Can YOU solve the riddle in the bottle? Treasure hunters baffled by mysterious clues washed up on the Thames

Treasure hunters are baffled by a mysterious note that washes up on the banks of the River Thames.

The message in a bottle – discovered in a clear container – contained a four-line poem that appears to hint at a treasure hunt.

Shared by mudlarkers — people who hunt riverbeds for historical treasures — the unusual find sparked intense debate as the hobbyists scrambled to figure out what it meant.

The message read, “Broad and heavy, filling in the city, north of Freehold, may I be found.”

But – far from pirate legends – the cryptic verse was printed by a computer in a calligraphy font and then laminated.

But – far from pirate legends – the cryptic verse was computer-printed in a calligraphy font and then laminated

Shared by mudlarkers – people who hunt for historical treasures in riverbeds – the unusual find sparked intense debate as hobbyists scrambled to figure out what it meant

The mystery had members of the mudlarking community scrambling for answers — while trying to read between the lines of the short note.

Some said it must be a treasure map – while others theorized it may have come thousands of miles across the sea.

The man who posted the find to the forum said, “I have a puzzle for you today.

‘I was on the Thames last week and found this message in a bottle!

“It looks like some kind of cryptic clue, but it’s too tricky for me, so I have to appeal to the collective brain to try to solve it!!

“I could be wrong, but does this have anything from the US? Maybe our friends across the pond can help?’

One investigative commentator said it could be from a New Jersey town, while another speculated there is a property in Massachusetts as well.

However, others thought it was more likely related to Freehold in Lancashire – which is still over 200 miles from where it was found.

The message in a bottle – discovered in a clear container – contained a four-line poem that appears to hint at a treasure hunt

One of them said, “Definitely clues to something deliberately hidden.”

Another added: “‘Wide’ and ‘Heavy’ are both capitalized, so they could also be names of something rather than a description.”

And a third quipped, “I wish I had scrolled past this!” Now I need to know who wrote this, why they wrote it, what it means and what we’re looking for.”

But some thought the answer could be much kinder – as one joked, “I think this is a scavenger hunt clue and now that it’s gone there will be a lot of lost and confused people on the beach looking for it!”

And a second quipped, “Looks like they couldn’t answer it either, so they threw it in the river and went for a beer!”

Another lady claimed it could be a reference to an online game.

She elicited laughter from members when she said, “Apparently Freehold is a dungeon in the ‘World of Warcraft’ online role-playing game.”

But another said: ‘It seems to have been placed between the stones on purpose. I doubt it would have looked so pristine had it crossed the Atlantic to make its way to the Thames foreshore.

“If it’s a scavenger hunt clue, it would be somewhere in London, maybe a pub?”