Thames Discovery Programme

What Thames Discovery Programme does

The Thames Discovery Programme (TDP) is a community archaeology initiative founded in 2008 and operated by MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology), a registered charity and company limited by guarantee in England and Wales. TDP is dedicated to monitoring, recording and sharing the archaeology of the Thames foreshore, training volunteers (over 700 since inception) to act as the eyes and ears of a rapidly eroding tidal heritage asset and contributing data to statutory bodies including the Environment Agency, Historic England, the City of London and the Port of London Authority.

Its product surface spans hands-on public engagement — guided Foreshore Walks and Family Walks, curriculum-linked School Activities, the Ambassador Programme and loan boxes — and structured research outputs including the annual Foreshore Forum and thematic projects such as 'Ghosts of Industry' and 'Secrets of the Thames Low Tide Trail'. Underlying technology is modest and heritage-appropriate: the CITiZAN mobile app for citizen-science recording, Agisoft Photoscan-based photogrammetry for 3D documentation, ArcGIS StoryMaps for the online Coasts in Mind platform, and 3D models for public outreach.

The revenue model is grant-funded and donation-supported, not commercial. The flagship £250,000 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant for the two-year 'River Recoveries' project (awarded 2021) is the largest disclosed income event, with supplementary support from Lloyd's Register Foundation, Historic England, City of London Archaeological Trust, Tideway (in-kind) and publication sales. There is no paid-customer GTM; the 'users' are volunteers, school groups and the general public, served free at the point of access. Strategic direction since 2025 has tilted toward geographic and thematic expansion via the Coasts in Mind programme, which replicates the Thames foreshore model across Poole Harbour, Sefton, Swale and Taw-Torridge.

Name

Thames Discovery Programme

Legal name

MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology)

Website

https://thamesdiscovery.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Thames Discovery Programme is a community archaeology project, founded in 2008 and run by MOLA, that trains volunteers to monitor and record the eroding archaeology of the Thames foreshore, delivering public walks, school sessions and digital resources in partnership with heritage bodies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Heritage Archaeology

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (712120)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Heritage & Historic District Tours (THAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Community archaeology
• Foreshore monitoring
• Heritage education
• Volunteer training
• Archaeological recording

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable grants and donations: MOLA (parent organisation) operates as a registered charity (1143574) and company limited by guarantee (07751831), funded through grants from National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, and other heritage bodies.
2. Publication sales: Sale of books and educational materials through the MOLA shop, including publications about Thames archaeology
3. Commercial archaeology services: Parent organisation MOLA provides commercial archaeology services to developers and construction companies

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Thames Discovery Programme is a community archaeology project that trains and coordinates volunteers to monitor, record, and share the archaeology of the Thames foreshore, supplemented by school programmes, youth engagement (Tadpoles, ages 8-18), public walks, the annual Foreshore Forum, and digital platforms including the Coasts in Mind mapping platform and the Secrets of the Thames Low Tide Trail interactive experience. Most events and volunteer training are free of charge, with delivery funded through grants and donations received by parent charity MOLA.

