Thames Discovery Programme
Encyclopedia
The Thames Discovery Programme is a community archaeology
project, focusing on the archaeology of the River Thames on the Tideway
. The Thames Discovery Programme (TDP) was launched in October 2008 and the project is supported by the National Lottery
and a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund
. The project is designed to communicate an understanding and informed enjoyment of the historic Thames to the widest possible audience, and to train and support members of the public (the Foreshore Recording and Observation Group or FROG) to monitor and record the archaeology
of the foreshore during the lifetime of the project, and into the future.
The TDP currently has a small staff team and is managed by the Thames Estuary Partnership at the UCL Environment Institute. Other partners include the Thames Explorer Trust, the Museum of London
, the Port of London Authority
, English Heritage
, and the University College London
Institute of Archaeology
.
is out, the Thames is the longest open – air archaeological site in London, and much of the foreshore is freely accessible to the public. However, many of the exposed archaeological sites are often unrecognised and unprotected, and almost all are vulnerable to the twice – daily scouring of the tidal river, and thus require close monitoring. The project builds on initiatives pioneered by the Museum of London’s Thames Archaeological Survey that took place from 1993–1999, the work of commercial archaeological units, such as Museum of London Archaeology
and the Thames Explorer Trust’s innovative education projects. Over three years, archaeologists from the programme are surveying 20 archaeological sites along the tidal Thames in the Greater London area. This is supported by the work of the Foreshore Recording and Observation Group (FROG), who monitor the surveyed sites for changes, as the daily tides scour away the remaining archaeological features. The FROG is made up of volunteer members of the public, who are trained in foreshore recording techniques, health and safety and participation in digital media by the TDP team.
area for further recording and on-going monitoring. The first site chosen was Custom House, London
; in February 2009, FROG members recorded the causeway, parts of the 1819 riverside wall, the Custom House gridiron
, the remains of two vessels
partly buried on the foreshore and a multi-phase revetment
structure located under Billingsgate
Wharf.
In April 2009, an examination of access to the foreshore at Isleworth
included recording the 20th century boat slipway
and the remains of the Victorian ‘Church Ferry’ causeway
.
During low tides in June and July 2009, survey and recording at Charlton, London
, formerly the location of Castle’s Shipbreakers Yard focused on the ‘stack’ of very large ships timbers surviving at the top of the foreshore which represent the remains of one or more warship
class vessels. Nautical remains are very well represented at this site where, in addition to the ‘stack’, we have also discovered a slipway constructed of reused ship and boat timbers, as well as the remains of at least three smaller vessels. During the 2009 Summer Season, teams worked at Alderman Stairs (near St Katharine Docks
), Putney
and Bermondsey
. In November 2009, the first FROG-led project at Carrara Wharf in Fulham
recorded part of the 1729 bridge to Putney
, while a TDP survey earlier in the year on the foreshore in front of Fulham Palace
found Iron Age
timber piles.
During January 2010, investigations on the Isle of Dogs
with the Thames and Field Metal Detecting Society discovered the remains of a human skeleton, dating to the early 18th century.
During the 2010 Summer Season, work continued on the Isle of Dogs
, recording the remains of the slipways used during the launch of the SS Great Eastern
, the last project of engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel
. In July 2010, the TDP team and the FROG worked on the foreshore at the Tower of London
, undertaking survey and recording of an area normally closed to the public. Sections of the riverside wall were recorded and data collected to create a contour survey of the foreshore surface. The team also worked with members of the Society of Thames Mudlarks and the Portable Antiquities Scheme
to record artefacts found on the surface. The TDP field team then moved to Greenwich
where the riverside wall was again examined, together with parts of a Tudor timber jetty and a newly discovered medieval structure. The project also featured on the BBC's Digging for Britain
. During late August 2010, work was undertaken at two sites in West London, while in September, fieldwork was undertaken at Tripcockness near the Royal Arsenal
and Rotherhithe
.
