However, there is some controversy about the actual source of the Thames, as it argued that the Churn River might be the origin of the river. The Nore is the sandbank that marks the mouth of the Thames Estuary and the confluence point of the Thames and the North Sea. The river is divided into two sections: tidal and non-tidal. Moreover, the tidal section includes the driest parts of mainland Britain and includes most of London. Despite the tidal limit, high tides in the spring can raise the head water level in the reach above Teddington and can reverse the river flow for a limited time.
This non-tidal section includes 38 tributaries that feed the Thames. The River Thames is estimated to have started flowing 58 million years ago as a discrete drainage line in the Thanetian stage of the late Paleocene epoch. The Thames first flowed on its existing course through what is now Oxfordshire before changing its course , years ago, turning to the north-east through Hertfordshire and East Anglia, ending at the North Sea near Ipswich in Suffolk, England.
At that time, the Anglian ice advance resulted in a new route for the Thames through Berkshire and on into London, then the river rejoined its original course in southern Essex near the present River Blackwater estuary.
At this point, the Thames entered a freshwater lake in the southern North Sea basin. The lake overspilled and caused the formation of the Channel River and then the Dover Strait gap between modern-day Britain and France. Brickearth can be seen interlaid with the clay on the valley sides of the Thames and some of its tributaries. These deposits were brought by the winds during the periglacial periods, meaning that marshes were actually part of the landscape.
The Thames lies within a chalk trough, and geological deposits comprise London Clay. This clay was formed million years ago when Britain was still submerged in tropical seas. The Thames is a common place for various species of birds that either feed off the river or nest on it.
These include the cormorant, black-headed gul and the herring gull. A rare type of swan, called the black swan, can also be seen there. Just downriver from Pangbourne is Mapledurham House, dating from , and thought to be the model for Toad Hall. The non-tidal River Thames is home to over 25 species of coarse fish. The Thames Path follows the river for km miles from its source, making it the longest riverside walk in Europe.
Information about the River Thames Find which popular events take place along the river each year including numerous regattas, festivals and other water-nased fun. Learn what there is to do by the River Thames with everything from boating and fishing to walking and dining. There are plenty of places to stay on the river, but to really experience the Thames at its finest, there are plenty of options for boating holidays.
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