This Friday 4 April 2025, London Museum Docklands opens its new major exhibition Secrets of the Thames: Mudlarking London’s lost treasures (4 April 2025 – 1 March 2026). The first major exhibition on mudlarking, it explores fascinating finds from the Thames foreshore, an internationally important archaeological site, and the role of mudlarks in uncovering thousands of years of human history. Historically a trade of the Victorian poor, in recent years mudlarking has grown to be a popular hobby for history lovers, with licensed mudlarks uncovering many significant new finds from the Thames.
On display are a wide variety of objects found in the Thames, ranging from the beautiful and elegant to the bizarre and macabre. A medieval gold ring uncovers a centuries-old love. Whilst the discovery of a typeface unearths a bitter feud between business partners. An intricate 16th century ivory sundial tells of miraculous discovery with its two halves unearthed by different mudlarks eight years apart. Amongst other rare and incredible survivals on display include the nationally significant Iron Age Battersea Shield and a Viking era dagger personalised with the name of its owner. With over 350 mudlarked objects on show, other curiosities and everyday objects include clay pipes, 18th century false teeth, Medieval spectacles, 16th century wig curlers, and a Roman badge decorated with a phallus.
Secrets of the Thames recreates an experiential foreshore studded with cases of mudlarked objects. The exhibition includes many never-before-seen finds that have recently joined the museum’s collection, revealing the often surprising stories behind these objects that continue to inform our understanding of London. A behind-the-scenes experience showcases how finds are recorded and researched at the museum, and insights from mudlarks themselves about how they investigate and curate their collections. An installation of The Moon by artist Luke Jerram will centre the importance of the moon and tides, which create the unique conditions for mudlarks to explore the river’s banks.
Kate Sumnall, Curator at London Museum, said: “We are lucky in London to have this amazing tidal river environment that has preserved so much of our past. It is the longest archaeological site in London and here we find an unbelievably rich selection of finds, from beautifully worked prehistoric arrowheads to a small, ivory sun dial used to tell the time. Thanks to the dedication and expertise of today’s mudlarks, we are constantly uncovering new objects that inform our understanding of history. Secrets of the Thames showcases some of these fascinating objects and their journey from discovery to joining the museum. Above all, it is an exploration of love and desire, faith and loss, migration, community and culture. The stories of generations of people who have visited the city or called it home.”
The River Thames has been a centre of human activity for over 10,000 years. Below its waters lay lost or discarded items, from the ordinary to extraordinary, that paint a picture of Britain’s past. From prehistoric communities that camped, hunted and farmed along the foreshore, to the arrival of Romans who founded Londinium, and Vikings who travelled by water to expand their territory into Britain. Here lies evidence of Britain’s early days of exploration and exploitation as London burgeoned into the country’s first port of empire. Each new departure and arrival has left traces behind relating to all aspects of human life. A living time capsule that tells stories of the ways people have survived, made a living, or enjoyed their leisure time in the city.
Early records of mudlarking date back to the early -1800s when London’s poorest communities would search the foreshore for bits of metal, rope and coal to make their living. Subject to dangerous tides, it was a job often undertaken by children and women who would brave cold waters, broken glass and other hazards to find items that they could sell to feed their families.
Today it is the preserve of licensed mudlarks who search the foreshore to find historical treasures revealed at low tide. The wet and clay environment of the river preserving objects that would usually deteriorate elsewhere.
It’s a hobby that has grown in popularity in recent years, with the Port of London Authority (PLA) having seen a significant increase in applications for licenses, particularly since 2020.
On average, the Portable Antiquities Scheme London Museum Finds Liaison Officer records around 700 finds per year and identifies around 5,000, with a small number acquired into the museum’s collection. All mudlarks on the River Thames must have a valid permit from the Port of London Authority and all finds must be recorded and reported through the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS). Permit Holders must follow directions relating to the finds from the Finds Liaison Officer.
Secrets of the Thames: Mudlarking London’s lost treasures opens Friday 4 April 2025 at London Museum Docklands. Tickets are available through the London Museum website starting from £16. For further details, please visit: https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/secrets-thames/