Old Father Thames
Living and working in London it can be quite easy to forget about the most famous river in England that glides silently through the city. A river that supplies the backdrop for some of the most famous buildings in the land; from the Houses of Parliament and St Pauls to the Old Naval College and Royal Observatory in Greenwich. All of these views are so well known that they have become embedded within the nations psyche. The river that quietly flows out to sea has a habit of reminding us of its presence, be it on the way to work or more imaginatively when the tide is high and the water is choppy, a salty tang pervades the air and reminds us of the call of the sea, and a time when we considered ourselves to be a nation of sailors
This river has been described by the poet John Burns as liquid history, it has inspired artists to paint and compose music about it. The river has carried Roman and Viking invaders deep into England and guided Nazi bombers on their destructive missions. It has provided a highway for merchants eager to sell their wares in London with a journey time far shorter and safer than any across land
Multiculturalism is nothing new, in times past the river and its docks would have been teeming with sailing ships and smaller vessels vying with each other to offload exotic passengers and goods from around the globe. Those poor people were abandoned as soon as they had disembarked and would have shivered amongst the mooring ropes and luggage wondering what to do next! The Thames was the main artery for transport in those days and even now there are boats that ferry commuters to the capital and back each day.
Although not as wide as it once was the water that trickles from a spring high in the Cotswolds passing some of the loveliest towns and cities on its way to the capital becoming darker in colour the further it travels. The fresh water becomes muddy with silt and further down stream in London it becomes tidal and brackish from the sea water into which it eventually flows.
For thousands of years the river has borne witness to some of the country’s most momentous events from King John signing the Magna Carter on a small island known as Runnymede to the . Some secrets it chooses to divulge and others remain hidden, every so often the Thames foreshore spews forth a treasure hence it’s known as the longest archaeological site in London.
Every stretch of river bank has a tale to tell, palaces, and churches, cathedrals and castles vie with each other for the attention of residents and tourists alike Once past Tower Bridge the river widens as it sweeps inexorably down to Deptford and Greenwich, towns rich in Naval tradition and maritime history. The working wharves have become an extinct species, what was once the haunt of stevedores wrestling with heavy loads is now home to London’s smart and trendy. There was a time when the river was a physical boundary separating kingdoms and counties, at one point Anglo Saxons lived on one bank whilst across the river the Vikings
The Thames gains its name from the Celts who called it Tamesas which very likely means dark water, not too different from today! Some things have changed, Edward the Confessor built the Abbey of St Peter on Thorney Island which was surrounded by low lying marshes next to the Thames. King Harold II was to be the first English monarch to be crowned at abbey in 1066; it was eventually renamed Westminster Abbey!
As the river grew in importance it began to resemble the M25, there were so many ships on the river that it would have been possible to get from the north bank across to the south by jumping from one deck to another. Despite all of the work that the shipping created people still found time for enjoyment. These days we have to cope with global warming but during the mid 14th century until the 19th century Europe suffered from what is now known as the “Little Ice Age”. Winters were particularly severe and the Thames regularly froze. The river freezing wasn’t necessarily a consequence of the weather but it was also ably assisted by a multi tiered bridge built by King John which slowed the flow of water. As it was much wider and shallower in those times it meant that the bridge with its nineteen arches slowed the flow of the river.
When the Thames froze Londoners came out to play, the first recorded frost fair took place in 1607. There were stalls selling trinkets and mutton pies (the original mince pie!) ox roasting and all of the usual fairground amusements. The last fair to be held on the Thames was in February 1814 and by 1831 the old London Bridge was replaced, because of this the river no longer slowed down sufficiently for it to freeze over.
Although we cannot enjoy the ice fairs, and the docks and warehouses have changed beyond recognition the River Thames is still the perfect place to relax, you can walk along the river, go boating or just sit and while away time in one of the many pubs and restaurants that line its banks
copyright© Wendy Stevenson 2011
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