iguana | Reading

A man asked me to take his photo next to some words he’d scrawled on the wall and said it was to send to his kids. I agreed as I hadn't put my gloves on at that point.

He thanked me and I walked on and overheard two people saying they couldn't believe they'd found a gold chain. Obviously I had got there too late!

The tide was coming in so I didn't have a lot of time.

Finds include:

A piece of glass that has gone kind of orange.

Melted medieval maltesers. I’m still unsure what these are really - suggestions on a Facebook group have included: grape shot, grinding media from a ball mill, iron ore.

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

squirmelia

Low tide was early that Sunday, but a little later in Chelsea, so I headed there on the first train out.

I reached the foreshore around sunrise, but the skies were grey and cloudy. Just past Battersea Bridge, on the foreshore, you can see the remains of trees that once grew there, a forest that is now submerged.

I found:

The largest intact bottle I’ve found so far! It’s about 18cm tall.

United Glass Bottle Manufacturers) apparently used the UGB mark from 1913-1968.
The marks on the bottom look like they say:
H781
UGB
S 28

It possibly contained disinfectant.

Another rounded bottom bottle, perhaps from the 1880s?

A piece of glass that says “W & M”

A piece of glass that looks like it says “edon” but I am not sure of the letters before that.

A mysterious white cube object with patterns that has broken off something. Possibly a spaceship.

A handle from something (possibly bone)

A piece of glass from United Dairies.

A marble

Two and a half buttons.

Part of a ginger beer bottle by W&W. Western and Wolland (W&W) were in business in Bermondsey from about 1865 to 1896, making ginger beer and lemonade. As this bottle is stoneware as opposed to glass, it’s likely to be from the earlier period.

I likely walked past the premises where this was made on the day I found this sherd but didn’t realise at the time.

Part of a bottle that says London on it.

The base of a bottle that says:
London the property of Id (letters cut off)
Not to be refilled
Regd no
853390
B&Co

B&Co could be Bagley & Co.

A green bit of a Batey bottle.

Part of a torpedo (hamilton) bottle. It says on it “E&C” and possibly “waters” and “street”. It also says “rior” - Prior? It is dark green and quite thick glass. Thicker than the other bits of torpedo bottle I’ve found.

A Van Den Bergh & Co gin bottle fragment. This would have been from a Dutch gin bottle from around the 1870s.

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

squirmelia

Another dark and wet attempt at mudlarking! At least the tide was going out this time and it wasn't raining to start with.

I don't much like mudlarking in the dark but as I now only have a few months left, it seems like I should do it.

I found a bit more this time:

An ABC sherd - from the Aerated Bread Company.

A piece of a Maling jar, but this is smaller than the usual Maling Newcastle marmalade jars I find and looks like it says “rage” on it. Rage flavour jam, perhaps.

“Trent” - pottery made by Trent Reznor.

A curious piece that has “London” written on it, and some buildings that are either on a scroll or on the back of a swan. I can’t read what the other word says on it as a number is stamped over the top.

A sherd with 033 on it.

A sherd that looks like it says Cox on it.

Mann & Co, Staffs.

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

squirmelia

It was dark and raining and low tide had already passed. I crossed Blackfriars bridge and hesitated about going down to the foreshore. I found just a piece of Staffordshire style combed Slipware before giving up.

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

squirmelia

A lunchtime lark. “Have you found anything?” the tourists asked and I told them I hadn't.

I headed underneath the wharf, further from tourists.

I walked back up the steps and a man asked me what I was looking for and I told him anything, and that I'd found bits of pottery and glass. He sounded disappointed when I said I hadn't found any coins.

Finds including:

A piece of a bottle that is rounded on the end and is quite thick glass. Different design to the usual torpedo bottles, but presumably also designed to be stored on its side. Possibly 1880s? Seems like these ones: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/85594594/1800s-round-bottom-bottle-collection-set?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details

A few pieces of Westerwald salt glazed stoneware.

A sherd that says “FPC” on it, which stands for Fine Pottery Company. This could be from the 1980s. Perhaps it has this kind of print: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4351064965/vintage-fpc-england-stoneware-mugs?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details

A stone with a face.

Half a stone marble? It has a little green leaf pattern on the side and a zig-zag pattern on top.

A glass thing that looks like it has something metal inside it. Not sure what this has broken off of.

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

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

Potential Mutant Boy Cameos

Reading

Mudlarking 85 - Melted maltesers

Mudlarking 84 - submerged forests and a UGB bottle

Mudlarking 83

Mudlarking 82

Mudlarking 81 - Half a leafy marble and a rounded bottle

Profile

July 2023

Most Popular Tags

Expand Cut Tags