Mudlarking

Everyone likes a treasure hunt.
London is 2000 years old. In all the time where do you think all the junk went? The river of course. The banks of the Thames is literally made up of junk much of it hundreds and hundreds of years old. It’s perfectly legal to keep whatever you find on the surface; if you want to dig you’ll have to get a license (search «mudlarking london» to find out how). The term mudlarking comes from the name of the children who used to search for valuables along the river banks — mudlarks — in the 18^th and 19^th C. On a recent walk I found countless clay tobacco pipes dating back to the 17^th C, oyster shells (the old food of the London poor), and various pieces of pottery. It’s quite possible to find roofing tiles from the Great Fire (where do you think all rubble after the fire went afterall — look for a blacked side from the fire), medieval flooring, or even older items. Anything you find can be taken for free identification at the British Museum. A good location to start is on either side of the Millennium Bridge (obviously wait for low tide!!). It can be pretty muddy, so dress appropriately. Good luck! If you find anything interesting mention it in a review below.