Mudlarking: Lost and Found on the River Thames

Product Information

Hosted in Southwark Cathedral in celebration of London mudlark Lara Maiklem’s recent book, A Field Guide to Larking: Beachcombing, Mudlarking, Fieldwalking and More (2021), the event displays a number of found treasures. Author Lara Maiklem is a proud London mudlark and shares her finds in Mudlarking - Lost and Found on the River Thames. First, some interesting facts about the Thames from the book. Previously: [please read my earlier review below. I stand by every word now that I have read the whole book].

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am full of envy for all the wonderful things the author finds on the shore of the Thames.

What makes this book so special is Lara’s writing and insights. She has that wonderful ability to let her mind wander, way beyond the present, and we follow in her imagination the provenance of her finds. Making up scenarios for how the objects came to be in the river; they have been preserved by the mud and spotted on the foreshore. Those run by the Thames Discovery Programme, for example, offer you the opportunity to explore the foreshore under the guidance of an experienced archaeologist at a reasonable price – and without the need for a permit.

It is a real pleasure to read. In all these endeavours and historical asides she reveals more of herself and her journey into collecting things the river offers. The exhibition, running until Saturday, October 30, is part of the Cathedral’s River Season. This series features a number of mudlarking tours and relevant talks, with visitors able to bring along their own finds to be identified to the celebration on the final day. In summary, I adored learning more about the history of the River Thames, I was gripped by every item the author discovered and researched but I could happily have done without the memoir aspect with no sense of loss at all. Since November 2016, the Port of London Authority (PLA) have ruled that you are not permitted to search the tidal Thames foreshore in any way without a permit. This includes any kind of beachcombing, scraping and digging, or using a metal detector. In fact, the educational side, of sharing the stories behind their found items, is important to many members of the community.A mudlark permits allows you to dig to a depth of 1.2m (3 feet 11 inches), but no tools other than hand tools can be used. It also gives you access to additional areas that a standard permit doesn’t cover. The practice of combing exposed riverbeds for lost treasures, termed ‘mudlarking’, is becoming increasingly popular thanks to social media. Thirdly, walking on the foreshore of the Thames is dangerous. Permit holders are warned of the hazards of going down to the river bank, and advised to go in groups. Plus, anyone in London or beyond can attend Jason's free webinar talk ahead of the event, starting at 7.30pm on Tuesday, September 21.

Mudlarking is the act of searching or scavenging in the river mud at low tide seeking items of value. Modern mudlarks forage in the mud in search of items from history - regardless of value - and it's amazing what they find. I saw the River Thames in person for the first time in 2012 but it's always been fascinating to me as a repository of history.

On a lighter note, Maiklem has a marvellous ability to bring history to life. She uses her imagination to breathe life into the objects she unearths and I enjoyed this immensely. While these tours are a great introduction to communal mudlarking, most mudlarks are solitary creatures and can often be found on their own, staring at the stones beneath their feet. Firstly, whereas riverbeds in locations like Cardiff, Bristol and Newcastle can be dangerous due to the dense mud – which you can sink into and drown in, since it goes above your head – when the tide recedes on the Thames, it’s a reasonably gravelly foreshore, which is safer to walk on.