That is awesome! I would love to go and see what I could find!

I want to be a mudlark when i grow up!

Love it! :)

Interesting story....love the mystery of the hunt not knowing what trinket of history will come ashore!

mudlarking! I have a new name for beach-combing ;-) Oh, to amble along an ancient place and find the amusing little things...Well, I do feel so lucky to have the Pacific Ocean at my feet.

Fascinating article! Never knew such a thing as 'mudlarking' existed, and am now planning to get involved. Have a collection of & been interested in found items since childhood when joining my father in the fields for his scientific work & collecting fossils & flints along the way. Then a few years ago the Tate Modern (gallery by the Thames) housed work by Mark Dion 'The Thames Dig' http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/artnow/markdion/default.shtm including a huge cabinet full of collected items found in the Thames when "looking for fragments of individual and ephemeral histories". I remember viewing a wonderful poem that survived the river & it inspired me to start writing poetry of my own :) Thanks for sharing!

Really interesting!

It's like urban beachcombing! I love this!

to all of the vintage sellers, don't you often feel like a mudlarker at an estate sale? The Thames seems like a much more engaging venue though.

Way cool! Think I prefer being a mudlarker at an estate sale. No rats.

Would love to go try for myself I have always found it interesting how this discarded trash becomes collectable trinkets and a window into the past.

the perfect treasure hunt!

Oh mighty wind lift me and carry me to that shore. I comb the deserts of Nevada, finding also. Sandy jewels left by Paiute and settlers.

i love all of the porcelain and ceramic bits. interesting to see the commen materials used by a society at different times in history.

How I would love to do this! Now this is my idea of a fun vacation. I's be in heaven.!

This is so interesting! I would love to go mudlarking! One of my favorite things, that I look forward to each summer, is combing the beach for sea glass and other found items! If I were a Londoner, this would be a favorite pastime for sure!

This is a great article. What a fun read. As someone who loves history and vintage items, I wish I could join their club. The health risks are a bit scary, though!

That is awesome- this event never even crossed my mind. Wow, I am so putting this on my "bucket" list. Thank you for this little tid bit.

Finding things at the beach is one of my favorite things to do. I can't wait to try it out in London!

What a tempting thing to do if I were there...

Wonderful article! I recall searching for pottery shards and arrowheads when I was a child, never truly realizing the significance of it at the time, but the memory of it lives on. It is amazing to find old if not ancient pieces of our past. Thanks for bringing back memories, even if from a different time and place, the amazement and trill is the same. :)

I am an archaeologist who has worked on the Thames foreshore. Great to see this article - thanks. Mark Dion's work on the Thames foreshore and other places - his Venice project is also intriguing - is a must for those interested in mudlarking, collecting and ephemera.

love it! :)

Cool article! I wish I could join in.

I wish the "windlarking" my family and I do produced any treasures. Sometimes we find cell phone guts, but usually after a windy day in the city, all that we find are empty chip bags from corner store excursions. We still call our trash pickups 'treasure hunts', for the kids' sake.

Oh how wonderful that must be ! I would so LOVE to be a mudlark too --but we're on the West Coast of Canada & it isn't very old over here :P I get excited finding broken china bits from the 1950's, would probably go happily insane walking the Thames lol :D What a lovely day that would be, finding ancient wee treasure bits & then popping off somewhere for a ploughmans lunch, sigh....

Oh my god, I am SO a mudlark at heart! That sounds like GREAT fun, thanks! Heidi

I first heard about «mudlarking» on my very first trip to London several years ago. Perhaps, the next time I visit London, I'll give this a shot.

I'm a Londoner, so I love this! It's great sneaking down to the foreshore when the tide is low, it's like London's seaside and a lot cleaner these days than it used to be.

My father-in-law has a collection of arrowheads, fossils, farm implements and debris that he has found on his farm, which has been in the family for a couple of generations. When you see it all laid out as a collection, it is mesmerizing. I would love to be a mudlark!

I love treasure hunting on the beach. The Thames would be fabulous! I'd like to see the exhibit.

I never knew you would be able to find this many items - it is fascinating really...might have to give this a go next time I am down south.

I love this story and I am amazed at such wonderful treasures there are to be found...

Nothing excites me more than treasure hunting. I'm definitely a mudlarker...

Interesting article, its amazing what you can find digging up your back garden too. In days gone by people didnt really have bins they just used to thrown rubbish out their back door, we often find old things in amongst the dirt.

