LYCOS RETRIEVER 
River Thames: London Bridge
built 269 days ago
Under the Emperor Claudius in AD 43, the Romans occupied England and recognising the River's strategic and economic importance, built fortifications along the Thames valley including a major camp at Dorchester. Two hills, now known as Cornhill and Ludgate Hill, provided a firm base for a trading centre at the lowest possible point on the Thames called Londinium where a bridge was built. The next Roman bridge upstream was at Staines (Pontes) to which point boats could be swept up on the rising tide with no need for wind or muscle power. Many of the Thames’ riverside settlements trace their origins back to very early roots and the suffix - “ing” in towns such as Goring and Reading, Berkshire owes their origins to the Saxons. Recent research suggests that these peoples preceded the Romans rather than replaced them.[9] The river’s long tradition of farming, fishing, milling and trade with other nations started with these peoples and has continued to the present day. Competition for the use of the river created the centuries-old conflict between those who wanted to dam the river to build millraces and fish traps and those who wanted to travel and carry goods on it. Economic prosperity and the foundation of wealthy monasteries by the Anglo-Saxons attracted unwelcome visitors and by around AD 870 the Vikings were sweeping up the Thames on the tide and creating havoc as in their destruction of Chertsey Abbey.
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Navigation rules for rowing boats on the river Thames are not consistent along its length. The current arrangement on the Tideway allows rowers to "work the slacks" to minimise some of the hazards of rowing on what can be a fast flowing tidal river, with bridges, moorings and sandbanks.
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This guide takes you on a historical journey along the River Thames, starting at Hampton Court and finishing at the spectacular and futuristic Millenium Dome. Discover more than 85 places of interest along this route, including famous bridges and intriguing lesser-known sights. Includes full details of opening times and operating days; how to get there by foot, boat, public transport or car; and essential contact numbers.
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The river has supported human activity from its source to its mouth for thousands of years providing habitation, water power, food and drink. It has ... acted as a major highway both for international trade through the Port of London, and internally along its length and connecting to the British canal system. The river’s strategic position has seen it at the centre of many events and fashions in British history, earning it a description as “Liquid History”. It has been a physical and political boundary over the centuries and generated a range of river crossings. In more recent time the river has become a major leisure area supporting tourism and pleasure outings as well as the sports of rowing, sailing, skiffing, kayaking, and punting. The river has had a special appeal to writers, artists, musicians and film-makers and is well represented in the arts.
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Founded in 1777, this stone bridge was built for the Earl of Abingdon after George III got wet while crossing the River Thames. In return the King granted the tolls to be tax-free forever. The toll on the bridge is currently 5p, which increased from 2p in 1994 to pay for lengthy repairs to the bridge.
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One of the major resources provided by the Thames is drinking water provided by Thames Water whose area of responsibility covers the length of the River Thames. The Thames Water Ring Main is the main distribution mechanism for water in London with one major loop linking the Hampton, Walton, Ashford and Kempton Water Treatment Works to central London.
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London Bridge