Mudlarking 38 - Crowds

The opposite of the previous time, the foreshore was too busy for me.

I started off at Cousin Lane Stairs but there were already 4 people at the edge of the river when I got down there, and it felt like there wasn't space for me there too, so I stood there for a few seconds, then left.

I next tried Trig Lane Stairs. There were a few people towards Queenhithe but that looked busy and I'm still not entirely sure where the boundary is of the Ancient Scheduled Monument so I don't want to risk it. There were a few other people on the foreshore too, but I had a few minutes where I mostly just picked up pieces of glass, with the thought that if I collect enough glass, surely one piece would glow under UV? I then concluded maybe I should study pictures of uranium glass first. Time to join another niche Facebook group.

I also picked up a piece of pipe with initials.

A tour group appeared but fortunately I'd already decided to leave even though there was still plenty of time before low tide.

In future I will go to quieter spots.

When I got home, I shone the UV torch at all the pieces, but none glowed, but I also pointed the torch at the piece from before and that did!



(You need a permit to search or mudlark on the Thames foreshore.)

Mudlarking - 39 - Little bottles

A lunchtime mudlarking, opposite what looked like a cruise ship. A few tourists were on the foreshore taking selfies.

I found two small glass bottles - the first was probably used for ink, but it now sadly has a hole in it. The second, perhaps an apothecary bottle of some kind or for essence. It has R 13 on the bottom so might be from Ravenhead.

Both bottles are probably from the early 1900s and are the most intact things I've found so far!

The rusty thing is some kind of hook.







(You need a permit to search or mudlark on the Thames foreshore.)

Mudlarking - 40 - GPO and a doll's bottle

I started off at Blackfriars and then just continued walking towards Waterloo Bridge as the tide was out. The beach I finished at was full of large bits of pottery. At low tide it seems accessible from Ernie’s beach, where sand sculptures were being made. I saw people climbing over the gate at the top of the stairs, as it was locked, outside the National Theatre.

Other people on the foreshore included a group with knee pads digging at the end of the beach at Blackfriars and a group outside the National Theatre litter picking.

My most amusing find is a pottery sherd that says “GPO” on it. I concluded it would have been from the refreshments club at GPO West.. which it turns out was on the same site where the BT Centre was later built, the office where I used to work!

Another fun find was a strange looking doll’s bottle from the 1940s. I had no idea that it was a doll’s bottle, but had noticed it had a trademark and said “Mormit” on it. I found a picture of the doll and the bottle on eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/146731521183

There's also a pottery sherd with BCM on it - British Commercial Monomarks. I can see it says “Ware” so was probably Nelson Ware who used this mark. Nelson Ware was made by Elijah Cotton and the company was in operation from 1880 - 1981.

The piece of glass looks like it might have L and P on it - Lea and Perrins? Or maybe it's a 7 and not an L.

I came across the most wondrous rock, which wasn't really a rock, more just bits of blue slag and bits of shiny rainbow glass all clumped together, but it seemed almost magical.





(You need a permit to search or mudlark on the Thames foreshore.)