River Thames

Image courtesy of Motmit, wikimedia commons

The River Thames has it's source in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds and travels for two hundred and fifteen miles through eight English counties before reaching it's estuary on the North Sea at Southend - on - Sea, making it England's longest river and the U.K's second longest river after the River Severn.

The river starts life one mile from the village of Kemble in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds and travels through the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Essex and Kent before discharging into the area known as the Thames Estuary, which is the largest river inlet in Great Britain and leads into a major shipping route on the North Sea.This area has the second largest tidal movement in the world with a tidal rise of up to twelve feet which flows at a rate of eight miles an hour.

The river travels through hundreds of villages and towns along the way, including the metropolis of London and the City of Oxford and other notable locations such as Richmond, Reading, Kingston, Marlow, Henley and Windsor.

The river's name is of Celtic origin and was known as Tameses, which meant dark or muddy coloured.Today the name Thames has been hailed by historians as being the oldest place name in Great Britain.

In the city of Oxford the river is known as the Isis, a name which stems from Victorian times, when geographers of that period claimed that the river's correct name from it's source to Dorchester, was infact the River Isis, but modern historians are of the belief, that the name is just a corruption of the Roman's Latin name for the River, which was Tamisis, which meant wide water = tam - wide & isis - water.

The river is served by thirty eight tributaries along it's course, the largest of which are the Rivers Cherwell, Lea, Mole, Thame, Wey and Windrush, all of which are over forty miles long.

Before the building of the Teddington Lock, pictured above, in 1811, the river was tidal for sixteen miles upstream by way of tidal activity from the North Sea. Today the river is entirely tidal for the fifty five miles from it's estuary at Southend until it reaches the weir and three locks at Teddington. This part of the river is known as The Tideway, an area that includes the Thames Estuary, The Thames Gateway and the Pool of London. It is at London Bridge where the river has a depth of one point eight metres, which is the basis for the the publication of the London Tide Tables.The river receives two tides a day, with levels as high as twenty four feet, which takes up to four to five hours to flow in, and between six to nine hours to drain out. Because of this the river is vulnerable to flood and storm surges. Due to this the Thames Barrier was constructed in 1974, the world's second largest floating barrier, built on a five hundred and seventy yard stretch of the river at Woolwich. Another major flood defense is the seven mile long, River Jubilee, a hydraulic channel built to protect the towns of Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton from high water. The river begins life just upstream of Boulters Lock in Maidenhead and flows for seven miles before rejoining the Thames at Eton. Water levels are kept constant by way of the Slough Weir and Black Potts Weir, although the low level areas between Pangbourne and Teddington, which include the communities of Reading, Henley, Taplow, Datchet, Old Windsor, Wraysbury, Egham, Staines, Sunbury and Shepperton, are still vulnerable to flooding during times of heavy rain and or high water.

Image courtesy of Debot, NL.Wikimedia Commons.

The river's crossings are made up of two hundred and fourteen bridges, the longest of which is The Queen Elisabeth II Bridge between Dartford and Thurrock at two thousand, six hundred and sixty four feet long, and twenty tunnels, including the world's first ever underwater tunnel, the Thames Tunnel built between Rotherhide and Wapping in 1843 by Marc Brunel, father of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

In all the river is served by more than one hundred bridges, forty five locks, twenty one tunnels, six passenger ferries, one cable car, one ford and a flood barrier tunnel. Within the environs of London the river is spanned by thirty five rail, road and foot bridges, running west to east these bridges are;

Hampton Court Bridge (Road), Kingston Bridge (Road), Teddington Lock Bridge (Pedestrian), Richmond Road Bridge (Road), Richmond Rail Bridge (Rail), Twickenham Bridge (Road), Richmond Lock Bridge (Pedestrian), Kew Road Bridge (Road), Kew Rail Bridge (Rail), Chiswick Bridge (Road), Barnes Bridge (Rail), Hammersmith Bridge (Road), Putney Bridge (Road), Fulham Bridge (Rail & Pedestrian), Wandswoth Bridge (Road), Battersea Rail Bridge (Rail), Battersea Road Bridge (Road), Albert Bridge (Road), Chelsea Bridge (Road), Grosvenor Bridge (Rail), Vauxhall Bridge (Road), Lambeth Bridge (Road), Westminster Bridge (Road), Golden Jubilee Bridge (Pedestrian), Hungerford Bridge (Rail & Pedestrian), Waterloo Bridge (Road), Blackfrier's Road Bridge (Road), Blackfrier's Rail Bridge (Rail), Millenium Bridge (Pedestrian), Southwark Bridge (Road), Cannon Street Bridge (Rail), London Bridge (Road), Tower Bridge (Bascule Road Bridge) and Queen Elisabeth II Bridge (Road).

