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LONDON AUTHORITY IMPOSES MUDLARK PERMIT FEE
In the wake of a London mudlark's discovery in the Thames River of one of the earliest Victoria Crosses ever awarded, authorities are imposing a permit scheme to limit the practice.
-Editor
Previously anyone could look for fragments of the past, ranging from Roman coins to Delftware pottery, provided they did not scrape or dig the surface to retrieve them. Under the clampdown, any form of searching for objects washed up by the tides is prohibited unless the mudlarks hold a permit, which costs £32 for a day or £75 for three years. PLA spokesman Martin Garside said there was “worry within the archaeological community” that amateur treasure seekers were failing to report significant finds. He called the new rules, which stress the potential risks, were “an important clarification” to ensure people take relevant precautions such as checking the tides and wearing sensible footwear and gloves. But the move dismayed some mudlarks — the Victorian name for impoverished children and adults who scavenged the washed up debris for anything to sell. Ted Sandling, whose new book, London In Fragments, details his passion for amateur archaeology, said the new requirements “unfairly penalise casual mudlarkers”. He added: “I started as a weekend mudlark, going down to the river serendipitously when I saw the tide was out. I applied for a permit when I began to take it seriously, after around a decade of doing it once or twice a year. “My path is now being closed off to others.” Flickr follower Stuart Williams writes: £32 for a day's walk along the Thames foreshore is a scam, it's draconian. Anyone going for a walk there will be challenged by the authorities to show their permit. Sounds more like another money grab. When living in London, I often spent a Sunday morning walking along the foreshore picking up interesting potshards, bits of tile and clay pipe ... I was not a mudlarker, more a browser. I was also a regular visitor to the Museum of London. I am interested in many types of collectables but my main passions are coins and badges.
Stuart is now an E-Sylum subscriber. Welcome!
-Editor
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