THE TIDAL THAMES

The River Thames is London's greatest open space. It is our link with the natural world. - Sir David Attenborough

Starting at Teddington, through the bright lights of central London to the quieter, less visited areas near the North Sea, this virtual tour was created to discover the Tidal Thames.

Here you can follow the meandering Thames through London and learn more about its diverse stories of history, environment and local culture, via text, photos, videos and links at various locations.

If you hover and click your cursor over the images of locations below, the marker on the map to the right will stand out and show you where that location is found along the river. 

Click on any photo below to proceed to that location. To return to the default view (with all the photos and locations), click on the little x in a circle appearing over the text.

There are 50 locations for you to explore -- 50 stops on our Tour of the Thames -- so feel free to choose where you want to go directly. Or for a more life-like experience of a boat ride downriver, keep your cursor scrolling as it takes you along from one stop to the next.  

This public talk below provides an overview of the ecology and natural history of the Thames Estuary.

We release a new  podcast  every month so be sure to check back again for new and fascinating episodes where we talk all things Thames! 

This series is meant to work a bit like an audio guide to accompany our virtual Tour of the Thames above, but we don’t focus on any one stop. Instead each podcast features speakers on a variety of issues affecting the tidal Thames. It’s a lively and engaging conversation with some of the greatest experts on the river and its wildlife, so click below to hear our latest episode!

If you enjoyed our tour and our podcast series, you’ll love our documentary about how the Thames was transformed from ecologically dead to one of the cleanest inner-city rivers in Europe. Presented by TEP President  Chris Baines  and introduced by the great naturalist and presenter  Sir David Attenborough ,  The Living Thames  is an odyssey you won’t want to miss! 

You can watch the trailer here and rent the film on  Amazon Prime .

As we continue to work on both the podcast series and the virtual tour, we would appreciate your feedback. This would include what you've learnt and liked, what you'd like to see more of, and where we could improve. Please also do get in touch if you'd like to speak on our upcoming podcasts! Our journey is yours, and there is so much left to discover and view!

The  Thames Estuary Partnership  (TEP) is an independent charity that builds understanding and appreciation of one of the world's most famous rivers.

We seek to bring together everyone who has a keen interest in the Thames, from those who work and travel on it, to the millions who enjoy it every day. Our partnership links developers, builders, engineers, and scientists, along with environmental campaigners and nature-lovers, to encourage all to play an active role in an improved river and coastal environment. We work with government agencies, ports, and local authorities, as well as NGOs and the wider public, to maximise our positive impact on this unique river.

Your generous donations to TEP contribute towards our core funds, which enable our staff to create a wide range of online resources, such as podcasts, maps, education materials and project developments. These resources help us to promote our work in conservation of the River Thames and creation of a more sustainable estuary.

Like many charities, TEP will be experiencing funding challenges for some time to come due to the impact of COVID-19, so we are very grateful for anything that you can donate!