London Museum Docklands is hosting ‘Secrets of the Thames’, the first major exhibition dedicated to mudlarking.
More than 350 mudlarked objects, from personal items to historic relics, will be on display until March 2026.
Mudlarks are history enthusiasts who search for objects washed up by the Thames with the flow of the tide, with some items dating back several centuries.
Visitor experience host at the museum James Stewart explained: “We know there is a general interest in mudlarking from the number of people wanting to acquire a permit.
“That is what inspired our curators to create this exhibition.”
Mudlarking requires a permit issued by the Port of London Authority and must be renewed annually.
Before the pandemic, only around 100 people held one – today, that number has grown to more than 4,000, with an additional 10,000 people on the waiting list.
The Thames has been used not just as a transport route by Londoners, but also as a bin, with centuries of items now buried in its mud.
Stewart adds: “Mudlarks can go down and discover items from a range of time periods, which we can piece together to learn more about London’s everyday past.”
Fran-Joy Sibthorpe, who has been a mudlark for eight years, has several of her finds featured in the exhibition.
She says: “This exhibition is a good idea. They curated it really nicely and it gives the public a great opportunity to learn more about mudlarking, even if they don’t want to be mudlarks themselves.”
Watch the video below to explore the exhibition and learn more about the mudlarks.
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