FOR centuries, people have combed the banks of the Thames, picking through the stony foreshore whenever the tide permits it, searching for treasure. Once, mudlarks were among London’s poorest inhabitants, sifting through piles of washed-up waste in the hope of finding something to sell. Today, London still has a thriving community of mudlarks, but those who roam the riverside are more likely to be archaeologists, history-lovers or people seeking a respite from the bustle of the capital.
One of the river’s more frequent visitors is Lara Maiklem, who has been mud larking for nearly 20 years, exploring the length of the tidal Thames from Teddington right out to the mouth of the estuary. Having grown up on a Surrey dairy farm, Miss Maiklem found herself missing the countryside after she moved to London to begin her career in publishing and started searching for an urban substitute. ‘I was desperately looking for peace and quiet; that’s how I found my way down to the river,’ she explains. ‘It was my own little streak of wilderness running through the heart of the city. In London, you can’t really feel the weather, everything seems blocked and muffled in a funny way. But the river is so wild—it’s another world altogether.’
To begin with, she viewed the foreshore purely as a place of escape, yet, over time, developed an interest in the treasures it harboured. The Thames has been described as England’s longest archaeological site and all manner of objects can be found on its banks at low tide, from prehistoric fossils to modern religious offerings. As London has been populated by humans for millennia, all manner of rare items are lurking in the mud—Roman pottery, gold coins, even human remains, have been thrown, dropped or washed into the Thames.
Denne historien er fra September 16, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra September 16, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery