Hello Friends! We just read a fine article in the New York Times about Mudlarking on the Thames. Can anyone recommend a tour group that does this? Or has anyone done this themselves? Where can one get the right kind of boots to muck around in?Thanks!
Posted by
Portsmouth
5261 posts
I don't know of any group tours that offer the service but you need a permit to go 'mudlarking'
Posted by
Lincolnshire, UK
1834 posts
As of September 2016, a license is required to search for anything on the foreshore, even if you are just looking without an intent to touch or remove anything.
You can apply to the Port of London Authority (link given in post above) for a license, and the staff there can give clear guidance on what you will be allowed to do and where.
It is very important that any object found on the foreshore that could be of archaeological interest is reported to the Museum of London so that potentially everybody can benefit from the find. Through this scheme, the mudlarks have helped build an unparalleled record of everyday life on a medieval river.
If you intend to take home what you find, you will need to get an export license.
HOWEVER a google search reveals that Thames Explorer advertise Foreshore walks, so may be the answer for you (although I've not been on one....)
Posted by
Eugene, Oregon, USA
927 posts
85 Pounds?! Are they kidding? I did some Mudlarking on South Bank in 2017. Just for photography. I wasn't going to, nor did I move or remove anything. You'll need fairly stout rubber boots. Lots of sharp, rusty metal bits. I just used walking shoes, so I couldn't really get to any place aside from the, "well picked over" gravel areas.
Posted by
OP
Washington state
5 posts
Thanks for the help, everyone! The Thames Explorer looks very promising. We'll be in London at the end of June so we'll see what exploring events are on then.
Posted by
New York
521 posts
I recently heard a very interesting interview on NPR of a woman who just wrote a book about this. I can’t remember her name, but it was interesting to hear about all the things that she had found. She did mention that a permit is needed.
Posted by
Land of La
8664 posts
Mudlarking: Lost and Found on The River Thames
Author: Lara Maikkem
Read it last November and went Mudlarking in December by the Barnes Bridge which is near Chiswick where I was staying. If tide is low you can Mudlark all the way to The Ship pub.
Best find was Orange Pekoe ( short walk off the River path) for an excellent cream tea. ;-)
Posted by
OP
Washington state
5 posts
Yum! Thanks for the book tip and the tea tip, too!