Is it legal to collect at Bankside foreshore by Tate Modern, Ernie's Beach (Thames, south bank)?

Restricted. Keep clear of Millennium Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge and the Bankside piers and moorings. Tidal foreshore: a PLA foreshore permit is required to search, and as of 2025-2026 new applications are paused (wait list over 10,000), so no new permits are being issued; check pla.co.uk before searching.

What can you find at Bankside foreshore by Tate Modern, Ernie's Beach (Thames, south bank)?

Tudor and Stuart ceramics, clay pipes, pins, glass, buttons, Bankside industrial waste

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London, England

Bankside foreshore by Tate Modern, Ernie's Beach (Thames, south bank)

Tidal foreshore Documented siteRestricted

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What you could find

Reported finds from this shoreline.

Sea pottery

Clay pipe stems

Buttons and buckles

Also reported: pins, glass, Bankside industrial waste.

Photos via Wikimedia Commons: NPS (Public domain), Surrey County Council, David Williams, (CC BY-SA 4.0), Unknown (Public domain).

Why this spot

Tudor and Stuart to Victorian, playhouses, stews and Bankside industry

Historic Bankside of the Globe and the bear gardens, one of the most walked and most productive south bank stretches, sometimes called Ernie's Beach.View source →