Thames Discovery Programme

Community Archaeology on London's Foreshore

When the tide is out, the Thames is the longest open-air archaeological site in London, and much of the foreshore is freely accessible.  Many people have found, and continue to collect, interesting finds on the foreshore, but these are usually seen as isolated artifacts. What is often not appreciated is that there are also major archeological sites exposed here, and that some of those finds may actually be eroding out of stratified but disturbed layers.

In the 1990's the Thames Archaeological Survey - the first systematic archaeological study of the foreshore in the Greater London area was carried out. The team recorded:

• wooden piles from a Bronze-Age 'bridge' at Vauxhall;
• Saxon fish traps at Isleworth and Chelsea;
• a medieval masonry wharf in the City;
• Tudor waterfront structures at Richmond and Greenwich;
• the remains of prehistoric forests at Rainham and Erith;
• and watermen's causeways at many sites, including Chiswick and Southwark.

The remains of boats, barges, ships and shipyards were also recorded at many sites from Brentford to Bermondsey, on both banks of the river.

All of these sites are exposed to the daily scour of the tidal Thames which is both exposing them for us to record , and then progressively destroying them. This is where the Thames Discovery Programme (TDP) comes in. It has been set up to increase our understanding of these sites, and to provide informed enjoyment of the historic Thames to the widest possible audience.

The TDP's new Outreach Programme will work with schools, river user-groups and the wider community using targeted teaching, special events and through the development of interpretive material. This work will be co-ordinated by the TDP's Outreach Officer, who is based at the Thames Explorer Trust's headquarters in Corney Reach, Chiswick.

Meanwhile, a team of Community Archaeologists will conduct a high-precision survey of some of the key sites. They will actively encourage public participation in the subsequent monitoring of these threatened sites using trained members of their new Foreshore Record Observation Group (FROG). They will then make regular visits to

the foreshore and use specially-designed templates to record observed changes in the sites, working with a centralised database. This will provide a long-term sustainable future for the monitoring of London's major foreshore sites, providing a firm basis for the continuing enjoyment of the river's historic maritime heritage.

If you would like to get involved in this exciting project please see the website for further information (opens in a new window).