114-729: The Thames Conservancy (formally the Conservators of the River Thames ) was a body responsible for the management of that river in England . It was founded in 1857 to replace the jurisdiction of the City of London up to Staines . Nine years later it took on the whole river from Cricklade in Wiltshire to the sea at Yantlet Creek on the Isle of Grain . Its territory was reduced when
228-610: A motif of the Baroque , long out of fashion by the 1780s. This entrance, like the principal reception rooms, was placed in the first floor, on a piano nobile in Palladian style, leaving the ground floor free for the domestic and estate offices and service rooms. However, in neoclassical style, above the principal floor is a second floor, its windows having equal value to those below, indicating that here were principal bedrooms rather than secondary and servants' rooms, as would have been
342-420: A "little state and distance" for the formal procession from the drawing room to the dining room. Buscot's design suggests this was the case there. The masculine dining room, library, study and possibly a billiard room were placed en suite on one side of the hall, and the feminine drawing room, music room and morning room on the other. The saloon, the grandest room in the house, containing the best furnishings,
456-453: A circuit, although the principal room, the saloon, is flanked by slightly smaller rooms and adjoining cabinets . It is unlikely these smaller rooms were ever principal bedchambers, as would have been the case just a few years earlier in the 18th century. In fact, the layout was probably completely modern at the time; this is suggested by the siting of the dining room ( 3 on plan ) and the drawing room ( 6 on plan ). Geddes Hyslop's remodelling of
570-625: A list of who was responsible for the appointment of the 31 new members, which consisted mostly of county councils and county borough councils, together with one appointed by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries , one by the Board of Trade and one by the Minister of Transport . The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries could also appoint three additional members after consultation with internal drainage boards. The new conservators were required to keep separate accounts relating to their activities under
684-561: A network of creeks. Lying below sea level, it is prone to flooding at exceptional tides, but has nevertheless been inhabited since Roman times. The usually quoted source of the Thames is at Thames Head (at grid reference ST980994 ). This is about 1.5 mi (2.4 km) north of the village of Kemble in southern Gloucestershire , near the town of Cirencester , in the Cotswolds . However, Seven Springs near Cheltenham , where
798-424: A series of woodland avenues which lead to smaller gardens; in the form of roundels these gardens include a citrus garden, a rose garden and a swinging garden. Other woodland vistas lead to various eye catching garden statues, including a monumental urn containing the relics of the 2nd Lord Faringdon. The vast walled kitchen garden has been replanted over the last 20 years by the present Lord Faringdon, to represent
912-507: A small part of western England; the river is fed by at least 50 named tributaries . The river contains over 80 islands . With its waters varying from freshwater to almost seawater, the Thames supports a variety of wildlife and has a number of adjoining Sites of Special Scientific Interest , with the largest being in the North Kent Marshes and covering 20.4 sq mi (5,289 ha). According to Mallory and Adams,
1026-417: A speed limit set to five miles per hour. This was amended to 5 mph with the stream and 4 mph against it. Netting from Richmond to Staines was prohibited forever. The new authority reaffirmed the rights of anglers against interference from landowners and received a notice from the water bailiff drawing attention to the "improper practice of letting boats for hire to inexperienced persons". At this time
1140-639: A summer venue for organised swimming, which is prohibited on safety grounds in a stretch centred on Central London . After the river took its present-day course, many of the banks of the Thames Estuary and the Thames Valley in London were partly covered in marshland , as was the adjoining Lower Lea Valley . Streams and rivers like the River Lea , Tyburn Brook and Bollo Brook drained into
1254-407: A swimming pool garden. The placing of pools was a problem to the owners of country houses in the 20th century; the pools would be treated with some "circumspection" and disguised as something else. Thus, at Buscot, the pool appears as a formal canal pond set in a renaissance garden. The interior of the mansion has been considerably altered and restored since its completion. The rooms are arranged in
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#17327834097021368-469: A third central set of gates and Godstow Lock rebuilt in 1924. In 1927 a new lock was built at Sunbury, the old one being retained. Marlow Lock and Iffley Lock were redeveloped in the same years. In 1928 the improvement to navigation above Oxford was finally completed with the building of Eynsham Lock and King's Lock . The next significant undertaking was the digging of Desborough Cut between 1930 and 1935. The 3 ⁄ 4 –mile (1 km) cut took
1482-484: Is a country house at Buscot near the town of Faringdon in Oxfordshire within the historic boundaries of Berkshire. It is a Grade II* listed building . It was built in an austere neoclassical style between 1780 and 1783 for Edward Loveden Loveden . It remained in the family until sold in 1859 to Robert Tertius Campbell, an Australian. Campbell's daughter Florence would later be famous as Mrs Charles Bravo ,
1596-471: Is a landmark on the Boat Race course, while Glover's Island forms the centre of a view from Richmond Hill . Islands of historical interest include Magna Carta Island at Runnymede , Fry's Island at Reading, and Pharaoh's Island near Shepperton. In more recent times Platts Eyot at Hampton was the place where Motor Torpedo Boats (MTB)s were built, Tagg's Island near Molesey was associated with
