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Homeless hobbies: No. 2 - Mudlarking

May 21 2009
Get down to the foreshore for a bit of scavenging In the 19th Century, urchins used to collect anything of value from the Thames foreshore exposed at low water, and earned the nickname 'mudlarks' for their trouble. Nowadays people walk the foreshore out of interest and the chance of finding a piece of treasure. Granted, you are more like to find a discarded condom than a gold torque, but the river holds many secrets and is easily accessible. The South Bank has many steps, but in the summer it gets picked clean by hordes of school children, so better to travel further up- or downstream from tourist traps. It's also best to use winter months when you'll have less competition and the river will be in spate. Check the tides beforehand and your access to the steps (more than one mudlark has joined the archaeological record they sought to plunder), and have a friend on shore to watch out for you. If you find anything of historical or financial value, ask the Museum of London for advice.
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