River Thames

England's most famous river, flowing through the heart of London/Rivers

The Thames is the longest river entirely in England at 346 km, rising in the Cotswold Hills of Gloucestershire and flowing east through Oxford, Reading, and London to the North Sea. Although modest by global standards, the Thames has played an outsized role in history: it was the highway of Roman Londinium, the scene of Viking raids, the route of royal processions, and the artery of the world's largest city for centuries. The Thames Barrier, completed in 1984, protects London from tidal surges.