The Thames River

The River Thames flows through southern England. It passes through the middle of London, the capital city of the United Kingdom. The Thames is the longest river entirely in England. Many famous bridges cross over it.

London's River

The Thames has been important to London for nearly 2,000 years. The city was first started by the Romans beside the river. Today the Thames flows past big sights like the Tower of London, Big Ben, and the London Eye. Tower Bridge can open up to let tall ships pass.

An old stone carving from the days of the early Thames.
An old stone carving from the days of the early Thames. (No machine-readable author provided. Clio20 assumed (based on copyright claims). / Wikimedia Commons)

A Changing River

The Thames used to be very dirty, but people have worked hard to clean it up. Now fish like salmon and eels live there again. Sometimes seals even swim up the river. A huge wall called the Thames Barrier helps protect London from floods.

Fun Facts

  • The River Thames is about 215 miles long.
  • There are over 200 bridges that cross the Thames.
  • The Thames freezes very rarely, but long ago people held 'frost fairs' on the ice.

Did You Know?

Big Ben, the famous clock tower next to the Thames, is actually the name of the giant bell inside the tower.