LYCOS RETRIEVER
River Thames: Thames River
built 269 days ago
The River Thames is an ancient river formed in its current configuration during the last glacial period 25,000 years ago, its name having metamorphosed through various forms including the Anglos-Saxon Tamyse and Latinised Tamesis. The current name was not standardised until the 17th century.
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Ordnance Survey Guide to the River Thames by David Perrott , Edition: 6th edition ISBN 0 7028 2580 8 :176 pages, Published by Nicholson 1994 Written 1983 Wire bound cruising guide edited by David Perrott. Order now from .
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The river is navigable to large ocean-going ships as far upstream as the Pool of London and London Bridge. Today little commercial traffic passes above the docks at Tilbury and central London sees only the occasional visiting cruise ship or warship, moored alongside HMS Belfast. There is a regular traffic of aggregate or refuse vessels, operating from wharves in the west of London. The tidal Thames links to the canal network at the River Lea Navigation, the Regent's Canal at Limehouse Basin, and the Grand Union Canal at Brentford.
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Sightseeing on the Thames doesn't get much better than the National Maritime Museum, the world's largest maritime museum, just a short boat trip down the river at beautiful Greenwich. There are so many reasons to visit here - the stunning architecture of the buildings, the Royal Observatory, gorgeous parkland. An unforgettable location!
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In 1858 a heatwave occurred and the disgusting smell from the River caused so much disruption to Members of Parliament that they hung sheets soaked in chloride of lime from the windows of the House of Commons. In addition, many tons of chalk lime, chloride of lime and carbolic acid were tipped into the Thames but with little or no effect. This became known as the year of the 'Great Stink'.
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The main highlight of this cruise must be the tidal passage of the River Severn between Bristol and Portishead and then onwards to Sharpness. Very few hotel boat passengers will ever have the chance to participate on a cruise up the Severn estuary, which has the second strongest tidal surge in the world (second only to the Bay of Fundy in Canada).
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