From the Roman invasions of 43 BC to the turn of the millennium in 2000 AD, some of the most famous events in British history have taken place along Britain’s royal river. Stretching 215 miles from source to sea, the River Thames rises in the beautiful Cotswold Hills, and winds through the prestigious university city of Oxford and great city of London in its glorious path to reach the North Sea. Yet where the river cuts a gentle swathe through the rural heart of England, it takes on a very different personality. Meandering past picturesque towns and villages, alongside fields of green and trees reaching down to the water, is the Thames that inspired Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows, and Jerome K. Jerome’s three men to go messing about in a boat. Perfect for a leisurely, one of a kind river cruise.
Things to know
- The Thames is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the UK
- There are 45 locks along the River Thames
- The stretch of the river running through Oxford is known as the River Isis
- For 35 years the World Poohsticks Championships were held annually near Day’s Lock on the River Thames
- The River Thames inspired Kenneth Graham’s ‘Wind in the Willows’
- A great number of celebrities have houses overlooking the River Thames