River Thames

Why go

Historic entities include the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company. Historic entities include the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company. Molesey faces Hampton, London, and in Greater London the Thames passes Hampton Court Palace, Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, Teddington, Twickenham, Richmond (with a famous view of the Thames from Richmond Hill), Syon House, Kew, Brentford, Chiswick, Barnes, Hammersmith, Fulham, Putney, Wandsworth, Battersea and Chelsea.

What to look for

• The non-tidal River Thames is divided into reaches by the 44 locks.
• In 1751 the Thames Navigation Commission was formed to manage the whole non-tidal river above Staines.
• The river contains over 80 islands.

The full story

In an alternative name, derived from its long tidal reach up to Teddington Lock in south west London, the lower reaches of the river are called the Tideway. The section of the river running through Oxford is traditionally called the Isis. With a total length of 215 miles (346 km), the Thames is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. On its way, it passes through London, the country's capital, where the river is deep and navigable to ships; the Thames drains the whole of Greater London. Its tidal section, reaching up to Teddington Lock, includes most of its London stretch and has a rise and fall of 7 metres (23 ft). Running through some of the driest parts of mainland Britain and heavily abstracted for drinking water, the Thames' discharge is low considering its length and breadth: the Severn has a discharge almost twice as large on average despite having a smaller drainage basin.

Your next visit

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