# Mudlarking on the Thames



## mrsfran (Oct 30, 2009)

Anyone done this? I really fancy having a go 

Obviously, you need to be aware of tides and such, so where's the best spots? Can I just get down on the bank anywhere?


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## mrsfran (Oct 30, 2009)

Also, I googled and got possibly the worst website ever: http://www.thamesandfield.co.uk/


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## Mrs Magpie (Oct 30, 2009)

You have to get a Port of London Authority permit. All finds are to be registered with the Museum of London. They're mapping the archaeological finds on the Thames shore. You're quite likely to pick up Mediaeval pottery shards.


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## mrsfran (Oct 30, 2009)

From my brief research, it seems you have to get a permit only if you want to dig. I don't intend to do any digging, just poking at things on the surface.


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## Mrs Magpie (Oct 30, 2009)

missfran said:


> Also, I googled and got possibly the worst website ever: http://www.thamesandfield.co.uk/


It's full of enthusiasm though, I'll give it that.


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## Mrs Magpie (Oct 30, 2009)

missfran said:


> From my brief research, it seems you have to get a permit only if you want to dig. I don't intend to do any digging, just poking at things on the surface.


Then you have to leave them there in situ. Honestly this is something I already knew about. A permit isn't exorbitant and it's really important for everything to be recorded.


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## mrsfran (Oct 30, 2009)

Ok, I'll get a permit. Do you have any advice as to good spots and where I can access the riverbank?


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## Sadken (Oct 30, 2009)

Looks fantastic.  I've got a little beach near Tower Bridge that I like to go onto and you can see a lot of clay pipe pieces washing up but I've never found any Roman stuff!  That would pretty much make my life if I did.


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## Mrs Magpie (Oct 30, 2009)

Get a tide table and really anywhere close to a bridge. Really pay attention to tide tables. Lambeth bridge is quite good. Close to an ancient river crossing, old potteries, Lambeth Palace etc. Do a bit of research about the bridges and perhaps industry close by.


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## Mrs Magpie (Oct 30, 2009)

oops, forgot to include permit 

www.ncmd.co.uk/docs/pla permit.pdf


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## Callie (Oct 30, 2009)

missfran said:


> Also, I googled and got possibly the worst website ever: http://www.thamesandfield.co.uk/



Good lord!


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## London_Calling (Oct 30, 2009)

I think it's great. Exactly what they seem to be, insanely enthusiastic amateurs.


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## Sadken (Oct 30, 2009)

Yeah, I like that site too.  It's lovably daft nerd uncle stuff.


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## temper_tantrum (Oct 30, 2009)

Hammersmith foreshore is good. Lots of clay pipe stems, because it was a ferry crossing for hundreds of years and the boatmen dropped plenty of pipes! 

Also, when the tide is really low you can see the London Clay exposed on the riverbed.

Watch out for the sewage outlet pipes though.

Access is via the slipway just to the east of the bridge. It's usually blocked with wooden planks so you may have to climb over, or if there's more than one of you, you can lift off a couple of the top planks (they have handles on, for ease of lifting).


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## Hocus Eye. (Oct 30, 2009)

Tell us on the boards when you are going to do it.  We can then all go down and throw pennies for you to pick up from the mud like a proper cockney sparrer.


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## kenny g (Oct 31, 2009)

That site is great. I would love to see BBC news formatted like that for a day.


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## Dan U (Oct 31, 2009)

that website is superbly bonkers


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## Dan U (Oct 31, 2009)

Ust remember......"only mudlark's can dig hole's"!!!......the normal pla licence let's you detect to a depth of three inches only,   and this is "only in certain area's on the thames" !!!............if you are caught in a restricted area (mudlark section)   you will be asked to leave by the river police or arrested !!! (or hung by a mudlark !!!)

to make it more simple......the tower of london side of the thames from westminster to wapping is out of bounds to everybody apart from museum of london "mudlarks" !!!! Your normal pla permit to a max of 3" for detecting is for "certain areas" only on "the opposite side" !!! (globe side).......read your pla licence for info !!!!

Remember the thames is very dangerous place in many ways !!!......do not take risks as you can and will drown down there for sure,   if you do not know what your doing !!!..........so join our club and learn the trade from a museum of london mudlark in safety !!!!

"remember the thames is like no other place in the world for detecting" !!!   Get a licence now and stick to the rules !!

from the website.

got some great pics of finds


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## cybertect (Oct 31, 2009)

Dan U said:


> that website is superbly bonkers



^^^ this 



Mrs Magpie said:


> You have to get a Port of London Authority permit. All finds are to be registered with the Museum of London. They're mapping the archaeological finds on the Thames shore. You're quite likely to pick up Mediaeval pottery shards.










Sadken said:


> I've got a little beach near Tower Bridge that I like to go onto



By Maggie Blake's Cause?

[see above]


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## toblerone3 (Oct 31, 2009)

"I'm intoxicated by the mud!

Me, its just the valium"


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## Dan U (Oct 31, 2009)

http://www.thamesandfield2.piczo.com/?cr=2

^^ 'website 2'

with MOAR pics 

eta - that ball and chain they found made national papers, pretty cool.


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## rockthames (Jan 9, 2012)

www.thamesandfield.com

This is the new site of Thames and Field Metal detecting society.

Loads of new pages of our finds and recent trips out on the river.
As well as where we meet and how to contact us.

Also Season 2 of Mud Men starts on January 26th on History which stars some of our members.


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## quimcunx (Jan 9, 2012)

Very nice, but it's disappointing in its lack of flourescent green.


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## boohoo (Jan 9, 2012)

Dam it!!I want to join!! My parents use to go mudlarking. They made some nice boards of the different ages of clay pipes. I think the best thing that any of us found that I remember was the tiny porcelain doll's head.


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## TopCat (Jan 9, 2012)

Makes me shiver thinking of all the kids who only ate if they found something of value in the Thames mud.


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## Bungle73 (Jan 12, 2012)

Mud Men was good.


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## past caring (Jan 12, 2012)

rockthames said:


> www.thamesandfield.com
> 
> This is the new site of Thames and Field Metal detecting society.



That's a disappointingly professional looking site.


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## Epona (Jan 12, 2012)

Only just seen this thread.  I used to enjoy doing this, my best find was an intact and remarkably good condition medieval (c.13/14th C) patterned tile (this sort of thing) which is now part of the Museum of London's collection.  It's a very interesting pastime if you don't mind getting cold and muddy!


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## Bungle73 (Jan 27, 2012)

A new series of Mud Men has started.


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## heinous seamus (Jun 23, 2016)

I googled mudlarking and found this thread  do you need permits to do it in the rest of the country? I don't think anyone would notice if I went and poked about the mud. There was tons of industry here so I think there might be some interesting stuff waiting to be found!


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## Artaxerxes (Jul 1, 2016)

heinous seamus said:


> I googled mudlarking and found this thread  do you need permits to do it in the rest of the country? I don't think anyone would notice if I went and poked about the mud. There was tons of industry here so I think there might be some interesting stuff waiting to be found!




You need a licence to dig and there are parts you need to avoid due to being Scheduled Ancient Monuments. 

But walking the foreshore and having a poke and search for something cool is quite fun. I was amazed how many animal bones there are down by Greenwich.


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## heinous seamus (Jul 13, 2016)

Went and had a poke about last week and this is what I found:







Tbh most of it was washed up already, I did trying a bit of digging / scraping about but all I managed to uncover was rocks.


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## Gerry1time (Jul 13, 2016)

Most of that's modern-ish (1800's onwards) but the big bit top middle looks like it might be a little older, is it glazed on the other side?


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## quimcunx (Jul 13, 2016)

Artaxerxes said:


> You need a licence to dig and there are parts you need to avoid due to being Scheduled Ancient Monuments.
> 
> But walking the foreshore and having a poke and search for something cool is quite fun. I was amazed how many animal bones there are down by Greenwich.




No poking allowed.  That counts as mudlarking as I found out.


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## Artaxerxes (Jul 13, 2016)

Looks like theres a bit of clay pipe in that picture, so possibly 1600's-1700's




quimcunx said:


> No poking allowed.  That counts as mudlarking as I found out.





Depends on how vigorous you get


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## quimcunx (Jul 13, 2016)

I am a Victorian law breaker.


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## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 13, 2016)

Gerry1time said:


> Most of that's modern-ish (1800's onwards) but the big bit top middle looks like it might be a little older, is it glazed on the other side?




The Nokia? Probably glazed, yeah.


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## Ponyutd (Jul 13, 2016)

Just to make you feel inadequte...a fortnight ago I found a late neolithic, earley Bronze age hand tool. Currently with the Museum of London. My best find ever, even better than the Roman ring I found, also with the museum of London.

Still well pleased with my self.


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## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 13, 2016)

Ponyutd said:


> Just to make you feel inadequte...a fortnight ago I found a late neolithic, earley Bronze age hand tool. Currently with the Museum of London. My best find ever, even better than the Roman ring I found, also with the museum of London.
> 
> Still well pleased with my self.




My dad fund a bronze age spear head in the Thames near Staines in the 80's. The British Museum offered him £200 for it but he turned it down and still has it. You could still kill someone with it today if so
Inclined.