Very interesting! I will take my kids to have a go .

London - one of my favorite cities in the world! Love everything about it, even the crowded streets at Christmas time. The city is so close to my heart; I have never felt so at home as here. Yet I have never heard about mularking. Sorry! I guess that will be something new to do when I go back... maybe. With so much else to see and do, that might never come up on my list. Thank you for the article!

great story!

great story!

That sounds like fun- a bit of a dangerous edge to it would add that thrilling element. I found a Victorian clay pipe in my back garden when I was little and that was incredibly exciting- so I can definitey see the appeal! Might have to go and join a mudlarker for a day!

How absolutely wonderful!! Hope someone picks a up a marvelous treasure today!

sounds like a fun days past-time!

I would love to do that!! I love history and this is right up my alley!

I remember London too---Hyde park had the most friendly squirrels-Buckingham Palace was huge--Big Ben had such a low beautiful sound--and the English Breakfasts and daily tea were out of this world!!!! Lovely pictures!

It's like a specialised form of archaeology! Anyone else now tempted to go and buy a pair of wellies? XD

Mudlarking. Hmmm. . . . Feels like that's what I do when I shop on Etsy.com, looking for various kinds of unexpected treasures.

I was born and raised in London, and I love the city so much, even if it looks grey and a bit tattered. The Kinks song ,Waterloo sunset, always evokes a soothing haunting feeling in me. It may be busy with traffic and people, but go there early on a Sunday morning when all the church bells are ringing, and you have the pavements to yourself... then... you will feel the soul that she has. I bought a 14thc brass bell that was worn round the neck on a leather collar by the lead sheep, when taking the herd to market. It was found just by Blackfriars bridge in the mud of the Thames, and I have had it for over twenty years now. The chap I bought it from found a large Gold cross there as well. I think even he thought he was remarkably lucky to have found that. There are always things to be found, as each tide washes up history. I wish I could be there every weekend....fabulous. !!

This sounds like the coolest thing to do! If I was there, I would be doing that! It is a pity the big Fraser River where I live does not go down like that! Good luck to the treasure hunters!

I want to play!

very cool piece. tx!

there really is something about the Thames.... so right

I think it should be noted that only licenced mudlarks are allowed to remove items from the thames shore. this is because of the large ammout of archaeology on the shore! removing items without a licence is breaking the law....

I think it should be noted that only licenced mudlarks are allowed to remove items from the thames shore. this is because of the large ammout of archaeology on the shore! removing items without a licence is breaking the law....

Cool story, thanks for sharing!

Love it! I couldn't imagine the opportunity to dig around the shores of the Thames, I enjoy going to lakes to do the same thing. It's a pirate's heart - the optimism to search for treasures unknown. :P

what a cool and intriguing piece...thanks for sharing!

Thanks for introducing me to mudlarking.

Thank you so much for introducing me to this! It sort of sounds like looking for lake and beach glass, so I have now added this activity to the top of my bucket list!

For many Americans, it is hard to digest the ancient history that comes with European soil. I lived in London 30 years ago and you almost hear history whispering to you as you walk down the alleys and lanes. The tangible samples of life stuck in the mud of the Thames gives those whispers a voice.

interesting!

Interesting how you can find history!

I love looking for seashells even as an adult its just meditative in a way and finding bits of history would be even more fun. Next time I visit London I want to go mudlarking!

I love this article! Very interesting! Can't wait to give it a try when I travel to England!

Glad I read this. I am definitely curious about doing this now!

Awesome! The promise of buried treasure makes my heart race!

I think this bears repeating, or perhaps can be added to the article. There are several sites out there with information on how to get a permit.: WinchesterSupplies says: I think it should be noted that only licenced mudlarks are allowed to remove items from the thames shore. this is because of the large ammout of archaeology on the shore! removing items without a licence is breaking the law....

That is amazing. We just don't have that history and whimsy here in Australia- we have such a lack of connection to our land. I'm a little jealous and may attempt to do this when I travel to London!

This is a wonderful article! Having been working in British art history research lately, this is quite the 'find'! Thanks for sharing!

Brydgette: me too!

Interesting.

I too, thoroughly understand the lure....... I cant go to any body of water without combing for sharks teeth, shells, rocks, glass, rope, whatever...

my kind of vacation activity.

I lived in London for quiet a few years but never heard about this. Bummer! I would have got my wellies out and joined the team. I wonder what they will find in 100years from our time?

