The River Thames is famous throughout the World for its history, its culture and its amazing variety of wildlife, archaeology and scenery. Based upon its size alone, a mere 215 miles long from its source in the Cotswolds through to the estuary at Southend on Sea, it should hardly evoke such great passions.

But if you ask a Londoner what is the City’s greatest asset - or one of the thousands of boaters in punts or cruisers up and down the river, or people from rural Oxfordshire what they think of when the River Thames springs into their minds - they will each come up with a whole host of reasons to spend time by the River Thames.

"About The River Thames" seeks to list in historical and chronological order the story of the river, and also to highlight just a few of the reasons why we confidently state that the River Thames is such a wonderful treasure chest of delights, and why we are so lucky to be blessed by its presence.

Jeannette Briggs January 2006