Thames mudlarking permits to be issued again but capped to protect site

Port of London authority to reopen scheme with waiting list, after surge in popularity of exploring riverbank for treasure

Whether fuelled by social media or prompted by the Covid lockdowns, the years between 2019 and 2022 saw a huge surge in interest in mudlarking on the foreshore of the River Thames in London.

The practice of exploring the riverbank for archaeology is permitted only with a permit from the Port of London authority (PLA), which owns much of the shoreline. But so dramatic was the growth in demand for permits - from 200 applications in 2018-19 to more than 5,000 three years later - that the port suspended the scheme in 2022 to protect the integrity and archaeology of the foreshore".