Great story!

That's a wonderful past time. So much fun!

When is the next flight to London? Mudlarking sounds like so much fun.

I love London and mudlarking! After discovering it about a year ago I've since been to London as part of a larger trip, but I did spend about 4 hours pottering around on the shore under millenium bridge. It is truly astounding to see the amount of fragments there, you can actually hear the clay pipe stems and china shards clink against the rocks by the water's edge. As far as I was informed, anyone can go and beachcomb there but if you want to dig or metal detect, then you need a permit. On my afternoon I came away with a sweet little handful of finds- I expected to be lucky to get something, but within 5 minutes of looking I was able to be fussy about what I kept, and that was after 15 school kids had ambled through! The best place online to look is thamesandfield- their website is astounding and they have all the info anyone could need. (Be prepared to be blinded by their green background though!)

Beg my pardon, it does seem now that you need a permit for all kinds. Must've changed since I last asked, or I was just as illegal as the school group ahead of me!

sounds good ! Mudlarking is famous visit place, thames is so beautiful river which increase more attraction for Mudlarking NutraSlim Acai

how cool is that!!! brilliant idea=)

Mudlarking is a thing now! I remember pottering around in college under the hammersmith bridge in the mud! Good times!

So inspriring to see so many mudlarkers!! Did this with my kids near Boston while living on a cove in the mud, always found something fun! Now have a great collection of old bottles, etc.

I used to live there and volunteered in a couple of cleanups. It would be nice if there were as many relics as there are tyres, traffic cones and shopping trolleys. That said, that was down the river a bit near Woolwich. And we did go mudlarking ourselves, and found a few cool things :)

I live on an Island in the Thames estuary and we get the champagne corks from upriver on our beach :-) We have great seafinds here as well . I guess im a beachpark :-) Great article !

that's fantastic... i heard about mudlarks in Victorian days but I had no idea people still did it... I feel an urge to slap on my wellies and go for a trip!

The Thames is lovely at low tide - the foreshore is full of people cleaning up rubbish, looking around, or doing some archaeology with the Thames Discovery Programme (http://www.thamesdiscovery.org/) I recently found a Palaeolithic flint flake while scrubbing up some mysterious stone slabs with some archaeology volunteers... it's now with the TDP, I didn't get to keep it ;)

I used to live in London and work at the Tate Britain - I remember walking to work from Vauxhall across the river seeing people collecting and looking for things when the tide was low, wishing I could bunk off and join them! Great article, thank you. Now I want to do a Mudlark illustration

Brings back memories

So interesting!

I saw this a litte while ago on the Antiques Roadshow, if i lived near London i would LOVE to get involved in Mudlarking! so fascinating!

I love that you have to be certified to be a mudlarker!

Wow! This is even better than beachcombing! It's like Indiana Jones-style beach combing...but with digging and getting dirty. Fabulous!!! :o) If I ever get to England....

super cool!

What a great article. It's so romantic to think of these found everyday items' owners and how they might have lost them. It's nice to know that, in some cases, you don't have to go to school to be an archeologist!

When I was moored at South Dock, right across from Canary Wharf, I found a little low tide beach made almost entirely of old pig bones. They seemed old indeed, dark brown with age and their broken bits smoothed like driftwood. For Christmas, I made my brother-in-law a necklace of these rather large pig bones, looked like a cannibal's gear.

Great article!

That sounds like something I'd like to do :0)

Fantastic! I'd love to have a go at this. I've just spent 4 years field walking the whole of our Parish with an archaeological group. We found 53,000 items just lying on the surface dating back 200,000 years. Incredible what can be found.

Very cool article, great read!

I was born and grew up in London. Me and my brother used to get the bus from Wandsworth and go down to the Thames at Putney Bridge on a sunday morning and look for things in the mud. I think he found a couple of coins maybe. Surprised we didn't sink in the mud..

Living in the Cotswolds, I know of the "mud larks", and will keep a beady eye out on the little stream running through my garden, love your tales x♥

There's a related TV series about this - Mudmen, featuring Steve Brooker a licensed mudlark. I've seen it on the History channel. Might be worth seeing if it's available in your area for those interested?

Really interesting!

Wonderful

O' to be a mudlark :) I love nothing more than hunting for long lost treasure!

Great article. When I was younger I used to go 'bottle digging' with my parents - it was so exciting unearthing these long forgotten pieces of history. I'd love to go mudlarking!

cool!

wow, that's so interesting! happy me - now I live in London :) Will definitely give it a shot!

