Mudlarking. Might be better know as a form of beach combing, but on mudflats. One day, when I was fourteen, I found an Argyle and Sunderland cap badge, which thrilled me to bits. I have found a Frozen Charlotte and cobbler's shoes in my own back garden, butllet casings and down by the estuary, parts of a victorian drill and lego which periodically washes up on our local beaches.though there are less of them now. Recently, I found two plastic dinasaurs and a fiver, all by keeping my eyes peeled (no metal detectoring - really would love one of those). I have also found a few inkwells, an old gin bottle and a pretty Shipham's fish paste jar. Love that kind of stuff.
However, our local estuary isn't resplendent with finds. There are no finds from hidden bottle dumps, more's the pity. The bigges place that attracts mudlarking is the river Thames. You need a permit and there are many who have chennels dedicated on their finds and the history of the place
1. Firm favourite of mine, Nicola White. Dubbed 'The Queen of Pipes because she finds and keeps and amazing array of decorated clay pipes. She is an artist at Tideline Art and she is the first person I saw mudlarking on Youtube.
2. Si Finds - a friendly Londoner and a friend of NW, with a nifty eye for design. Speciality, I beieve is collecting old bottles but also turns his hand to most things - a master of upcycling.
3. Special shout out to Lara Mailem, whose book I read earlier this year. It is one of the most evocative, most interesting book I have read in a long time. I also downloaded it on Audible and just found her use to works exquisite. I definitely recommend reading it - you don't even have to be that interested in beachcombing in the mud.
