The River Thames is 215 miles (346 kms) in length from source to sea, one-third of it tidal.
The Thames' headstreams rise in the Cotswolds above Cirencester in Gloucestershire and unite at Lechlade. It is tidal as far as Teddington.
At London, the water is slightly salty with sea salt.
Like the Celts who lived in the area, the Romans called the river "Thamesis." The name may have meant "dark" or "muddy."
After capturing London, Alfred the Great switched his capital to it from Winchester, noting it's potential as a defensive town on the Thames.
Thorney Island was the eyot on the Thames, upstream of medieval London, where Westminster Abbey and Westminster Palace (now the Houses of Parliament) were built. It was formed by rivulets of the River Tyburn, which entered the Thames near the lowest point where it could be forded from the north bank at low tide.
For many centuries, rivers were the great natural highways, the Thames the greatest of them all. There were virtually no bridges and boats provided the link from shore to shore. Watermen thus filled a significant place in London's life. And wayfarers then from numerous piers used to beckon a barge-man to take them up or down or across the river.
In 1582, waterwheels first pumped water from the Thames River into mains in London. This enabled water to be provided to private houses in the area.
The British winter of 1435 was so cold that wagons were able to ride on the River Thames as far downstream as Gravesend.
It was so cold in London during the Mini Ice Age of the 17th century that "Frost Fairs" were held on the frozen Thames. During one in 1684, streets of stalls were set up, meat was roasted on the spit; football, bowls, ninepins, throwing the cock, even foxhunting were performed on the ice. A novel means of getting about was "sliding with skeetes" (skating).
The last 'frost fair' to take place on the River Thames lasted for four days in February 1814 when the water froze over. Traders and entertainers set up stalls, and an elephant was led across to demonstrate the safety of the ice.
The organised sport of rowing can be traced to 1715, when the first rowing of the Doggetts Coat and Badge race took place on the River Thames. The Doggett's Coat and Badge course runs four miles and five furlongs (7443 m) from London Bridge to Chelsea, and is established as an annual event continuing into the 21st century.
An enthusiastic swimmer, while staying in England Benjamin Franklin regularly swum across the River Thames using the breast stroke. He was proud of once having swam the River Thames from Chelsea to Blackfriars.
Lord Nelson chose to be buried at St Paul's Cathedral rather than Westminster as he'd heard Westminster was sinking into the Thames.
The village of Henley-on-Thames, on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, staged its first rowing regatta on June 14, 1839. Since then the Henley Royal Regatta has taken place every year. The course has varied over the years, but is now approximately 2 km 112 m / 1 mile 550 yd. It is as much an elegant social occasion for the public as a sporting one.
In 19th century London, people’s home sewage was retained in their backyards in cesspools. For those who couldn’t afford a cleaning service, they simply dumped the contents of their cesspools into the Thames River. The smell was so horrific that it resulted in “the Great Stink” in July and August 1858 during which where the smell of human excrement in the River Thames was so bad that it halted parliament. 250 tons of limes were used to mask the odor. London’s Parliament was goaded to pass legislation directing the building of sewers throughout the city.
One of the worst river disasters in history took place on September 3, 1878 on the River Thames, when the crowded pleasure boat Princess Alice crashed into the Bywell Castle killing over 640 people.
Claude Monet visited London three times between 1899-1901 each time he stayed at the Savoy Hotel and painted views of the Thames including over 30 Waterloo Bridge and Charing Cross Railway Bridge.
On March 14, 1960 the British government announced plans for a Thames Barrier to protect London from flooding. Since the early 1980s, the Thames Barrier has been used many times a year to stop water damage to London's low-lying areas up the river.
Water quality has steadily improved in the River Thames since sewers were repaired in the 1960s, and a salmon was caught in the River Thames in November 1974, the first seen in the 20th century. The river is now home to wild salmon.
In September 2011 the British comedian, David Walliams, swam the entire 140 mile length of the river raising over £1million for Sport Relief charity.
The River Thames has more than 200 rowing clubs along its length.
On average one dead body is washed up on the River Thames' banks per week.
There are estimated to be 125 species of fish in the tidal Thames (from the estuary to Teddington lock) — which is remarkable since the river was declared biologically dead in the Fifties. It is now home to wild salmon, trout, Dover sole, plaice, haddock and bass.
A drop of rain falling into the Thames at its source will be drunk by at least eight people before it flows into the Thames Estuary.
Sources Daily Mail, Chronicle of The World
The Thames' headstreams rise in the Cotswolds above Cirencester in Gloucestershire and unite at Lechlade. It is tidal as far as Teddington.
 |
| Map of the River Thames. Wikipedia |
At London, the water is slightly salty with sea salt.