Product overview

Thames Discovery Programme (TDP) is a community archaeology project operated by MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) dedicated to monitoring, recording and sharing the archaeology of the Thames foreshore. The programme operates on a hub-and-spoke model with its core offering being the TDP volunteer monitoring network (FROGs), supplemented by youth engagement (Tadpoles, schools programme), public walks and events, and the Archaeology Ambassador network. Related projects include Coasts in Mind (a coastal adaptation initiative with its own mapping platform) and Ghosts of Industry (a ghost sign recording project). Key digital outputs include the Secrets of the Thames Low Tide Trail interactive experience and the Coasts in Mind community archive and mapping platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Thames Discovery Programme (TDP) Community archaeology initiative dedicated to monitoring, recording and sharing the archaeology of the Thames foreshore. Trains volunteers (FROGs) to actively participate in foreshore recording and monitoring, preserving knowledge of rapidly eroding archaeology for future generations.
• FROGs (Foreshore Recording and Observation Groups) Volunteer programme within TDP where trained adult volunteers monitor and record archaeological features on the Thames foreshore on an ongoing basis, identifying patterns and changes over time.
• Tadpoles youth programme Youth volunteer group for 8 to 18-year-olds within TDP, offering sessions for budding archaeologists to gain first-hand experience of foreshore recording and observation.
• School Activities Curriculum-linked sessions on Thames heritage delivered to London schools, both in the classroom and on the foreshore. Includes loan boxes containing Thames objects, pottery sorting activities, and guided mudlarking experiences.
• Family and Public Walks Guided walks on the Thames foreshore led by TDP archaeologists, allowing families and the public to explore the foreshore, discover archaeological features and learn about London's history.
• Archaeology Ambassador Programme Network of volunteers who participate in and promote TDP activities, including trips to the foreshore, festive walks, and educational outreach events.
• Coasts in Mind Pioneering community-led project bringing together community groups, local museums, and archives in four coastal regions to map the impact of climate change on England's vulnerable coastlines using a digital mapping platform.
• Coasts in Mind Mapping Platform Digital platform enabling communities to contribute records from their own collections and local archives, add historic images and documents, and share memories of coastal change, with a public-facing community archive component.
• Ghosts of Industry Citizen science project enabling volunteers to record surviving painted 'ghost signs' (historic shop and business signs) using a standardised archaeological methodology, with data accessioned to the Northamptonshire Historic Environment Record.
• Secrets of the Thames Low Tide Trail Interactive online trail created using ArcGIS StoryMaps, allowing users to explore the archaeology of the Thames foreshore at Bankside from home or while visiting the foreshore.
• Loan Boxes Collections of Thames archaeological objects (pottery, animal bones, clay pipes) available for schools to use in classroom activities to teach about preservation, material sorting, and history.
• Foreshore Forum Annual conference hosted by TDP bringing together volunteers, archaeologists, and partners to share research, present findings, and recognise volunteer contributions through FROG awards, held at the Wolfson Lecture Theatre, London School of Economics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 700 people trained to monitor and record foreshore archaeology since 2008
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Port of London AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner providing expertise and access for Thames foreshore monitoring and research activities.
• TidewaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate responsibility partner providing two-year grant for full-time community archaeologist. Partnered for youth volunteer Tadpoles programme and family events exploring Thames history and archaeology.
• City of London Archaeology Society (CoLAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on CRaFT project examining causeways, river stairs and ferry terminals of London from Vauxhall to Greenwich.
• CITiZAN (Coastal and Intertidal Archaeological Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network partner for intertidal archaeology recording, sharing methodology and providing Discovery Programmes exploring intertidal archaeology across England.
• UCLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner supporting teacher training collaboration with St Michael's Catholic College for Thames foreshore studies.
• Poole MuseumminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMuseum partner hosting Coasts in Mind community exhibitions co-curated with local communities.
• Fleur de Lys MuseumminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMuseum partner in Faversham, Kent hosting Coasts in Mind community exhibitions.
• Northamptonshire Historic Environment Record (HER)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organisation for Ghosts of Industry project, receiving citizen scientist recordings for permanent preservation in local Historic Environment Record.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Historic England: Public body that funds and advises on heritage protection in England, including foreshore and intertidal archaeology. Comparable as a partner/funder that shapes the regulatory and funding environment TDP operates in, and runs its own public-engagement programmes around historic sites.
• Wessex Archaeology: Major UK archaeological contractor delivering fieldwork, research and heritage services, including coastal and intertidal work. Comparable for combining professional archaeology with public engagement and heritage-environment projects.
• English Heritage: Charity that manages hundreds of historic sites across England with significant education and volunteer programmes. Comparable as a heritage-education operator delivering curriculum-linked school sessions, guided tours, and public events at historic locations.
• Council for British Archaeology: UK-wide charity championing archaeology and community participation in heritage. Comparable as a national heritage-education umbrella that connects volunteer archaeologists, schools, and the public to archaeological research and recording.
• MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology): Parent organisation of TDP and a major commercial archaeology contractor delivering fieldwork, research and heritage services across the UK. Comparable because it operates at the intersection of professional archaeology, public engagement, and heritage grant delivery.
• National Trust: Major UK heritage charity operating historic sites, nature reserves, and coastlines with extensive volunteer programmes and educational outreach. Comparable for its combination of heritage interpretation, volunteer-led conservation, and grant-funded public engagement.

Direct peers

• CITiZAN (Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network): National network partner of TDP that shares methodology and supports community-led recording of intertidal archaeology across England. Directly comparable because both rely on trained volunteers and citizen scientists to monitor eroding coastal heritage using shared standards.
• Portable Antiquities Scheme: DCMS-funded scheme that encourages the public to record archaeological finds, including those recovered from foreshores. Comparable because it relies on volunteers and citizen scientists contributing structured records to a national dataset, much like TDP's FROGs.

Emerging players

• Time Team (fans/community): Popular archaeology brand and community that mobilises amateur interest in field archaeology. Comparable because it channels public enthusiasm into hands-on archaeological discovery and education, though its format is media-led rather than fieldwork-led.

Regional players

• Archaeology Scotland: Scottish heritage-education charity running community archaeology, school programmes and volunteer recording projects. Comparable for its volunteer-led, grant-funded community archaeology model, but operates primarily in Scotland rather than England.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ThamesDiscovery
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThamesDiscoveryProgramme
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thames-discovery-programme
• Instagraminstagram.com/molarchaeology

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thames Discovery Programme