Tourists have to give up their popular hobby for the time being

On the trail of London’s history are the so-called “Mudlarker”. They are looking for treasure on the Thames. However, no new permits will be issued for this.

Munich/London – As a tourist in London, there will be quite a few sights on the program. For example, the residence of the British monarchy, Big Ben, the London Eye and one or the other also “Mudlarking”. This is the name of a popular hobby that not only tourists pursue. Treasures from the past are sought on the banks of the Thames. But that will soon be over. If you don’t have a permit for it yet, you won’t get one for the time being.

London: Tourists have to do without a popular hobby

Potsherds from the Middle Ages, old pins or roof tiles: the Thames, which flows through the capital of England, is full of real treasures. When the tide goes out, so do the people who dig in the mud. But not everyone can just go to shore and start looking. Approval for mudlarking must first be obtained from the Port of London Authority (PLA).

For the time being, digging is over for the new “Mudlarker”. The Port of London Authority announced in a statement that the ability to apply for new permits had been suspended for the time being. The reason for this is that the “unique historical integrity of the Thames foreland” must be protected. Too many permits have been issued in recent years. The Thames is now suffering from “visitor pressure”, as the PLA announced.

London: Treasures by the Thames – “Mudlarking” is becoming increasingly popular

In 2020, the Port Authority had issued nearly 1400 licenses, such as Deutschlandfunk Nova reported. A full 300 more than in 2019. “There are too many permits in circulation at the moment,” James Trimmer, the Port of London’s planning and development director, told the newspaper Evening Standard. “The historic storehouse of foreshore treasures, rare and mundane, is in danger of simply disappearing. We have also seen a large increase in sales of foreshore finds, which is not allowed,” continued Trimmer.

The license, purchased for the equivalent of around 100 euros, obliges collectors to report finds that could be of particular archaeological interest. Such finds sometimes even make it into a museum. “Mudlarking” is only allowed in certain areas of the foreland.

Archeology on the Thames is threatened by mudlarking

The name “Mudlarking” dates back to the Victorian era. At that time, poorer people and children in particular were looking for treasures on the banks of the Thames in order to then sell them. Nowadays it has become a hobby. “The recent surge in interest is putting the foreland and its archeology at risk,” a spokesman for Historic England said Evening Standard.

The port authority first wants to assess the effects of the suspensions and use the results to determine when new permits can be issued again. People who still have a current permit may continue to engage in mudlarking.

Not on the shore, but under water, three shipwrecks were discovered in the Baltic Sea. Although the wrecks have been under water for several hundred years, the researchers were able to see many details. (vk)