HISTORY
Like the Celts who lived in the area, the Romans called the river "Thamesis." The name may have meant "dark" or "muddy."
After capturing London, Alfred the Great switched his capital to it from Winchester, noting it's potential as a defensive town on the Thames.
Thorney Island was the eyot on the Thames, upstream of medieval London, where Westminster Abbey and Westminster Palace (now the Houses of Parliament) were built. It was formed by rivulets of the River Tyburn, which entered the Thames near the lowest point where it could be forded from the north bank at low tide.
For many centuries, rivers were the great natural highways, the Thames the greatest of them all. There were virtually no bridges and boats provided the link from shore to shore. Watermen thus filled a significant place in London's life. And wayfarers then from numerous piers used to beckon a barge-man to take them up or down or across the river.
 |
| Thames waterman soliciting passers-by c 1825. |
In 1582, waterwheels first pumped water from the Thames River into mains in London. This enabled water to be provided to private houses in the area.
The British winter of 1435 was so cold that wagons were able to ride on the River Thames as far downstream as Gravesend.
It was so cold in London during the Mini Ice Age of the 17th century that "Frost Fairs" were held on the frozen Thames. During one in 1684, streets of stalls were set up, meat was roasted on the spit; football, bowls, ninepins, throwing the cock, even foxhunting were performed on the ice. A novel means of getting about was "sliding with skeetes" (skating).
 |
| Thames Frost Fair, 1683–84, by Thomas Wyke |
The last 'frost fair' to take place on the River Thames lasted for four days in February 1814 when the water froze over. Traders and entertainers set up stalls, and an elephant was led across to demonstrate the safety of the ice.
The organised sport of rowing can be traced to 1715, when the first rowing of the Doggetts Coat and Badge race took place on the River Thames. The Doggett's Coat and Badge course runs four miles and five furlongs (7443 m) from London Bridge to Chelsea, and is established as an annual event continuing into the 21st century.
An enthusiastic swimmer, while staying in England Benjamin Franklin regularly swum across the River Thames using the breast stroke. He was proud of once having swam the River Thames from Chelsea to Blackfriars.
Lord Nelson chose to be buried at St Paul's Cathedral rather than Westminster as he'd heard Westminster was sinking into the Thames.
The village of Henley-on-Thames, on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, staged its first rowing regatta on June 14, 1839. Since then the Henley Royal Regatta has taken place every year. The course has varied over the years, but is now approximately 2 km 112 m / 1 mile 550 yd. It is as much an elegant social occasion for the public as a sporting one.
 |
| An 1877 painting by James Tissot showing the Old Course |
In 19th century London, people’s home sewage was retained in their backyards in cesspools. For those who couldn’t afford a cleaning service, they simply dumped the contents of their cesspools into the Thames River. The smell was so horrific that it resulted in “the Great Stink” in July and August 1858 during which where the smell of human excrement in the River Thames was so bad that it halted parliament. 250 tons of limes were used to mask the odor. London’s Parliament was goaded to pass legislation directing the building of sewers throughout the city.
One of the worst river disasters in history took place on September 3, 1878 on the River Thames, when the crowded pleasure boat Princess Alice crashed into the Bywell Castle killing over 640 people.
Claude Monet visited London three times between 1899-1901 each time he stayed at the Savoy Hotel and painted views of the Thames including over 30 Waterloo Bridge and Charing Cross Railway Bridge.
 |
| Monet The Thames at Westminster 1871 |
On March 14, 1960 the British government announced plans for a Thames Barrier to protect London from flooding. Since the early 1980s, the Thames Barrier has been used many times a year to stop water damage to London's low-lying areas up the river.
Water quality has steadily improved in the River Thames since sewers were repaired in the 1960s, and a salmon was caught in the River Thames in November 1974, the first seen in the 20th century. The river is now home to wild salmon.
In September 2011 the British comedian, David Walliams, swam the entire 140 mile length of the river raising over £1million for Sport Relief charity.
FUN THAMES FACTS
The River Thames has more than 200 rowing clubs along its length.
On average one dead body is washed up on the River Thames' banks per week.
There are estimated to be 125 species of fish in the tidal Thames (from the estuary to Teddington lock) — which is remarkable since the river was declared biologically dead in the Fifties. It is now home to wild salmon, trout, Dover sole, plaice, haddock and bass.
A drop of rain falling into the Thames at its source will be drunk by at least eight people before it flows into the Thames Estuary.
Sources Daily Mail, Chronicle of The World
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