There are around two hundred islands located along the River Thames, some of which are man made and some of which are natural. These natural islands are known as eyots or aits. The river's islands are located between it's estuary in the North Sea all the way to Oxfordshire and include some well known islands such as Thorney Island, which is where the Houses of Parliament in London are located, Magna Carta Island located at Runneymeade where the Magna Carta was signed and the two large islands located in it's estuary, Canvey island and the Isle of Sheppey.

The river's largest island is the Isle of Andersey located at Abingdon in Oxfordshire which covers an area of 275 square acres.

A list of the river's named islands can be found at the bottom of this page.

The river has been a source of food, water, transport and commerce for thousands of settlements as far back as pre - history times.The river has for centuries been a main route into the City of London and a main shipping route into Great Britain. Nowadays however, the river is better known for it's sporting and leisure pursuits of fishing, rowing, canoeing and pleasure boat trips and for being the backdrop to most of London's famous landmarks.

The river runs through three areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) the North Wessex Downs, The Kent Downs and The Cotswolds . The Thames Path, a one hundred and eighty four mile long walkway from the river's source all the way into London, is Europe's longest river trail.

The river is also world known for being the home of the Henley Regatta, which was first held in 1839 and for being the location of the Oxford / Cambridge University Boat Race, which first began in 1829.

The river's discharge at the site of it's estuary has a catchment area of four thousand, nine hundred and ninety four square miles, along with that of the River Medway, whose estuary is also situated in the same area. The limits of the Thames Estuary are reputed to be from Sea Reach on Canvey Island in Essex at it's western most point to North Foreland in Kent at it's eastern most point. Sandbanks located along the estuary have a tidal movement of around twelve feet which move at a rate of around eight miles an hour. The estuary is served by way of several lighthouses including North Foreland Lighthouse on Thanet Island, Kentish Knock Lighthouse at Harwich in Essex, the Leading Lights Lighthouse at Dovercourt in Kent and the Redsands Maunsell Lighthouse situated offshore in the waters of the estuary.

In it's non tidal waters the Thames is now home to Harbour Seals, Grey Seals and around twenty five species of course fish.

The river's largest employers are The Environmental Agency, The Port of London Authority and the Thames River Police.

The Thames at Reading, courtesy of geography bot, wikimedia commons.

SOME RIVER THAMES WEBSITES

Port of London Authority - www.pla.co.uk

Visit - www.visitthames.co.uk

Thames Guides - www.riverthames.co.uk

River Transport - www.tfl.gov.uk

Woolwich Ferry - www.londontraffic.org/woolwichferry

Thames Clipper - www.thamesclippers.com

ISLANDS OF THE RIVER THAMES

Eel Pie Island, Twickenham.

Found below are the River Thames' ninety seven named islands, listed in upstream order from it's estuary on the North sea off the county of Kent all the way to the city of Oxford in the county of Oxfordshire.

Isle of Sheppey, Thames Estuary.

Two Tree Island, Thames Estuary.

Canvey Island, Thames Estuary.

Lower Horse Island, Thames Estuary.

Frog Island, Rainham, Kent.

Chiswick Eyot, Chiswick, London Borough of Hounslow.

Oliver's Island, Kew, London Borough Of Richmond Upon Thames.

Brentford Ait, Brentford, Middlesex.

Lot's Ait, Brentford, Middlesex.

Isleworth Ait, Isleworth, London Borough of Hounslow.

Corporation Island, Richmond, Surrey.

Glover's Island, Twickenham, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

Swan Island, Twickenham, London Borough Of Richmond upon Thames.

