Mudlarking 72 - An abandoned island
Dec. 16th, 2025 06:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
squirmeliaThis felt like a proper adventure! I walked across a bridge to Albert Island, near to City Airport. It's mostly abandoned at the moment, but there was recent news that Billingsgate and Smithfield Markets will move there.
I peered into a building with broken windows that contained rusty lock machinery.
Through a fence, I could see a former chapel - Holy Trinity Family Chapel. I could see overgrown carparks, faded signs and closed down buildings.
I continued along the road, not bothering to walk on the pavement as there were no cars, nor people here.
I climbed up a ladder and it took me to a grassy bit above the foreshore, that was covered with brambles. I could see the shipwreck. I walked through the brambles and my leg got prickled. I should have put my wellies on beforehand.
Shipwreck:
I was then in front of a tent and amongst a garden with wood sculptures, so quickly continued down to the foreshore. There was a lot of proper mud on the foreshore, which was too sinking to venture too far out into, but there was a pebbly patch before that so I mudlarked there.
I headed back up the ladder and followed the path until I reached the closed footpath/lock sign and turned around, and then left the island.
I then walked across the Sir Steve Redgrave Bridge and to Old Bargehouse Draw Dock and Causeway. There didn't look to be a sensible way down from the causeway to the foreshore so I continued until I got to Manor Way Draw Dock and found an easy way down. I didn't find much there - a marble, a small plastic bead and a stone. There was also a message from Waldo.
I went back up and walked through Royal Victoria Gardens and then found there was another set of steps down, by North Woolwich railway pier. I didn't spend much time looking here, but I did see someone with a metal detector, searching.
Being close to City Airport, the planes were very close l, so I watched them taking off.
Finds from Albert Island:
1. Blackwood & co patents syphon ink bottle sherd. This would have looked like this one on eBay, apparently circa 1880s: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143669887847 Blackwood & co were based at Bread Street Hill. Bread Street Hill was a continuation of Bread Street, running to Upper Thames Street, but it's no longer there.
2. Cowrie shell. These were used for trade.
3. 63 Lower Thames Street sherd. Macord was an ironmonger but presumably also sold plates. Macord is listed at this location in 1846. Oddly this sherd says 92 on it and looks like it may also say Wedgwood. 1892?
4. Port sherd. This looks familiar, but I can't remember what from. Marmalade?
5. John Laing Training sherd. A friend visited Albert Island the day before and found this sherd, but left it, and then I found it! The company was in operation from 2002 - 2021, so this sherd is very modern. I should probably return it too.
6. J Bourne & son, Denby sherd. J Bourne & Son made bottles, and it may have contained ink. Likely to be from 1860 - 1890.
7. Hotel sherd. But what hotel?
8. A sherd that looks like it says "Of Hen" and "Walw" - Of Henley and Walworth?
9. A Curious face.
10. A blue and white sherd with people on a boat.
I did see a Rabot Estate coffee / Hotel Chocolat mug, but I left it under the rock I found it under.
A few more photos of Albert Island on Flickr: Albert Island.
(You need a permit to search or mudlark on the Thames foreshore.)
I peered into a building with broken windows that contained rusty lock machinery.
Through a fence, I could see a former chapel - Holy Trinity Family Chapel. I could see overgrown carparks, faded signs and closed down buildings.
I continued along the road, not bothering to walk on the pavement as there were no cars, nor people here.
I climbed up a ladder and it took me to a grassy bit above the foreshore, that was covered with brambles. I could see the shipwreck. I walked through the brambles and my leg got prickled. I should have put my wellies on beforehand.
Shipwreck:
I was then in front of a tent and amongst a garden with wood sculptures, so quickly continued down to the foreshore. There was a lot of proper mud on the foreshore, which was too sinking to venture too far out into, but there was a pebbly patch before that so I mudlarked there.
I headed back up the ladder and followed the path until I reached the closed footpath/lock sign and turned around, and then left the island.
I then walked across the Sir Steve Redgrave Bridge and to Old Bargehouse Draw Dock and Causeway. There didn't look to be a sensible way down from the causeway to the foreshore so I continued until I got to Manor Way Draw Dock and found an easy way down. I didn't find much there - a marble, a small plastic bead and a stone. There was also a message from Waldo.
I went back up and walked through Royal Victoria Gardens and then found there was another set of steps down, by North Woolwich railway pier. I didn't spend much time looking here, but I did see someone with a metal detector, searching.
Being close to City Airport, the planes were very close l, so I watched them taking off.
Finds from Albert Island:
1. Blackwood & co patents syphon ink bottle sherd. This would have looked like this one on eBay, apparently circa 1880s: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143669887847 Blackwood & co were based at Bread Street Hill. Bread Street Hill was a continuation of Bread Street, running to Upper Thames Street, but it's no longer there.
2. Cowrie shell. These were used for trade.
3. 63 Lower Thames Street sherd. Macord was an ironmonger but presumably also sold plates. Macord is listed at this location in 1846. Oddly this sherd says 92 on it and looks like it may also say Wedgwood. 1892?
4. Port sherd. This looks familiar, but I can't remember what from. Marmalade?
5. John Laing Training sherd. A friend visited Albert Island the day before and found this sherd, but left it, and then I found it! The company was in operation from 2002 - 2021, so this sherd is very modern. I should probably return it too.
6. J Bourne & son, Denby sherd. J Bourne & Son made bottles, and it may have contained ink. Likely to be from 1860 - 1890.
7. Hotel sherd. But what hotel?
8. A sherd that looks like it says "Of Hen" and "Walw" - Of Henley and Walworth?
9. A Curious face.
10. A blue and white sherd with people on a boat.
I did see a Rabot Estate coffee / Hotel Chocolat mug, but I left it under the rock I found it under.
A few more photos of Albert Island on Flickr: Albert Island.
(You need a permit to search or mudlark on the Thames foreshore.)
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Date: 2025-12-17 01:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-18 08:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-17 08:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-18 08:35 pm (UTC)I still haven't visited Beckton Alps, which is pretty close, so let me know if you do plan to go there, as I'm happy to go back, and perhaps attempt to visit the Alps also!