In January 2011, the project published the results of recent investigations at Vauxhall, where the remains of the oldest structure so far discovered in the London area, dating to the late Mesolithic period, have been recorded by the Thames Discovery Programme, English Heritage and the Museum of London.
The TDP website
won the award for the best representation of archaeology in the media at the 2010 British Archaeological Awards and in February 2011, the project was one of five from across Britain nominated by Current Archaeology
as Best Research Project of 2011.
The Thames Discovery Programme runs a programme of events and activities designed to engage the public with the archaeology and history of the river. Outreach activities undertaken by the project including public lectures, small exhibitions, information stands, guided walks on the foreshore, observation of the FROG members in action on site and events for families and school groups. In 2009 the Thames Discovery Programme worked with a number of different organisations including Fulham Palace, Historic Royal Palaces, Gunnersbury Park Museum, Camden Young Archaeologists Club, the University of East London, Thames Explorer Trust, Thames Estuary Partnership, the London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre, the Worshipful Company of Antiquarian Collectors, the Museum of London and Museum in Docklands
. In 2010, the team have worked with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
at Rainham Marshes and Discover Greenwich.
The project also features in the new Archaeology in Action gallery at the Museum of London
. Thousands of members of the public have visited the foreshore and attended other events, particularly during the two-week Festival of British Archaeology coordinated by the Council for British Archaeology
in July each year. In July 2009, the Thames Discovery Programme celebrated the Festival at Fulham Palace and on the foreshore and in 2010 the team were at the Tower of London
, Hall Place
and the Museum of London.
Community archaeology
Community archaeology is archaeology by the people for the people. The field is also known as public archaeology. There is debate about whether the terms are interchangeable; some believe that community archaeology is but one form of public archaeology, which can include many other modes of...
project, focusing on the archaeology of the River Thames on the Tideway
Tideway
The Tideway is a name given to the part of the River Thames in England that is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock and is just under long...
. The Thames Discovery Programme (TDP) was launched in October 2008 and the project is supported by the National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
and a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
. The project is designed to communicate an understanding and informed enjoyment of the historic Thames to the widest possible audience, and to train and support members of the public (the Foreshore Recording and Observation Group or FROG) to monitor and record the archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
of the foreshore during the lifetime of the project, and into the future.
The TDP currently has a small staff team and is managed by the Thames Estuary Partnership at the UCL Environment Institute. Other partners include the Thames Explorer Trust, the Museum of London
Museum of London
The Museum of London documents the history of London from the Prehistoric to the present day. The museum is located close to the Barbican Centre, as part of the striking Barbican complex of buildings created in the 1960s and 70s as an innovative approach to re-development within a bomb damaged...
, the Port of London Authority
Port of London Authority
The Port of London Authority is a self-funding public trust established in 1908 by the Port of London Act to govern the Port of London. Its responsibility extends over the Tideway of the River Thames and the authority is responsible for the public right of navigation and for conservancy of the...
, English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
, and the University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
Institute of Archaeology
Institute of Archaeology
The UCL Institute of Archaeology is an academic department of the Social & Historical Sciences Faculty of University College London , England. It is one of the largest departments of archaeology in the world, with over 80 members of academic staff and 500 students...
.
Description
When the tideTide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
is out, the Thames is the longest open – air archaeological site in London, and much of the foreshore is freely accessible to the public. However, many of the exposed archaeological sites are often unrecognised and unprotected, and almost all are vulnerable to the twice – daily scouring of the tidal river, and thus require close monitoring. The project builds on initiatives pioneered by the Museum of London’s Thames Archaeological Survey that took place from 1993–1999, the work of commercial archaeological units, such as Museum of London Archaeology
Museum of London Archaeology Service
Museum of London Archaeology is a Registered Archaeological Organisation with the Institute of Field Archaeologists and is a self-financing part of the Museum of London Group, providing a wide range of professional archaeological services to clients in London, SE England, the UK and...
and the Thames Explorer Trust’s innovative education projects. Over three years, archaeologists from the programme are surveying 20 archaeological sites along the tidal Thames in the Greater London area. This is supported by the work of the Foreshore Recording and Observation Group (FROG), who monitor the surveyed sites for changes, as the daily tides scour away the remaining archaeological features. The FROG is made up of volunteer members of the public, who are trained in foreshore recording techniques, health and safety and participation in digital media by the TDP team.
