Groups will be able to book at a discounted rate to visit the museum’s first major exhibition on mudlarking, exploring finds from the Thames foreshore, including a Tudor wool hat, Medieval gold ring and a Viking era dagger.
London Museum Docklands has announced its next major exhibition, Secrets of the Thames: Mudlarking London’s lost treasures, which will run from 4th April 2025 until 1st March 2026.
This is said to be the first major exhibition on mudlarking and will explore finds from the Thames foreshore, an internationally important archaeological site, and the role of mudlarks in uncovering thousands of years of human history.
Amongst the objects set for display will be a Tudor knitted cap, discovered on the foreshore 500 years after it was lost. It will sit alongside other gems including a medieval gold ring inscribed with the message: ‘For love I am given’ and an ancient Viking era dagger personalised with the name of its owner, Osmund.
The exhibition will include 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.
There will be a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how finds are recorded and researched at the museum and insights from mudlarks themselves about how they investigate and curate their collections.
What is a mudlark?
Mudlarks once scraped a living on the shores of the Thames, now they search the riverbanks as a hobby, using their eyes, metal detectors and trowels to discover hidden treasures and objects of historical significance. A permit is required from the Port of London Authority (PLA) to go mudlarking.
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 this astonishingly well preserved Tudor hat to the ubiquitous clay pipes that were very much the disposable vapes of their day.
“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 will showcase some of these fascinating objects and their journey from discovery to joining the museum. Above all, it will be 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.”
Groups will be entitled to discounted rates when buying tickets for Secrets of the Thames. Tickets will go on sale in February 2025 and will be available via the museum’s website.
For more information about London Museum Docklands and to book tickets to exhibitions, visit www.londonmuseum.org.uk/docklands
