TheThamesisthelongestriverentirelyinEnglandandthesecondlongestriverintheUnitedKingdom.ItrisesatThamesHeadinGloucestershire,andflowsintotheNorthSeaattheThamesEstuary.IthasaspecialsignificanceinflowingthroughLondon,thecapitaloftheUnitedKingdom,althoughLondononlyincludesashortpartofitscourse.TheriveristidalinLondonwithariseandfallof7metres(23ft);tidesreachinguptoTeddingtonLock.ThecatchmentareacoversalargepartofSouthEasternandWesternEnglandandtheriverisfedbyover20tributaries.Therivercontainsover80islands,andhavingbothseawaterandfreshwaterstretches,itsupportsavarietyofwildlife.

　　Theriverhassupportedhumanactivityfromitssourcetoitsmouthforthousandsofyearsprovidinghabitation,waterpower,foodanddrink.IthasalsoactedasamajorhighwaythroughthePortofLondonforinternationaltrade,internallyalongitslengthandbyitsconnectiontotheBritishcanalsystem.Theriver’sstrategicpositionhasseenitatthecentreofmanyeventsandfashionsinBritishhistory,earningitadescriptionbyJohnBurnsas“LiquidHistory”.Ithasbeenaphysicalandpoliticalboundaryoverthecenturiesandgeneratedarangeofrivercrossings.Morerecently,theriverhasbecomeamajorleisureareasupportingtourismandpleasureoutingsaswellasthesportsofrowing,sailing,skiffing,kayaking,andpunting.Theriverhashadaspecialappealtowriters,artists,musiciansandfilm-makersandiswell-representedinthearts.Itisstillthesubjectofvariousdebatesaboutitscourse,nomenclatureandhistory.

　　TheRiverThamesisfamousthroughouttheworldforitshistory,itscultureanditsamazingvarietyofwildlife,archaeologyandscenery.IfyouaskaLondonerwhatistheCity'sgreatestassetorthethousandsofboatersincruisersupanddownthelengthoftheriver,theywillcomeupwithamyriadofreasonswhyadayonorneartheThamesisagreatexperience.