Mudlarking Festival 2024
By Jason Sandy
Left to right: Jason Sandy sharing his collection with visitors (Kirsti Scott). Future mudlarks (Jason Sandy). Pottery sherd with a giraffe hunting scene in Africa from the collection of Anna Borzello (Kirsti Scott).
You can walk in the footsteps of gladiators within ancient London’s Roman Amphitheatre. Travel back in time to the Middle Ages as you enter the stone-vaulted crypt of iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral. Experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the 18th-century “Sailortown” in the Museum of London Docklands. Step into the rubber boots of mudlarks and discover historic artifacts lying on the River Thames foreshore!
Pottery and glass finds from the Thames on display (Kirsti Scott). Roman pottery shard from the collection of Monika Buttling-Smith (Kirsti Scott). Kirsti Scott displaying beachcombing finds in St. Paul’s Cathedral (Jason Sandy). Porcelain doll head collection (Jason Sandy).
Throughout September 2024, a series of mudlarking exhibitions, talks, guided mudlarking tours, and family activities have been organized as part of the annual Totally Thames Festival. Mudlarks of all ages, experience, and interests share their finds, stories, and knowledge, and visitors can talk with the exhibitors, ask questions, and see their treasures up close. Last year, Kirsti Scott from Beachcombing magazine displayed beachcombing finds from around the world, and Johanna Keene exhibited some of her best finds from Ireland.
Bottles and buttons on display (Jason Sandy).
This year, a series of unique events will complement the mudlarking exhibitions throughout September. Visitors can try their hands at the ancient art of flint knapping with mudlark Alan Murphy. Set within a forest in Rotherhithe, a district of South London, Alan will show how to make flint tools during a half-day workshop.
Left to right: Precious treasures from the collection of Graham duHeaume (Kirsti Scott). Kate Sumnall holding a Celtic Sword (Museum of London). Guided mudlarking tour along the Thames (Jason Sandy).
Visitors can join one of the guided foreshore tours with expert mudlarks such as Steve Brooker from the History Channel’s Mud Men TV show; Jason Sandy, author of Mudlarks and Thames Mudlarking; Richard Hemery, author of Sherd; zooarchaeologist Alan Pipe; and the Thames Explorer Trust.
Roman artifacts on display (Jason Sandy). Bottom: Children’s Activities in the Museum of London (Jason Sandy).
Participants can dive deep into history and attend one of several lectures that focus on different mudlarking topics. A panel of artists will discuss their mudlarking-inspired artwork. Kate Sumnall, Curator of Archaeology at the Museum of London, will share some of best mudlarking finds in the museum’s collection. In London’s Roman Amphitheatre, Education and Engagement Officer for the City of London Andrew Lane and John Dunford from the Society of Thames Mudlarks will talk about the archaeological excavations and history of the Roman amphitheater site through a selection of artifacts recovered by archaeologists and mudlarks. In his lecture, Jason Sandy will display artifacts found in the “Lost River” Westbourne, a tributary of the River Thames in West London, and explain their historical significance.
At the Museum of London Docklands, a wide range of mudlarking-inspired arts and crafts activities will be provided by mudlark artists. It will be fun for the whole family. All of the exhibitions are free and open to the public. A pre-booked ticket is required for the talks, guided mudlarking tours, and workshops.
For more information about the various events, visit the Thames Festival Trust’s website: thamesfestivaltrust.org/whats-on.
Mudlarking on the Thames Foreshore requires a permit. Learn about rules for mudlarking in London ›
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This article appeared in Beachcombing Magazine Volume 44 September/October 2024
