Twice a day, every day, the tides of the River Thames rise and fall, revealing a foreshore that, in the middle of London, has been a focus of human activity for millennia.
Making use of the limited windows of time in which the riverbank is exposed, devoted hobbyists known as mudlarks scour the river’s edge for historic and interesting finds. The mudlarks, through their dedication, have assembled impressive collections of objects, each of which adds yet another small piece of London’s history to the archaeological record.
Secrets of the Thames, a new exhibition at the London Museum Docklands presents an insight into the fascinating world of mudlarking. It draws together more than 350 finds recovered from the river alongside the stories, insights and experiences of the mudlarks themselves.
The result is an engaging exhibition that makes use of the objects on display to tell the story of the Thames and London through time, and the people who search for them, giving the visitor an all-round insight that goes beyond being a room of objects in cases.
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The objects on display are more than simply a group of interesting items – although there are certainly plenty of objects that require time and attention to fully appreciate.
They are also a record of the ways the Thames has been used and viewed over the years. And together, they tell the story of the mudlarks that put the hours into finding these objects. For those who wish to see a variety of the more ancient objects from London, this exhibition tides things over until the London Museum Smithfield opens in 2026.
The beginning of the exhibition explores the history of mudlarks on the Thames. The term was coined in the late 18th and 19th centuries to refer to the poor who scavenged for objects such as scrap metal and coal.
Historic accounts, paintings and other objects provide glimpses into this time, including descriptions of some of these early mudlarks. Their stories and motivations for being on the Thames contrast sharply with the mudlarks of today. Those early mudlarks were effectively scavenging to survive. But over time an appreciation of the number of historic objects revealed by the tides saw mudlarking evolve into a hobby for those who wanted to search for small pieces of the city’s history.
Today, a permit is needed to mudlark on the Thames, provided by the Port of London Authority (PLA).
The changing ways the Thames has been used and viewed over time is revealed in the next space. Displays are arranged to showcase objects exploring different themes, including the river as a place of religious significance, a place of travel and trade and a place to dispose of the countless tons of rubbish generated by the inhabitants of London down the centuries.
Indeed, the cases themselves sit within a reconstructed foreshore having seemingly been washed across the room by the tidal waters, complete with historic and not-so-historic objects emerging from the mud. The objects on display cover a wide timescale, from prehistoric flint tools through to modern religious offerings, all of which have been pulled from the mud of the Thames.
Modern mudlarks
It is in the next space that the modern mudlarks themselves are brought into sharper focus. A mock-up of someone’s home display, complete with drawers filled with a range of objects, hints at the dedication and organisation required for these searchers.
Video interviews with mudlarks are played, explaining the enjoyment they take from their wanderings on the river. Alongside is a display explaining the role of the Portable Antiquities Scheme in recording the objects, preserving the information and context of where they were found. Each object adds a piece to the archaeological jigsaw.
Underlying all of this is the tidal nature of the Thames, which both continually turns the foreshore and allows access for the mudlarks. A large model of the moon provides a space to sit and reflect at the end of the exhibition. A further small room shows a video of mudlarking on the Thames, allowing visitors to immerse themselves into the sight and sounds of the river. It offers an understanding of why people are drawn to its banks.
The overall impression of the exhibition is a mixture of appreciation for the variety of objects that have been recovered from the river, with every aspect of human life represented.
The thematic approach taken to displaying many of the objects brings the shared habits and customs of human life down the centuries to the fore. In objects such as the Roman jewellery, we see items that would look perfectly at home being worn by anyone walking the banks of the Thames today.
The modern human connection with the river is also clear to see through the mudlarks, whose dedication gives them a unique perspective on what may at first glance appear to be a muddy riverbank, but through their searching, reveals a far richer and deeper history.
Secrets of the Thames is at the London Museum Docklands until March 1 2026.
Thomas Lucking is an AHRC-funded PhD researcher.