Discoveries
Using data generated by the Thames Archaeological Survey, the Thames Discovery Programme selected twenty key sites across the Greater LondonGreater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
area for further recording and on-going monitoring. The first site chosen was Custom House, London
Custom House, City of London
The Custom House, on the north bank of the Thames in the City of London was formerly in use for the collection of customs duties. It was in use for many centuries and rebuilt on a number of occasions....
; in February 2009, FROG members recorded the causeway, parts of the 1819 riverside wall, the Custom House gridiron
Gridiron
Gridiron may refer to:*Gridiron Secret Society, a secret society at the University of Georgia.* Gridiron , type of grill that can be used to cook meat or other food over a fire; most of the other usages derive from this term due to their fancied resemblance* Gridiron plan, in urban planning, a...
, the remains of two vessels
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
partly buried on the foreshore and a multi-phase revetment
Revetment
Revetments, or revêtements , have a variety of meanings in architecture, engineering and art history. In stream restoration, river engineering or coastal management, they are sloping structures placed on banks or cliffs in such a way as to absorb the energy of incoming water...
structure located under Billingsgate
Billingsgate
Billingsgate is a small ward in the south-east of the City of London, lying on the north bank of the River Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge...
Wharf.
In April 2009, an examination of access to the foreshore at Isleworth
Isleworth
Isleworth is a small town of Saxon origin sited within the London Borough of Hounslow in west London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane. Isleworth's original area of settlement, alongside the Thames, is known as...
included recording the 20th century boat slipway
Slipway
A slipway, boat slip or just a slip, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats. They are also used for launching and retrieving small boats on trailers and flying boats on their undercarriage. The...
and the remains of the Victorian ‘Church Ferry’ causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
.
During low tides in June and July 2009, survey and recording at Charlton, London
Charlton, London
Charlton is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Greenwich. It is located east-southeast of Charing Cross. Charlton next Woolwich was an ancient parish in the county of Kent, which became part of the metropolitan area of London in 1855. It is home to Charlton...
, formerly the location of Castle’s Shipbreakers Yard focused on the ‘stack’ of very large ships timbers surviving at the top of the foreshore which represent the remains of one or more warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
class vessels. Nautical remains are very well represented at this site where, in addition to the ‘stack’, we have also discovered a slipway constructed of reused ship and boat timbers, as well as the remains of at least three smaller vessels. During the 2009 Summer Season, teams worked at Alderman Stairs (near St Katharine Docks
St Katharine Docks
St Katharine Docks, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, were one of the commercial docks serving London, on the north side of the river Thames just east of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge...
), Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
and Bermondsey
Bermondsey
Bermondsey is an area in London on the south bank of the river Thames, and is part of the London Borough of Southwark. To the west lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe, and to the south, Walworth and Peckham.-Toponomy:...
. In November 2009, the first FROG-led project at Carrara Wharf in Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
recorded part of the 1729 bridge to Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, while a TDP survey earlier in the year on the foreshore in front of Fulham Palace
Fulham Palace
Fulham Palace in Fulham, London , England, at one time the main residence of the Bishop of London, is of medieval origin. It was the country home of the Bishops of London from at least 11th century until 1975, when it was vacated...
found Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
timber piles.
During January 2010, investigations on the Isle of Dogs
Isle of Dogs
The Isle of Dogs is a former island in the East End of London that is bounded on three sides by one of the largest meanders in the River Thames.-Etymology:...
with the Thames and Field Metal Detecting Society discovered the remains of a human skeleton, dating to the early 18th century.
During the 2010 Summer Season, work continued on the Isle of Dogs
Isle of Dogs
The Isle of Dogs is a former island in the East End of London that is bounded on three sides by one of the largest meanders in the River Thames.-Etymology:...