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## RubyToogood (Jul 13, 2016)

Ponyutd said:


> Just to make you feel inadequte...a fortnight ago I found a late neolithic, earley Bronze age hand tool. Currently with the Museum of London. My best find ever, even better than the Roman ring I found, also with the museum of London.
> 
> Still well pleased with my self.


Pic.



Bahnhof Strasse said:


> My dad fund a bronze age spear head in the Thames near Staines in the 80's. The British Museum offered him £200 for it but he turned it down and still has it. You could still kill someone with it today if so
> Inclined.


Pic.


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## heinous seamus (Jul 14, 2016)

Ponyutd said:


> Just to make you feel inadequte...a fortnight ago I found a late neolithic, earley Bronze age hand tool. Currently with the Museum of London. My best find ever, even better than the Roman ring I found, also with the museum of London.
> 
> Still well pleased with my self.



That's great, but I just plugged the nokia in and it still works.


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## Ponyutd (Jul 14, 2016)

Also,You'll have to wait till December when all the paper work is done. For some reason I didn't photograph it


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## T & P (Jul 14, 2016)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> My dad fund a bronze age spear head in the Thames near Staines in the 80's. The British Museum offered him £200 for it but he turned it down and still has it. You could still kill someone with it today if so
> Inclined.


So as long as you are licensed and report the finds, you are actually allowed to keep them all? Or does it depend on the nature & historical importance of the artefact?


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## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 14, 2016)

T & P said:


> So as long as you are licensed and report the finds, you are actually allowed to keep them all? Or does it depend on the nature & historical importance of the artefact?




AFAIK it depends where you find it. There's all sorts of treasure trove regulations,sometimes the state must pay you cash, other times you can keep it but must share it with the landowner etc.

Where my dad found this thing was downstream of the London Stone, so the river belongs to the Corporation of London, I think. But that didn't seem to be an issue. The British Museum has loads of these things, so it's not that important and wouldn't be displayed. 

Feels fucking awesome holding it.


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## Ponyutd (Jul 26, 2016)

Little Pewter whistle from the Thames. 
Why wouldn't you make a whistle look like a gun!?


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## Puddy_Tat (Oct 23, 2017)

blog post on 'tideline art' - tracing the life of a WW1 veteran from a luggage tag found on the Thames foreshore.  

(i did a small bit of research for this following from a post on tweeter)


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## blossie33 (Oct 24, 2017)

Puddy_Tat said:


> blog post on 'tideline art' - tracing the life of a WW1 veteran from a luggage tag found on the Thames foreshore.
> 
> (i did a small bit of research for this following from a post on tweeter)



Thanks, that's a very interesting read 
I'm not sentimental  but I find those sort of personal histories fascinating.


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## editor (Jul 30, 2021)

Some pics:








The River Thames at low tide: mudlarkers, sunbathers and bridges – 30 photos


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## editor (Aug 6, 2021)

Bones and pipes







> Mudlarkers should have no problem finding the discarded stems of broken clay pipes.
> 
> They were so cheap to make that they were one-use disposable items, often sold prefilled with tobacco (known as ‘Penny Pipes’).
> 
> Once the tobacco had been smoked, there was no further use for the pipe, and it was common to snap off the head before throwing it into the Thames.








						The north bank of the Thames at low tide: bridges, chains, nets and some mudlarking - urban75: art, photos, walks
					

Following on from last week's walk along the south bank of the Thames, I returned to take a stroll along the north bank at low tide. Under Cannon Street station. Looking east towards The Shard. Old brickwork and chains. The River Walbrook joins the Thames to the west of this viewpoint. Looking...




					www.urban75.org


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## hash tag (Sep 1, 2021)

This saturday https://thamesfestivaltrust.org/whats-on/mudlarking-exhibition-cutlers-hall-4935/


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## mango5 (Feb 21, 2022)

I have a spare ticket for this on Thursday morning. It's mudlarking-adjacent.  Anyone interested in joining me? 


> Join us on an exciting volunteering experience of clearing the dredged Hertford Union Canal near Victoria Park.
> Join us between 10am and 2pm on the Hertford Union Canal for a satisfying days’ work at this popular spot. We'll be clearing the dredged part of the Canal before it gets refilled at the end of the month.


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## hash tag (Feb 21, 2022)

mango5 said:


> I have a spare ticket for this on Thursday morning. It's mudlarking-adjacent.  Anyone interested in joining me?


Would love to and have done similar a few times. A great thing to do, it can be interesting. I mustn't due to compromised immune system these days 😟


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## mango5 (Feb 21, 2022)

Bumping this thread for the evening crowd


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## spitfire (Feb 21, 2022)

mango5 said:


> Bumping this thread for the evening crowd



I'd like to but have to work and also pick up parents from the airport, I go past it every day would love to see what's in there.


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