A Walk aLONG THE THAMES

The Thames is London, and London is The Thames.

Since the Romans created a city next to the Thames and called it Londinium around AD50 (some believe the date to be AD47), this famous river has been pivotal to London's development. 

The Romans founded their city on a point of the river narrow enough to build a bridge. The strategic location of the city provided good access for them back to their heartland in what we now call Europe. 

Some excellent books exist about London and the Thames - such as Thames: Sacred River by Peter Ackroyd (you can read a review about the book by the Guardian here). 

The short walk along the Thames North Bank (going through the City and Westminster) outlined below is just one way to enjoy and appreciate this famous waterway. 

There are many ways to experience the Thames, in central London and further up and down England's longest river. Boat trips are available, for example, and excellent views of the Thames are available in Richmond and further upstream in Henley upon Thames. 

For avid walkers, the Thames Path, which is 185 miles (298km) in length in total, is available to walk along. A guide published by the Thames Estuary Partnership provides summary details. 

If you want to go on a professional guided walking tour of the Thames, check the options available from the teams such as London Guided Walks and London Walks. The Thames Explorer Trust also provides options. 

The London Museum provides some great information about the Thames and its connection to the city. 

The origination of the name 'the Thames' has been the subject of much research, discussion and debate. 

A few links below provide some background reading...

• From Oxford Histories
• From My London

• The Thames is England's longest river at 215 miles (346 km), flowing from Gloucestershire to the North Sea. 
• It is both a tidal and a non-tidal river.
• The Thames Barrier was designed to protect Greater London from flooding caused by high tides and storm surges moving up from the North Sea. It is the second-largest movable flood defence barrier in the world, after the Oosterscheldekering in the Netherlands. It is operated by The Environment Agency (a good booklet about the Barrier is available from them on request).
• Over 200 bridges cross the Thames (35 of which are in London). 
• The charted depth of the Thames at London Bridge is about 1.5 to 1.8m (roughly 5 to 6 feet) at low tide. Because the Thames is tidal, this depth increases by about 5.9 to 7.1m to 7.5 - 8.9m during high tide, depending on whether it is a spring or neap tide. 
• London Bridge has spanned the Thames for almost 2,000 years, evolving from Roman timber structures (c. AD 47-50) to the current concrete bridge (not exactly in the same place) which opened in 1973.
• Tower Bridge, which opened on June 30 1894 after 8 years of construction, is the sole drawbridge on the Thames. Its electro-hydraulic system of opening allows river traffic through - the bridge is raised about 800-1,000 times a year to allow boats through (two or three times a day, on average).
• The 120-year-old Greenwich Foot Tunnel is said to be haunted by the ghosts of a Victorian man and woman who can supposedly be seen late at night, with their footsteps heard in the tunnel.
• In 1957 the Thames was declared "biologically dead". Fortunately, in the modern day thanks to a range of efforts it hosts more than 125 species of fish and various marine life.
• The "Great Stink" of 1858 was an event of extreme pollution involving the Thames that caused such a terrible smell in central London that Parliament was suspended. It led to the construction of a Victorian sewer system, and what we now see as Embankment.
• London's frost fairs were vibrant, temporary carnivals held on the Thames when it froze over. They are thought to have been held from the early 1600s up to 1814. When thick ice stopped river trade, enterprising Londoners set up markets, pubs and games on the river ice. Attractions like roasting oxen, printing presses, and even an elephant in 1814.
• The Thames was a crucial 'getaway' means of transport during the Great Fire of London 1666 - for those who could afford it.
• During the Great Plague of London 1665, the Thames was a vital but high-risk route for the transmission of plague to surrounding areas, a major site for quarantine, and a key supply route to keep the city functioning. 
• In 1252 King Henry III was gifted a polar bear, which he kept at the Tower of London and allowed to swim in the Thames to catch fish!
• The Thames River Police are the oldest river police in the world, founded in 1798.
• The Port of London Authority oversees the port of London (review their history here). The port handles over 50 million tonnes of cargo annually along a 95-mile stretch of the tidal Thames from Teddington Lock to the North Sea.
• The Thames supplies approximately two-thirds of London's drinking water (after being treated at water treatment plants). Some interesting facts about it are available from Thames Water and on The Londonist.
• If you want to go mudlarking on the Thames in central London (indeed, from Teddington to the Barrier), you need to obtain a permit.

The London Histories City and Westminster Thames North Bank Walk outlined below starts in the City at Walbrook Wharf and takes you along the North Bank through to Westminster. A select number of points along the way are noted below. Other points seen along the route include an obelisk and two sphinx lions, the Battle of Britain Monument, the RAF Memorial and the National Submarine War Memorial.

Many stories and tales can be discovered along the walk, for anyone who happens to accompany me on it...

The London Histories City and Westminster Thames North Bank Walk can be extended if you have time by crossing Westminster Bridge and walking back along the South Bank (or you can treat it as a separate South Bank Walk)...