Trowlock Island, Teddington, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

Steven's Eyot, London Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

Raven's Ait, London Borough of Kingston upon Thames & Surbiton, Surrey.

Boyle Farm Island, Thames Ditton, Surrey.

Thames Ditton Island, Thames Ditton, Surrey.

Ash Island, East Molesey, Surrey.

Tagg's Island, Hampton Court, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

Garrick's Ait, Hampton, Surrey.

Benn's Island, Hampton, Surrey.

Platts Eyot, Hampton, Surrey.

Grand Junction Isle, Sunbury, Surrey.

Sunbury Court Island, Sunbury, Surrey.

Rivermead Island, Sunbury, Surrey.

Sunbury Lock Ait, Walton on Thames, Surrey.

Wheatley's Ait, Lower Sunbury, Surrey

Desborough Island, Shepperton, Surrey.

D'Oyly Carte Island, Weybridge, Surrey.

Lock Island, Shepperton, Surrey.

Hamhaugh Island, Shepperton, Surreyy.

Pharaoh's Island, Shepperton, Surrey.

Penton Hook Island, Laleham, Miiddlesex.

Church Island, Staines-upon-Thames, Middlesex.

Hollyhock Island, Staines-upon-Thames, Middlesex.

Holm Island, Staines-upon-Thames, Middlesex.

The Island, Hythe End, Berkshire.

Magna Carta Island, Runnymede, Berkshire.

Pats Croft Eyot, Runnymede, Berkshire.

Friary Island, Wraysbury, Berkshire.

Friday Island, Old Windsor, Berkshire.

Ham Island, Old Windsor, Berkshire.

Lion Island, Old Windsor, Berkshire.

Sumptermead Ait, Datchet, Berkshire.

Romney Island, Windsor, Berkshire.

Black Potts Ait, Windsor, Berkshire.

Cutlers Ait, Windsor, Berkshire.

Firework Ait, Windsor, Berkshire.

Deadwater Ait, Windsor, Berkshire.

Baths Island, Eton Wick, Berkshire.

Bush Ait, Windsor, Berkshire.

Queen's Eyot, Dorney, Berkshire.

Monkey Island, Bray, Berkshire.

Pigeonhill Eyot, Bray, Berkshire.

Headpile Eyot, Bray, Berkshire.

Guards Club Island / Bucks Ait, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Bridge Eyot, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Grass Eyot, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Ray Mill Island, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Boulter's Island, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Glen Island, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Sloe Grove Islands / Bavin's Gulls, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Formosa Island, Cookham, Berkshire.

Gibraltar Islands, Marlow, Berkshire.

Temple Mill Island, Hurley, Berkshire.

Frog Mill Ait, Hurley, Berkshire.

Black Boy Island, Hurley, Berkshire.

Magpie Island, Medmenham, Buckinghamshire.

Temple Island, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

Rod Eyot, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

Ferry Eyot, Wargrave, Berkshire.

Poplar Eyot, Wargrave,Berkshire.

Handbuck Eyot, Wargrave, Berkshire.

Unnamed Eyot, Wargrave, Berkshire.

Phillimore Island, Shiplake, Oxfordshire.

The Lynch, Lower Shiplake, Oxfordshire.

Hallsmead Ait, Lower Shiplake, Oxfordshire.

Buck Ait, Sonning, Oxfordshire.

Sonning Eye, Sonning, Oxfordshire.

Sonning Hill island, Sonning, Oxfordshire.

Heron Island, Reading, Berkshire.

View Island, Reading, Berkshire.

De Bohun Island, Reading, Berkshire.

De Montfort Island / Fry's Island, Reading, Berkshire.

Pipers Island, Reading, Berkshire.

St Mary's Island, Reading, Berkshire.

Appletree Eyot, Tilehurst, Berkshire.

Poplar Island, Tilehurst, Berkshire.

Nag's Head Island, Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

Andersey Island, Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

Lock Wood Island, Nuneham Courtenay, Oxfordshire.

Fiddler's Elbow, Sandford-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

Rose Isle, Kennington, Oxfordshire.

Osney Island, City of Oxford, Oxfordshire.

Fiddler's Island, City of Oxford, Oxfordshire.

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