Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Thames

Thames, the most important river of Great Britain; rises on the E. side of the Cotswold Hills, in 4 head-streams (the Thames or Isis, Churn, Coin, and Leach), which unite near Lechlade, on the border of Gloucester, Wilts, Berks, and Oxford; flows E. along the boundary between Oxford, Bucks, Middlesex, and Essex on the N., and Berks, Surrey, and Kent on the S., past the towns of Oxford, Abingdon, Beading, Great Marlow, Windsor, Staines, Chertsey, Kingston, Richmond, and Brentford, and through London, to the Nore, where its estuary terminates in the North Sea. It receives as tributaries, on the left, the Windrush, Evenlode, Cherwell, Thame, Colne, Brent, Lea, and Roding; and on the right, the Kennet, Loddon, Wey, Mole, Wandle, Ravensbourne, Cray, and Darent; and it communicates, by means of numerous canals, with all the other great rivers of the kingdom. In its upper course it passes through some of the richest agricultural districts of the country; and below London Bridge it is one of the most important commercial highways in the world, the accommodation for shipping being of the most extensive description. From Lechlade to the Nore its direct course is 124 miles, and its indirect course 250 miles; at London Bridge its width is 266 yards, at Woolwich 490 yards, at Gravesend 800 yards, 3 miles below Gravesend 1290 yards, and at the Nore over 5 miles. It is navigable by vessels of 1400 tons up to Blackwall, by vessels of 800 tons up to St Katherine's Docks, adjoining the Tower, and by barges up to Lechlade. The part of the river between London Bridge and Blackwall constitutes the Port of London, the portion immediately below the bridge being called the Pool, usually occupied by coal ships.


(John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "river"   (ADL Feature Type: "rivers")
Administrative units: Gloucestershire AncC

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