pins from a time when women wore 700 

pins a day in their clothes & hair and royalty wore thousands. Steve's stabbing eye spotted so many curios of

all ages, while his fingers scoured them with Thames grit to bring up their 

brightness.  

He identified everything - from WW2 Army helmet buckles

to a small medieval pilgrim's bell, from bullets to Victorian fly-buttons -

from pottery fragments of an Elizabethan Witch Pot (in one case, with 

the shield or escutcheon showing), from farthing to a Naafi spoon to an 18th century

button with a flower on it, from Elizabethan clay pipes to an exquisitely 

worked key-tag carrying a request to return the set to the Glasgow police.

As we walked along, he told me all about the buildings that had edged the 

shore - was it a wonder that, underneath where a Victorian school had stood, 

we found green marble-shaped glass stoppers from pop bottles lobbed in by 

the boys?  

Not only could he identify everything immediately, right across the

ages of time, but he could also give the full, deep background to that item -

draw a picture of it in its historical context. Like the ancient, dumped French 

100-frank coins clipped by the authorities to stop British dockers from reusing 

them in France.  He knew the makers of the sea-worn Victorian bricks and the years 

they'd been in business, and the history of shell-cases and munitions.

Modern stories of finds of colourful Indian religious offerings to the river (which often contain money) and also, finding voodoo offerings also chilled my spine. What with the lovely shore location, and the time travel from find to find, this long training session was the mother of all mudlarkings - no wonder Steve is nicknamed the Mud God. Highly recommended and i should know as i work in the museum and have sat through hundreds of lectures & talks and this was spectacular, entertaining, informative & very funny'.

Philippa M.

Thames Explorer Trust

The Thames Explorer Trust is an educational charity working to teach people about the Thames so everyone can access it and take part in planning its future.  For more details visit www.thames-explorer.org.uk

Upcoming (42)

Totally Thames, Footsteps with Jason Sandy, 7th Sept 2024, Mill. Bridge

Sat, Sep 7, 10:00 AM

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Totally Thames - Footsteps - Bone Expert: Sun 8th Sept, Mill. Bridge

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In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Tue Sept 10th 2024, Wapping

Tue, Sep 10, 11:00 AM

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Thur 12th Sept 2024, Millennium Bridge

Thu, Sep 12, 12:15 PM

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Sat 14th Sept 2024, Wapping

Sat, Sep 14, 3:30 PM

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Sat 14th Sept, Millennium Bridge

Totally Thames, Footsteps - Pottery Expert,15th Sept 2024, Mill. Bridge

Sun, Sep 15, 4:30 PM

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Sat 21st September 2024, Limehouse

Sat, Sep 21, 10:00 AM

Totally Thames, Footsteps with Jason Sandy, Sat 21st Sept 2024, Wapping

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Sun 22nd Sept 2024, Millennium Bridge

Sun, Sep 22, 10:30 AM

Totally Thames - Footsteps - Bone Expert: Sun 22nd Sept, Rotherhithe

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Tues 24th Sept 2024, Millennium Bridge

Tue, Sep 24, 11:30 AM

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Wed 28th August 2024, Millennium Bridge

yesterday at 13:30

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Tue 27th Aug 2024, Millennium Bridge

Tue, Aug 27, 12:45 PM

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Mon 26th August 2024, Millennium Bridge

Mon, Aug 26, 12:00 PM

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Mon 26th August 2024, Wapping

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Sun 25th August 2024, Limehouse

Sun, Aug 25, 11:30 AM

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Sun 25th August 2024, Millennium Bridge

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Sat 24th August 2024, Rotherhithe

Sat, Aug 24, 11:00 AM

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Sat 24th August 2024, Millennium Bridge

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Fri 23rd August 2024, Millennium Bridge

Fri, Aug 23, 10:15 AM

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Sat 17th August 2024, Limehouse

Sat, Aug 17, 5:30 PM

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Sat 17th August 2024, Millennium Bridge

In the Footsteps of Mudlarks: Fri 16th August 2024, Millennium Bridge

Fri, Aug 16, 4:15 PM

Mudlarking Tour along the Thames

Come mudlarking with us on the foreshore in chiswick and find archaeological artefacts revealed by the river thames., dates and times, chiswick pier trust.

A chance to get onto the foreshore in Chiswick and find archaeological artefacts revealed by the River Thames. Who knows what will be discovered - smoking pipes, colourful pottery sherds, bones…? Meet outside the 'Mudlarking Exhibition' at Chiswick Pier Trust, on the North Bank of the Thames. We will walk along Chiswick Mall and explore the foreshore beside Chiswick Eyot.