My studio at Creekside Artists is right next to Deptford Creek, where it runs into the Thames. Our neighbours at the Creekside Centre run low-tide creek walks - if you're based in South East London check out the events page at http://www.creeksidecentre.org.uk/

Oh super neato, how cool! I would love to try a hand at mudlarking along the Thames. When we were there 2 years ago, I fell instantly in love with this river, it's sound, tides and slightly briny scent, all of the history just flowing through.... So wonderful!

Fascinating article. I love beachcombing and searching next to the little river near our house - we are always turning up bits of old pots and curious items :)

My husband has the bat mobile car form his childhood collection!

Nice collection.

It's amazing to me how many people are ready to crawl out of city life and their cubicles just at a chance for a little shard of something. I bet some people even have planned in their head how that would display or use pieces found even before they know what they look like. Some of those same people still will never make it to London and yet they dream. I think the artists mind is a truly beautiful thing. I think we all are mudlarkers in our art No matter the medium. This in itself makes this world a better place one shard at a time.

I'm lucky enough to live in a very rural area with some history of it's own... part of my garden was the midden for the Manor Farm for probably several hundred years at least. In places, when digging a hole for planting almost every "stone" in the soil is a potsherd! I have literally bucketfuls of fabulous broken pottery and some glass that I've made into beautiful mosaic items, mostly for the outdoors. I love the idea that the original items spent their full "working" life right here, & now they're no longer useful they're spending their "retirement" beautifying exactly the same surroundings... it's also really awesome to be able to make something beautiful from something you dig out of the dirt in your own garden! :-)

"Mudlarking" is MY kind of "birding"...Love it! Would love to explore on the Thames! Thanks for sharing your passion.

Sigh used to work,live here. yep drank champagne on this low tides too:)

nOthing liKe a gOoD trEaSuRe huNT!

Think of any old port and you start to wonder what might be along low tide. I have found clay pipes, a sixpence and bits of bottles on one trawl by a cornish river....exciting!

Fascinating article - I've found clay pipes and old bottles buried in my garden, but would love to go mudlarking on the Thames!

Or, if you're not that close to the Thames and don't fancy digging through modern rubbish (generally smelly & unclean) - if you live in a house that dates to pre-1910 in the UK, just go have a bit of a dig at the end of the garden - once you've cleared your way through the sad remains of mattress springs & old cookers & boilers - you'll find similar stuff: stoneware marmalade pots, lead soldiers/farm animals, remnants of plates & glassware. It's got something to do with when local authorities started having binmen for everyone. Over the years we've lived in houses dating from 1500s to early 1900s and it's amazing what turns up when you're gardening. Another good place is on the coast near previously manufacturing areas - like Sunderland for sea glass etc - as they just used to tip the broken glass in the sea, decades later - gorgeous seaglass. Or old china factory 'waste' hills.

On a recent visit to London we walked on the Thames shore from London Bridge (down 'Nancy's steps' - from Oliver Twist) and there were a few people 'Mudlarking'. It was fascinating to see what they'd collected. I live by the sea shore and find lots of sea glass and bits of china. I have made lots of sea glass jewellery in the past but haven't for a while so I have a fair amount of it now. I must get it out and get making again!

I love to find things, anything! I've been really into foraging for food, but there is something satisfying about the idea of foraging for history and lost stories. Have fun out there Mudlarkers!

as a hunter of seaglass, this sounds wonderful. the hunt is as much fun as discovering the treasures!! if i'm ever in london i hope to give mudlarking a try.

Love seeing stuff like this, such a window to the past!

Sounds like a lot of fun and educational too!

What a great post! I've read about the mudlarks of old times for years & it was a treat to see some of the historical things that have been found.

I want to go mudlarking!

I want to go mudlarking!

Man, at least they have really old stuff there. Here in California, the oldest thing you find on the beach is a marshmallow peep!

The London Mayor, Boris Johnson, is also a keen mudlarker! It goes to show that no matter how lofty and progressive our paths become, we're attracted right back to the water, a constantly flowing reminder of our path from past to future.

I've been mudlarking along the Thames since I was a kid with my parents, it's nice to read about one of ky favourite hobbies,one of London free activities. it's one of the ways to find some quiet away from the city. never had any problems with diseased rats and I've fallen in the Thames a few times canoeing by the southbank, though viles disease is a risk like with many rivers.

