cybik

The skies were grey and it was raining when I headed to the foreshore, with my umbrella up. I headed down the steps at Gabriel’s Wharf and along to outside the National Theatre again and wondered what I was doing out there getting wet.

Things found:
Part of a lightbulb with liquid trapped inside, a vulcanite bottle stopper, a battery, a green bead, most of a pipe with maker’s initials A.R.

Staffordshire blue and white pottery (two pieces) with blue circles and possibly a bird. A pottery sherd with some people on, features almost worn away. Marmalade jar remains. A Panda sticker. An eye. Staffordshire Slipware. A sherd that says EE.

A pottery sherd from the Aerated Bread Company. Founded in 1862, by 1925 they had 250 tea shops. According to Wikipedia, the tea shops were one of the first places Victorian women could go alone.

Happy anniversary to the Thames! Keep on flowing!

I sang to myself on the foreshore. It's amazing to me how you can find a spot alone in central London. I was joined by two other people mudlarking later but enjoyed having the foreshore to myself for a while. When the tide turned, the two other people turned back and I did too.





(You need a permit to search or mudlark on the Thames foreshore.)

I tried to go mudlarking in Battersea previously, but somehow got off the bus on the wrong side of the river and ended up in Chelsea. It was only when I saw Battersea Power Station on the opposite side of the river to me that I realised my mistake. This time though I got off the bus at the correct stop, on the south side of the river.

The set of steps downstream from Battersea Bridge led to slippery mud so I then tried the steps upstream of the bridge. They were slippery with mud but there was a handrail to hold onto and at the bottom of the steps, the foreshore was fine to walk along.

I watched a heron for a while, underneath the bridge.

There were quite a lot of bits of wood on the foreshore and some shells, but not as many as on the other side of the river.

I found another Paw Patrol toy, which at first I thought was a goblet. I found one on Friday as well, so it seemed odd to find another so soon.

I found a Ganesh idol, but left it on the foreshore, along with a pair of pink glasses, and many shoes, including some with little nails holding them together. I later found out that the Salvation Army had a kind of recycling centre near here, so perhaps that is why there were so many shoes.

I found a little pouch with symbols on it which made me wonder if it was for Holy Communion.

I found a different coloured piece of combware, not the usual yellow and brown. I also picked up blue and white sherds with a fragment of a building and of a fence on.

It was quite a miserable day and I got a bit cold and wet, but the foreshore was quiet, which I enjoyed and sang songs to myself as I walked along.

I found another piece of uranium glass! It glows brightly. I have found some other pieces of glass since the first one that glow slightly, but not brightly. I am not sure what they are - cadmium perhaps? I think now I have a better idea of what uranium glass looks like so I’ll be able to find more.

A goose hissed at me.

I found what was probably a Victorian scrubbing brush. It has bristles held together at the back with little bits of wire. There were various factories in the area back then so I wonder if it was used for scrubbing in a factory.

I found a pink eye and wondered about the toy it might have fallen off.

I found a piece of Royal Doulton with a green logo. Apparently that logo was used from approximately 1930 to 1993 so it could actually have been quite modern, although probably wasn't from the 1990s.

I found some bits of pipes with decorations on them. I have quite a few with the initials of makers, but this was the first time I found any that were patterned.

I found a piece of glass which looks to say "energy" on it. Part of a Lucozade bottle, perhaps?

I walked towards Albert Bridge until I reached Ransome's Dock and could go no further.









I headed across Battersea Bridge and noticed this sign:


(You need a permit to search or mudlark on the Thames foreshore.)