Where does the River Thames originate?

Question

The other day, I visited the Kew Gardens and returned to Westminister by boat. I was surprised how much smaller and lovelier the Thames was more upstream (near Kew) than it is in Central London. So I was wondering, where does The Thames actually come from?

Answer 1

The Thames has a length of 346 km (215 miles). Its source (at Ordnance Survey grid reference ST 980 994) is about a mile north of the village of Kemble, near Cirencester in the Cotswolds. It then flows through Lechlade, Oxford, Abingdon, Wallingford, Reading, Henley-on-Thames, Marlow, Maidenhead, Windsor, Eton, Staines and Weybridge, before entering the Greater London area.

From the outskirts of Greater London, the river passes Syon House, Hampton Court, Kingston, Richmond (with the famous view of the Thames from Richmond Hill) and Kew before flowing through central London. In central London, the river forms one of the principal axes of the city, from the Palace of Westminster to the Tower of London. Once clear of central London, the river passes Greenwich and Dartford before entering the sea in a drowned estuary near Southend-on-Sea.

In terms of counties, the Thames rises in Gloucestershire, traditionally forming the county boundary, firstly between Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, between Berkshire on the south bank and Oxfordshire on the north, between Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, between Berkshire and Surrey, between Surrey and Middlesex, and between Essex and Kent. Before the 1974 boundary changes, the current boundary between Berkshire and Surrey was between Buckinghamshire and Surrey. The Oxfordshire - Berkshire boundary was also moved at that time.

The area to the west of London is normally called the Thames Valley, whilst east of Tower Bridge development agencies and Ministers have taken to using the term Thames Gateway.

Answer 2

The Thames has a length of 346 km (215 miles). Its source (at Ordnance Survey grid reference ST 980 994) is about a mile north of the village of Kemble, near Cirencester in the Cotswolds. It then flows through Lechlade, Oxford, Abingdon, Wallingford, Reading, Henley-on-Thames, Marlow, Maidenhead, Windsor, Eton, Staines and Weybridge, before entering the Greater London area.

From the outskirts of Greater London, the river passes Syon House, Hampton Court, Kingston, Richmond (with the famous view of the Thames from Richmond Hill) and Kew before flowing through central London. In central London, the river forms one of the principal axes of the city, from the Palace of Westminster to the Tower of London. Once clear of central London, the river passes Greenwich and Dartford before entering the sea in a drowned estuary near Southend-on-Sea.

In terms of counties, the Thames rises in Gloucestershire, traditionally forming the county boundary, firstly between Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, between Berkshire on the south bank and Oxfordshire on the north, between Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, between Berkshire and Surrey, between Surrey and Middlesex, and between Essex and Kent. Before the 1974 boundary changes, the current boundary between Berkshire and Surrey was between Buckinghamshire and Surrey. The Oxfordshire - Berkshire boundary was also moved at that time.

The area to the west of London is normally called the Thames Valley, whilst east of Tower Bridge development agencies and Ministers have taken to using the term Thames Gateway.

Answer 3

It comes in from the North Sea, Thames Estuary in Kent.

Answer 4

Intersting Pat. So in a way the Thames does come from the North Sea if there's an easterly wind. Most times though I guess it comes from the atlantic

Answer 5

London

Answer 6

To actually answer your question:

The river originates in Gloucestershire... its distination is the north Sea... unless of course a river has started to run up hill.

Edit: Good answer by Raj

Answer 7

its actually from far west england and leads to the sea in the east

Answer 8

The Estuaryis the END of the river, the END, not the START!!!

Some people are so stupid!!!

Answer 9

Ha ha ha ha ha.

Haven't laughed so much in ages.

"Thames estuary fool" ????? "North sea"????WTF?
I can't believe people are that stupid.

Answer 10

in Thames?

if not, they did not chose the right name!