I would love to have a go, fascinating article!

Sounds like a perfect way to spend a day! I've always loved beachcombing, and just recently I was lucky enough to get an allotment and now my pockets are always full of various pottery finds...

I'd love to have done that when I was younger - you'd need some very long wellies and elastic bands around your sleeves! It's not sand, it's mud and it's full of nasty things! Be careful out there....!

I found some coconuts on the beach near Tower Bridge the other day. Cracked them open and very tempted to drink the milk but thought better of it. Some amazing stuff to be found down there.

Makes me want to go back to London Town!

I want to go to London，I want to see the old London

Love London for this! x

I just love the secret parts of London, those alleyways and areas hidden from the main. When you visit, look past the tourist traps and find the real city. I beachcomb at least once a week...and you find all kinds of flotsom and jetsom...but my best finds have been in my garden...old glass bottles and jars, various clay pipes from all eras, plus broken pottery...all manner of someones personal treasure.

Great article for spotlighting Mudlarking. I grew up in Greenwich, which is shown in the photo and the river and maritime history is imbedded in my childhood. I have been by the river many times but never realised this was going on and now i understand the people I would see from time to time, on the muddy banks of the river. This is a new appreciation. Thank you.

I was born and raised in North London and have never read about this before. Very interesting!

This is excellent! I'll be moving back to London later this summer and look forward to getting a pair of wellies and finding whatever objects and curiosities that the Thames may share. Thank you for this ace article.

when i was in england years ago i loved finding bits of broken china along the shore as opposed to in the US finding sea glass.

During my last trip to London, I saw people walking along the shores with their heads down, looking for stuff. But I never knew there was a name for them and that they even have a society. Fascinating! Thank you for an interesting article ;)

Hi everyone, Before you all get very excited about mudlarking, in true British style, you do I believe need a licence! Not sure who issues them but I don't think there is too much of a problem getting one. Check it out before you go digging up the river bank! Best wishes and I hope you find lots of interest. But you do have to report your finds!!

Well said. For all things vintage, the everyday connections to our shared past, isn't that one of the reasons we all love Etsy! Enjoyed reading this.

Great article! Mudlarking is great fun :) I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet, but The River Thames has a twitter account- which lets you know what the tide's doing :) http://twitter.com/#!/Riverthames

Check out the Museum of London website for an amazing wealth of information on the tobacco clay pipes made from the end of the 16th century.http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/claypipes/pages/marks.asp You often see pieces of them on the banks of the Thames. You dont often find bowls or parts of bowls but its amazing the variety that were made back in their heyday...

Sounds like fun! I remember I saw a exhibition at the Tate a number of years ago that collated a lot of stuff found at low tide. I'm going to have to go and have a go near me. Now, where are my wellies!

Yesterday I have seen a bus stop sign sticking out on muddy shore :-) Someone must have a great sense of humor ;-) To be honest it would make a cool photo

I lived in an old house that dated back to the middle of the 1700's and I was able to be a mudlark in my own back garden, mostly old shards of china, rusty old nails and bits of slate but I did find a lead soldier which sits on my side now.

How lovely!! would love to have a little go at mudlarking! :)

Now this is a great story.

Its great fun - my sister live on the river near the globe theatre and this is the best place to go , you can find lots of bits of old smoking pipes withing minute - great fun kids love it as it hands on history

Wonderful! I want to do it!!!

Great story and would love to do this~ thanks :)

Sounds very interesting- would love to do this

I have the exact same little porcelain face as in the middle of the collection shown above! I found mine whilst digging up a garden in Cornwall. I keep it in an old printer's tray on my wall with all my other little interesting finds.

That looks like it would be so much fun!

Sounds great ! love the finds.

I think Jacob, my Dutch mudwalker, would be very keen to explore the river beds! http://www.etsy.com/listing/79163907/jacob-the-mudwalker

Brilliant! Would love to join in!

Sounds fun!

I've walked down along the Thames many time and have found everything from a cool old cigar holder to gross condoms to bits of pottery and even a lost necklace charm.

hi, Somehwere in your local town or village there will be a 'dump' Somewhere that in years gone by, all the dross of life would have been thrown out, pots, cups glassware, etc; sometimes it is down a river bank or a quarry. If you're lucky enough to live in a Victorian aged town or village,...there'll be dump.!! Happy hunting.

Only just read this! We love going down to the stretch near the 02 centre just next to a eco centre. My boys love finding 'treasure' and huge lumps of chalk to take home and draw with.

