FROG at Bermondsey
Photo by N. Cohen

Our First Birthday!

It’s nearly the end of September, the nights are drawing in, the leaves are turning and the Thames Discovery Programme is approaching its first birthday! The TDP team would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has participated in making this a very successful first year: we’ve had a fantastic time and hope you all have too.

Your Achievements!

Just to sum up what you have achieved this year – by the end of October, there will be around 200 trained FROG members and we have been working at eight different sites across London – Custom House, Isleworth, Charlton, Alderman Stairs, Fulham, Putney, Bermondsey and Strand on the Green. We’ve recorded watermen’s causeways, stairs, slipways, gridirons, bridge abutments, revetments, drains, vessel remains (large and small!) and mysterious piles.

Our Events

We’ve run events throughout the year with a number of different organisations including Fulham Palace, Historic Royal Palaces, Gunnersbury Park Museum, University of East London, Thames Explorer Trust, Thames Estuary Partnership, London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre, Worshipful Company of Antiquarian Collectors, Museum of London and Museum in Docklands. None of this could have been achieved without the input and enthusiasm of the FROG members and we’re already planning ahead for next year’s field work and events programme.

The Lecture Circuit!

Team members have given lectures to Bexley Archaeological Group, Institute of Archaeology, City of London Archaeological Society, City University, Merton Historical Society, Association of American Study Abroad Programme, Merton Historical Society, Raynes Park Library, Orpington and District Archaeological Society, Wandsworth Historical Society, Bermondsey and Rotherhithe Historical Society, Fulham Palace, Greenwich Industrial Society, Greenwich Heritage Centre and the Society of Thames Mudlarks. There are plenty more coming up – so keep an eye on the website for further information.

Forthcoming Foreshore Forum

Looking ahead, we have our first Foreshore Forum coming up in November, plus a Winter social on Friday 11 December – featuring a special lecture by our Programme Director Gustav Milne.

Phew! Thank you to everyone once again – it has been such a pleasure to be working with such a knowledgeable, enthusiastic group of people and I’m very excited about what we will discover next year (at Chelsea, Erith, Rotherhithe, Shadwell, Vauxhall, Bankside, Chiswick……..)