Mudlarking on the Thames Film Project
Year 6, St. Francis of Assisi Primary School in Notting Hill have been learning about mudlarking on the River Thames. In the past, mudlarks collected London's waste to sell for survival. Today, mudlarks reveal the secrets of London's past by collecting the rubbish discarded by the people who once lived in our city before us.
Working with Westminster Archives and RBKC Archives and Local Studies the children learnt about the history of mudlarking, developed questions to ask mudlarkers, visited the Secrets of the Thames exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands and interviewed three mudlarkers and the museum exhibition's curator. They then visited the foreshore with Thames Explorer Trust and some seasoned mudlarkers.
This film is the result of their interviews and visits.
Two classroom workbooks have also been developed around the project and are available for download from this page.
We are grateful to Cory for financially supporting this project.
This booklet was designed as an introduction for KS2 children in Years 5/6. It explains the importance of the River Thames and Docklands to the development of London and an initial introduction to mudlarking. From its Victorian origins as a means of survival to a 21st century hobby for budding amateur Archaeologists.
This booklet designed for KS2 children in Y5/6 explains how mudlarked objects such as bottles, buttons, badges and coins can be used to tell the story of London. Pupils are asked to base their research around the Five Ws: Who? What? Where? When and Why? A range of objects linked to the history of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea allows pupils to make informed guesses about their artefact before using the booklet to research its story.