We went down and explored the beaches last year - there's such an immediate connection to the history of London. There were thousands of oyster shells, animal bones, horses teeth, blue and white china shards, a teapot spout, iron nails, and one very old and waterlogged harmonica! I also found a very pretty amber bead, so I was happy :)

I always try to go and have a walk on the riverbank when i'm in Central London. Most people don't think this is even allowed! Even if you don't find anything that looks immediately interesting or has a history, your walking on the layers of bricks, stone and wood from the thousands of years of buildings past & ancient jetties. In the 1930's people used to spend the day (or part of the day so they didn't get washed away by the rising tides) having a day out on the riverbanks just like you would at the beach, donkey rides and all! On a fair Bank Holiday, even up to 50,000 people, most the working classes of London. Sand was imported and although this has all but gone, a little extra is added at Southbank, where there is a yearly 'Reclaim The Beach' party.

I would love to be a mudlarker, love looking at all those pieces of history. Nice article

I used to be a mudlarker when I lived in London searching for interesting ceramic, glass and stone pieces mostly to incorporate into my jewellery designs.....you can find some specific jewellery designs in my store here made from some Thames Valley Glass & Ceramic like 'Thames China Glass' 'Yellow Sea' and 'Heavenly Skies'. Real chunky finds. I've also mudlarked or sandlarked in rivers & oceans in Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, Bali, Thailand, Kauai and incorporated many of these treasures into designs too. I think there's a special energy that can be felt from the land of each place that's inherant in the finds as well. Love the name mudlarker!!

Although if it is an archeological find, I think there are laws around that, you have to give to the museums. I don't think my finds were of any archeological interest though!

I want to try this immediately!

I actually saw some people last week searching in the river, I won't do it myself but would love to see what they find.

I don't live near the Thames or any river that has a low enough tide, but any time I'm at the beach I am always watching for interesting objects and pebbles and shells. It is so interesting and because I'm in Northern Ireland, if I'm up at the west coast you may even finds so things from America have drifted over so it's very interesting and certainly intriguing.

wish I lived nearer the Thames! This is captivating, whenever I am on the beach my head it fixed to the stones, looking for treasures and I even dream about it! Was it the Joan Aitken book 'Midnight is a Place' where the boy meets mudlarks....always intrigued me. Does make you wonder what 'treasures' future generations will find, just bits of plastic bags and wrappers?

Pop into the Museum of London Docklands at West India Quay to see the 'Mudlarks' gallery with your kids and get them interested. They have 'finds', hands-on activities, events and much more. Add in coffee and cake and it's the perfect way to start or finish a day's family Mudlarking. Cool Pirates exhibition on at the moment too. Check it out at http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk

What a charming bit of info!

being muddy never sounded so interesting! next time I'm in England, I'll definitely visit Thames

The true mudlarks (as in the ones in Portsmouth docks etc) used to dive for pennies thrown into the filthy mud by the rich and bring them back up in their teeth. Ew!

I have friends in London who do this. I keep saying on my next visit to see them I also intend to adorn my wellies and go-a-searching. That possible connection to our ancestors is potentially sooooo exciting!!

We use archeological finds in our work- (the pieces we use are not classified as treasure as they are not gold or silver)- they definetly have an energy all of their own and I find people are often drawn very strongly to a particular artefact... I am yet to don wellies and go mudlarkiing though

loved this article. I've seen the British TV programme about it: Mud Men, I think it's called. This takes beach combing to a whole other level.

that is what I call treasure hunting. How cool, to be able to find such decent goods washed up and buried amongst the shore line. Kristen http://bodyofyoga.wordpress.com/

Thanks for letting us all know about this! The photo is really surreal- thought it was a photo shop job when I first saw it. Happy gathering and defo wear a few layers of latex gloves!! x

Great article ! I have taken my children since they were 5 or 6 years old, along the banks of the Missisinewa and Salamonie reservoirs, when the winter water levels are low. I called it 'Savenger hunting' and every year we find all kinds of items, even fossils and rocks of value. I dont tell everyone though, as the banks can become raked over by hunters. This is a great time for outdoors people and good excercise hiking. Thank you, Tim Wentz

I go to King's College London, which is right next door to Summerset House. Everyday I look out across The Thames and wish I could be down there on the banks! This is soo kool, but I thought it was illegal to be down on them so never been!

Really interesting!