River Thames
About 450,000 years ago, the Anglian ice sheet reached its furthest southern point at Hornchurch in east London. This massive glacier dammed the river in Hertfordshire and created large ice lakes that eventually burst their banks. The resulting floodwaters diverted the Thames onto its present course through what is now Greater London. An ice lobe stopped at Finchley deposited about 14 metres of boulder clay there before gushing south to carve out the Brent Valley. Before this event, the river flowed on an existing course through Oxfordshire and turned northeast toward East Anglia to reach the North Sea near Ipswich. The overspill from the freshwater lake formed the Channel River and later the Dover Strait gap between Britain and France. Most bedrock in the Vale of Aylesbury comprises clay and chalk that formed at the end of the ice age.
The name Thames derives from the Brittonic word Tamesas which appears in Latin records as Tamesis. Early variants include Tamis and Temes in Old English and Tamise or Thamis in Middle English around 1220. Roman potsherds found at Oxford bear the inscription Tamesubugus fecit suggesting a connection to the river's name. Some scholars propose the root element Tam meant dark while others suggest it indicated muddiness from a root meaning melt. Kenneth H. Jackson argued the name was not Indo-European yet Peter Kitson suggested it originated before the Britons arrived. Indirect evidence for the antiquity of the name comes from a Roman potsherd bearing the inscription Tamesubugus fecit. Historians note the name has always been pronounced with a simple t rather than the modern th sound.
Julius Caesar encountered the Thames during his second expedition to Britain in 54 BC when it presented a major obstacle. The Romans occupied England starting in AD 43 under Emperor Claudius and built fortifications along the valley including a camp at Dorchester. Londinium grew up around the Walbrook on the north bank near the year 47 on two hills now known as Cornhill and Ludgate Hill. A bridge was built at the site of London allowing ships to reach the settlement without wind or muscle power. Boudica's Iceni forces razed the settlement in AD 60 or 61 but it was soon rebuilt after the bridge was constructed. The next Roman bridges upstream were located at Staines on the Devil's Highway between Londinium and Calleva. Boats could be swept up to these crossings on the rising tide making them vital strategic points for trade and military movement.
In the Great Stink of 1858 pollution reached such an extreme that sittings of the House of Commons had to be abandoned. Chlorine-soaked drapes hung in Parliament windows failed to stave off the smell from the river below. Four serious cholera outbreaks killed tens of thousands of people between 1832 and 1865 due to raw sewage discharge. Gasworks alongside the river leaked spent lime ammonia cyanide and carbolic acid into the water creating unnaturally warm temperatures. Prince Albert died in 1861 from typhoid spread in the dirty waters beside Windsor Castle. Engineer Joseph Bazalgette supervised massive sewer systems built on both north and south embankments to contain the city's waste. Reservoirs and pumping stations were constructed west of London to improve water quality while the Victorian era saw imaginative engineering projects.
An early flood control device called the Thames Barrier opened in the early 1980s to protect London from storm surges. The barrier closes to tides several times a year preventing damage to low-lying areas upstream as demonstrated by the severe 1928 Thames flood. In 2010 the river won the International Riverprize worth $350,000 for substantial restoration efforts since the 1950s. Aquatic life has returned to formerly dead stretches following reduced heavy industry use and improved sewage treatment. A beluga whale nicknamed Benny was spotted off Gravesend more than 40 miles from its Arctic habitat in September 2018. Populations of grey and harbour seals number up to 700 in the estuary with sightings as far upriver as Richmond. Bottlenose dolphins and harbor porpoises are also sighted regularly along the tidal section.
The tidal river remains one of Britain's main ports with around 60 active terminals catering to all shipping types including ro-ro ferries and cruise liners. Container ships unload at Northfleet Hope terminal while vessels carry timber grain paper crude oil and petroleum products. The Port of London Authority administers navigation between the sea and Teddington Lock where the Environment Agency takes over management. Passenger services operate along the entire non-tidal river from Oxford to Teddington with operators like Salters Steamers and French Brothers. Rowing clubs number over 200 on the river with more than 8,000 members of British Rowing representing over 40% of total membership. Major events include the Henley Royal Regatta held five days in July and the University Boat Race taking place annually in late March or early April.
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Common questions
When did the Anglian ice sheet change the course of the River Thames?
The Anglian ice sheet changed the course of the River Thames about 450,000 years ago. This event diverted the river onto its present path through Greater London after floodwaters burst from large ice lakes in Hertfordshire.
What is the origin and meaning of the name River Thames?
The name River Thames derives from the Brittonic word Tamesas which appears in Latin records as Tamesis. Early variants include Tamis and Temes in Old English while some scholars suggest the root element meant dark or muddiness.
How did Julius Caesar interact with the River Thames during his expeditions to Britain?
Julius Caesar encountered the River Thames during his second expedition to Britain in 54 BC when it presented a major obstacle. The Romans later built fortifications along the valley including a camp at Dorchester starting in AD 43 under Emperor Claudius.
What caused the Great Stink of 1858 on the River Thames?
Pollution reached such an extreme during the Great Stink of 1858 that sittings of the House of Commons had to be abandoned. Gasworks alongside the river leaked spent lime ammonia cyanide and carbolic acid into the water creating unnaturally warm temperatures.
When was the Thames Barrier opened and what purpose does it serve?
An early flood control device called the Thames Barrier opened in the early 1980s to protect London from storm surges. The barrier closes to tides several times a year preventing damage to low-lying areas upstream as demonstrated by the severe 1928 Thames flood.