, recording the remains of the slipways used during the launch of the SS Great Eastern
SS Great Eastern
SS Great Eastern was an iron sailing steam ship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and built by J. Scott Russell & Co. at Millwall on the River Thames, London. She was by far the largest ship ever built at the time of her 1858 launch, and had the capacity to carry 4,000 passengers around the...
, the last project of engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
. In July 2010, the TDP team and the FROG worked on the foreshore at the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, undertaking survey and recording of an area normally closed to the public. Sections of the riverside wall were recorded and data collected to create a contour survey of the foreshore surface. The team also worked with members of the Society of Thames Mudlarks and the Portable Antiquities Scheme
Portable Antiquities Scheme
The Portable Antiquities Scheme is a voluntary programme run by the United Kingdom government to record the increasing numbers of small finds of archaeological interest found by members of the public...
to record artefacts found on the surface. The TDP field team then moved to Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
where the riverside wall was again examined, together with parts of a Tudor timber jetty and a newly discovered medieval structure. The project also featured on the BBC's Digging for Britain
Digging for Britain
Digging For Britain is a television series on archaeology made by 360 Production for the BBC, starting in August 2010. It is presented by Dr Alice Roberts....
. During late August 2010, work was undertaken at two sites in West London, while in September, fieldwork was undertaken at Tripcockness near the Royal Arsenal
Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
and Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...
.
In January 2011, the project published the results of recent investigations at Vauxhall, where the remains of the oldest structure so far discovered in the London area, dating to the late Mesolithic period, have been recorded by the Thames Discovery Programme, English Heritage and the Museum of London.
The TDP website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
won the award for the best representation of archaeology in the media at the 2010 British Archaeological Awards and in February 2011, the project was one of five from across Britain nominated by Current Archaeology
Current Archaeology
- Summary :Current Archaeology describes itself as the "United Kingdom's best selling archaeology magazine", a claim substantiated by British Archaeological Jobs and Resources online, which labels the title 'Britain's favourite archaeology magazine'. It was founded in 1967 by Andrew Selkirk, a...
as Best Research Project of 2011.
Outreach & Events
The Thames Discovery Programme runs a programme of events and activities designed to engage the public with the archaeology and history of the river. Outreach activities undertaken by the project including public lectures, small exhibitions, information stands, guided walks on the foreshore, observation of the FROG members in action on site and events for families and school groups. In 2009 the Thames Discovery Programme worked with a number of different organisations including Fulham Palace, Historic Royal Palaces, Gunnersbury Park Museum, Camden Young Archaeologists Club, the University of East London, Thames Explorer Trust, Thames Estuary Partnership, the London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre, the Worshipful Company of Antiquarian Collectors, the Museum of London and Museum in Docklands
Museum in Docklands
The Museum of London Docklands is a museum on the Isle of Dogs, east London that tells the history of London's River Thames and Docklands...
. In 2010, the team have worked with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Bird Notes and News was first published in April 1903.The title changed to 'Bird Notes' in 1947. In the 1950s, there were four copies per year . Each volume covered two years, spread over three calendar years...
at Rainham Marshes and Discover Greenwich.
The project also features in the new Archaeology in Action gallery at the Museum of London
Museum of London
The Museum of London documents the history of London from the Prehistoric to the present day. The museum is located close to the Barbican Centre, as part of the striking Barbican complex of buildings created in the 1960s and 70s as an innovative approach to re-development within a bomb damaged...
. Thousands of members of the public have visited the foreshore and attended other events, particularly during the two-week Festival of British Archaeology coordinated by the Council for British Archaeology
Council for British Archaeology
Established in 1944, the is an educational charity working throughout the UK to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and future generations...
in July each year. In July 2009, the Thames Discovery Programme celebrated the Festival at Fulham Palace and on the foreshore and in 2010 the team were at the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, Hall Place
Hall Place
Hall Place is a former stately home, today a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument, beside the River Cray on the outskirts of Crayford, west of Bexleyheath and north-east of Old Bexley...
and the Museum of London.