Getting to us

Where to find us.

Chiswick Pier Trust, Corney Reach Way, London W4 2UG

Closest Pier: Putney Pier Calling at 23 piers throughout the day, the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers service is the perfect way to navigate the festival, in spacious comfort above ground. Find out more

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Without the support of funders, partners and people like yourself, we wouldn’t be able to deliver our diverse programme of projects and events along the Thames and across the world.

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Go beachcombing (mudlarking) along the Thames

Tickets from £25

This hands-on beachcombing experience will show you a different side of the River Thames.

Also known as mudlarking, this fun (and muddy!) hobby will see you exploring the edge of the river at low tide where centuries-old artifacts, discarded ceramics, clay pipes, pottery fragments and other interesting objects sometimes wash up in the water.

A local guide will accompany your small group of no more than 15 people down to the water's edge and supply you with a pair of gloves and some plastic bags to put your finds in. They will also help you identify any treasures that you might find and provide some historical insights.

Note: You definitely need to wear a sturdy pair of hiking boots or wellington boots because the foreshore is very stony, and you never know what you might step on. You should also expect to get very muddy.

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Mudlarking Experience with the Thames Explorer Trust

Posted on Last updated: March 4, 2024

This post is about my mudlarking experience with Thames Explorer Trust, under Millennium Bridge .

Mudlarking, also known as beachcombing, is an activity which involves exploring the foreshore of the river Thames at low tide, looking for items of historical interest.

In Victorian times, mudlarks were poor people who scavenged in the river mud looking for valuable items they could sell. Today however, mudlarking is more of a hobby, with people seeking archaeological finds, rather than anything of monetary value.

My Mudlarking Experience with Thames Explorer Trust

If you are new to mudlarking, it is recommended that you start by going on a guided tour.

The tours run by the Thames Explorer Trust are conducted by an expert who understands the tides and currents, and will help you to identify any significant finds.

Below is a guide on what you should expect to find when you go mudlarking, as well as advice on what to take with you.

Common Mudlarking Finds

The most common mudlarking finds are clay pipes, bones, pottery, shells, coal and pieces of sewer pipe. We found all of these things during our mudlarking experience. You can find out more about each item below.

Animal Bones

Victorian pottery, oyster shells, pieces of coal, pieces of victorian sewer pipe, ordinary objects.

Clay pipe stems are one of the most common mudlarking finds. You will see them littered all over the Thames foreshore.

Originally made in Georgian and Victorian times, the pipes were filled with tobacco and sold for single use. People would use them and toss them into the water, the same way someone might flick cigarette butts. 

Today it is easy to identify where the busiest ports were in London, by looking at the number of clay pipe stems scattered along the Thames.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the pipes were mostly plain, but by the mid-18th century they began to be decorated.

The photograph below shows one of the clay pipe stems we found on the Thames riverbed.

For centuries, the Thames was used as a dumping ground for a wide range of waste, including the remains of butchered animals. This was especially common in Victorian London, when butchers would discard animal carcasses daily into the river.

When you are walking along the foreshore you will see animal bones everywhere. They are one of the most common mudlarking finds. The photograph below shows part of a bone that we found. We also found a sheep’s tooth.

You will find pieces of Victorian pottery all over the Thames foreshore. Victorian pottery often has a blue pattern on it with a white background, like in the photograph below.

Oyster shells are commonly found along the Thames. In Victorian London, oysters were a major food source since they were cheap and plentiful. They were sold on nearly every street corner, mostly to poor people, who would use them as a substitute for expensive meats, like beef.

In history, London was highly reliant on the delivery of coal by sea, and large amounts of it would be transported down the Thames every day.

Much of the coal was delivered to the numerous power stations along the river. The wharf at Battersea Power Station , where the coal was unloaded, is still there today.

Given the large quantities of coal that once came down the Thames, it’s not surprising therefore that pieces of it are still found on the river bed. Victorian mudlarks searched for lumps of coal that they could burn or sell, and lots of it is still there today.

It’s not uncommon to find pieces of Victorian sewer pipe along the Thames foreshore. The sewer system in London was built in the 19th century due to a public health crisis, caused by the amount of pollution in the Thames.

The work was undertaken by Joseph Bazalgette, a British civil engineer, who built over 1,100 miles of new sewer pipes, as well as pumping stations, treatment works, and other infrastructure between 1859 and 1865.

Today pieces of Bazalgette’s sewer pipes can still be found in the Thames, and on the foreshore at low tide. Below is a photograph of a piece of Victorian sewer pipe that we discovered whilst mudlarking.

