Overview
Unearth fascinating objects and stories from London’s past in the UK’s first major exhibition dedicated to mudlarking.
Explore the hidden world of the mudlarks.
Twice a day, the River Thames dramatically recedes to expose a landscape unknown to most Londoners. Among the mud and the stones, the tides reveal remarkable objects from every era of London’s rich past.
The exhibition features over 350 mudlarked objects, from intimate personal items to historical relics, with many on display for the first time. Step into the shoes of a mudlark and explore the foreshore, uncover artefacts and learn how they identify and curate their personal collections.
The journey ends with a space for reflection on the mysteries of the moon and the tides that make mudlarking possible, leaving visitors with a powerful, contemplative memory of their time uncovering the secrets of the Thames.
Blending archaeology with contemporary art and digital experiences, Secrets of the Thames offers fresh perspectives on London and all its people – past and present.
What will you discover?
“Above all, it will be an exploration of love and desire, faith and loss, migration, community and culture”
— Kate Sumnall, Lead Curator
Need to know
The museum is open every day 10am – 5pm. The last entry for Secrets of the Thames is 3.45pm.
If you have some time before or after the exhibition, why not visit our free galleries and get in-depth with Docklands history?
Getting a group together to see the exhibition? Go to our group visits page to find out about our special rates.
The exhibition is made possible through the generosity of our donors:
Helikon Shipping Enterprises Ltd
A legacy gift from Hilary Sims
The Worshipful Company of Needlemakers
The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights
We're also grateful to the Port of London Authority for their extensive collaboration and support in making this exhibition possible.
Tags
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Exhibitions5 must-see highlights from Secrets of the Thames exhibition
Stories of forgery, faith and ancient battles
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ExhibitionsStruck gold: A mother-son mudlarking adventure on the Thames
River reflections of a mudlark over 50 years
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ExhibitionsThe lost Doves Type: A Thames mystery solved
A grumpy printer dumped his masterpiece into the Thames to spite his partner. A hundred years on, mudlarks fished it back up
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Death & DisastersThe Stone Age skull rescued from the River Thames
Found after 5,000 years in the mud
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Behind the scenesForeshore finds from mudlarking on the Thames
A volunteer traces the history of some fascinating 18th-century objects rescued by mudlarks on the shores of the River Thames
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Behind the scenesMudlarks: Rescuing relics from the River Thames
From prehistoric blades to sacred relics, historical artefacts found on the shores of the Thames
