Teen Author Uncovers London's Past From the River Thames

While most kids her age scroll through social media, 14-year-old Emmylou Vaxby spends her free time walking the muddy banks of the Thames, uncovering fragments of London's forgotten past.

The London schoolgirl has been mudlarking (searching riverbeds for historical objects) since she was just five or six years old. What started as casual beachcombing with a friend's mother became a serious passion during lockdown, when her family spent their daily outdoor hour exploring the Thames foreshore.

Walking the riverbank near Wapping, Emmylou has discovered cobalt-glazed pottery from the Georgian and Victorian eras, clay tobacco pipes dating back to the 16th century, and countless shells and bones. One of her favorite finds is an 18th-century pipe bowl made by prominent pipemaker William Manby, who lived nearby.

Her discoveries led her to start a blog and YouTube channel called Emmylou the Mudlark. Last year, a publisher noticed her work and offered her a book deal.

During the summer of 2025, she wrote between 1,000 and 2,800 words daily to complete "A Guide to Mudlarking on the River Thames." That's an impressive feat for any writer, let alone a teenager balancing schoolwork.

But Emmylou's passion extends beyond collecting artifacts. In 2021, she founded the Wapping Plastic-Free Community after watching a swan mistake plastic for food. She now organizes twice-yearly riverbank cleanups with 60 people on her mailing list.

The Ripple Effect

Emmylou's work does more than preserve history. It's teaching her generation to slow down and observe carefully in a fast-paced digital world. Mudlarking requires patience and attention, making it naturally meditative.

"It's an hour where I am not doing something stressful like schoolwork," she explains while standing near the gentle Thames waves. "I am just walking around."

Her hobby has also given her perspective on privilege and history. While she searches for fun, Victorian children did the same dangerous work just to survive. That contrast fills her with gratitude.

The self-taught expert has developed remarkable confidence and knowledge about tidal science, Thames history, and everyday life throughout the centuries. She reports all significant finds through the Portable Antiquities Scheme, as required for mudlarkers with permits from the Port of London Authority.

Whether she finds treasure or not, Emmylou describes the Thames foreshore as her "happy place." Her book is now available for anyone inspired to explore their own local history with fresh eyes.