We also found many ordinary objects lying on the river bed such as an old suitcase and a bicycle. There were also glass bottles and jars, a coconut, marbles and some glass beads.

Rare Mudlarking Finds

Rarer finds on the banks of the river include precious metal, silver objects, roman hairpins, hypodermic needles, medieval buckles, georgian wig curlers and groups of coins.

There are several social media groups where modern mudlarks share their remarkable finds. Some items found include as a musket ball, a piece of roman pottery, and many interesting tobacco pipes. Some of the best groups can be found in my Ultimate Guide to Mudlarking on the Thames .

Mudlarking Regulations

If you want to go mudlarking on the Thames you will either need to obtain a permit, or join a guided tour.

At the moment the Port of London Authority have stopped issuing new permits, to protect the historical integrity of the river bed. Unless you already have a permit therefore, a tour is the only option.

Permit Holders

If you have a permit you are allowed to take items from the foreshore, unless it is believed to be treasure, or an item of archeological interest. Anything that might be of historical value has to be reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme Finds Liaison Officer at the Museum of London, within a month of being found.

Permit holders are allowed to dig to a depth of 3 inches, and only use hand tools. You are not allowed to use a metal detector unless you have a mudlark’s permit, which is currently only available to the Society of Thames Mudlarks .

Non Permit Holders

If you attend a tour, and do not have a permit, you are not allowed to take anything from the Thames foreshore. You are also not allowed to dig, and can search with your eyes only.

There is further information about the regulations around mudlarking in my Ultimate Guide to Mudlarking on the Thames , which includes information about the Treasure Act, the Thames tides, safety concerns.

The Mudlarking Experience with Thames Explorer Trust

If you decide to attend the same tour that I did, I have put some information and advice for you below. We joined the tour at Millennium Bridge in central London.

Meeting Point for the Tour

The Millennium Bridge mudlarking tour, meets at the glass obelisk directly under the bridge, on the north side of the river. This is shown in the photograph below.

The nearest stations to this point are Bank, St Pauls, Mansion House or Blackfriars.

Advice on What to Bring

I would advise you to take the following:

• Sturdy footwear – this is important as the foreshore of the Thames is uneven and can be slippery. There are also pieces of glass, sharp stones, and mud.
• Waterproof gloves – although the water in the Thames is much cleaner today than it was in the past, there is still raw sewage leaking into the river in places, and also a small risk of catching Weil’s disease from the urine of animals.
• A backpack – I recommend you put everything into an old backpack and wear clothing with pockets. That way your hands will be completely free to examine the riverbed.
• Anti-viral and anti-bacterial hand wipes – since there is no where nearby to wash your hands, it’s advisable to take hand wipes and sanitiser with you. You can then clean your hands until you are able to wash them properly with soap and water.

Recommended Reading

If you want to do some reading before your mudlarking experience I recommend the following books.

Just so you know, these are affiliate links, so I will receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you buy through the links.

• Mudlarking: Lost and Found on the River Thames by Lara Maiklem
• If These Pots Could Talk by Ivor Noël Hume
• London In Fragments by Ted Sandling
• Pottery In Britain 4000BC to AD1900 by Lloyd Laing

Images of Mudlarking Finds

Below is a gallery of images of items found on the Thames foreshore.

Images of the Thames Foreshore

The gallery below shows the Thames foreshore under Millennium Bridge at low tide.

Are you new to mudlarking? Check out the 3 best mudlarking books for beginners .

This post was about my mudlarking experience on the Thames

Thank you for reading about my mudlarking experience on the Thames. I advise you to also read my Ultimate Guide to Mudlarking , since it has a lot more information. If you have any interesting finds and would like to contribute a photograph to this website, please email me at [email protected] . You will be given credit for your photograph.

Sunday 3rd of September 2023

So if you are a tourist & do one of these tours, you can't keep anything you find at all? What happens to it? Do we leave it there? Does the Trust keep it?

Monday 4th of September 2023

@Olivia Herlihy, Historical significance I totally understand. But I've seen photos of people finding clay pipes, sea glass/marbles, interesting weathered pottery, odd coin or medieval bit of trinket- i thought little everyday items we could keep! What happens to those? Is it just left back on the shore after the tour?

Ah well. I was curious ever since i stumbled across mudlarking & as I'm going to London in a month or so I thought I'd check it out!

Olivia Herlihy

No, unless you have a licence you are not allowed to take anything from the Thames foreshore. If you are on a guided tour and you find something of historical significance you will need to give it to the tour guide who will report the find to the Museum of London.