1710-402: Is an important water source, especially in the drier months, so maintaining its quality and quantity is extremely important. Groundwater is vulnerable to surface pollution, especially in highly urbanised areas. Brooks, canals and rivers, within an area of 3,842 sq mi (9,951 km ), combine to form 38 main tributaries feeding the Thames between its source and Teddington Lock . This
1824-649: Is believed that Tamesubugus' name was derived from that of the river. Tamese was referred to as a place, not a river in the Ravenna Cosmography ( c. AD 700 ). The river's name has always been pronounced with a simple t /t/ ; the Middle English spelling was typically Temese and the Brittonic form Tamesis . A similar spelling from 1210, "Tamisiam" (the accusative case of "Tamisia"; see Kingston upon Thames § Early history ),
1938-604: Is formed for much of its length for shipping and supplies: through the Port of London for international trade, internally along its length and by its connection to the British canal system. The river's position has put it at the centre of many events in British history, leading to it being described by John Burns as "liquid history". Two broad canals link the river to other rivers: the Kennet and Avon Canal ( Reading to Bath ) and
2052-697: Is found in Magna Carta . The Thames through Oxford is sometimes called the Isis . Historically, and especially in Victorian times, gazetteers and cartographers insisted that the entire river was correctly named the Isis from its source down to Dorchester on Thames and that only from this point, where the river meets the Thame and becomes the "Thame-isis" (supposedly subsequently abbreviated to Thames) should it be so called. Ordnance Survey maps still label
2166-469: Is no documented evidence that any of these architects worked on the house; it therefore seems likely their involvement is apocryphal. It is known that James Paine supplied fireplaces and advised on the building costs, but the general design of the mansion is unsophisticated and not in character with Paine's work, making it unlikely that his involvement was major. The house is constructed of local stone and materials with Portland stone adornments. The roof
2280-516: Is of Westmorland slate. Some of the building materials were bought second-hand, following demolitions and alterations to Kempsford House , Gloucestershire, and Charlton House . Whoever the architect was, the design fails to follow the strict dictates of either the Palladian style, which was passing from fashion, or those of the neoclassical style, which had been becoming popular in England from
2394-420: Is often the case in a neoclassical house, where the owners retired upstairs. The great Baroque houses, built just 50 years earlier, often did not have a principal internal staircase at all, as the owners never left the piano nobile. It is for their contents, rather than their architecture, that the rooms are notable. The six principal rooms on the piano nobile contain the cream of an art collection collected by
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#17327834097022508-482: Is pierced by two gable windows, more reminiscent of a farmhouse than a sophisticated mansion. The north front more truly follows the neoclassical style, in its English form, of the later 18th century. Two large bows project to flank the central three bays. In 1859, the house and estate were sold by Loveden Loveden's great grandson, Sir Pryse Pryse. The new owner was an Australian gold trader, Robert "Tertius" Campbell . A keen agriculturist, Campbell extensively modernised
2622-452: Is responsible for managing the flow of water to help prevent and mitigate flooding, and providing for navigation: the volume and speed of water downstream is managed by adjusting the sluices at each of the weirs and, at peak high water, levels are generally dissipated over preferred flood plains adjacent to the river. Occasionally, flooding of inhabited areas is unavoidable and the agency issues flood warnings. Due to stiff penalties applicable on
2736-948: Is shared by many other river names in Britain, such as the River Tamar at the border of Devon and Cornwall , several rivers named Tame in the Midlands and North Yorkshire , the Tavy on Dartmoor , the Team of the North East, the Teifi and Teme of Wales , the Teviot in the Scottish Borders and a Thames tributary, the Thame . Kenneth H. Jackson proposed that the name of
2850-717: Is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom , after the River Severn . The river rises at Thames Head in Gloucestershire and flows into the North Sea near Tilbury , Essex and Gravesend , Kent, via the Thames Estuary . From the west, it flows through Oxford (where it is sometimes called the Isis), Reading , Henley-on-Thames and Windsor . The Thames also drains
2964-404: Is the usual tidal limit ; however, high spring tides can raise the head water level in the reach above Teddington and can occasionally reverse the river flow for a short time. In these circumstances, tidal effects can be observed upstream to the next lock beside Molesey weir , which is visible from the towpath and bridge beside Hampton Court Palace . Before Teddington Lock was built in 1810–12,
3078-811: The Berwyn Mountains in North Wales . About 450,000 years ago, in the most extreme Ice Age of the Pleistocene , the Anglian , the furthest southern extent of the ice sheet reached Hornchurch in east London, the Vale of St Albans, and the Finchley Gap . It dammed the river in Hertfordshire , resulting in the formation of large ice lakes, which eventually burst their banks and caused
3192-541: The British Geological Survey from the banks of the tidal River Thames contain geochemical information and fossils which provide a 10,000-year record of sea-level change. Combined, this and other studies suggest that the Thames sea-level has risen more than 30 m during the Holocene at a rate of around 5–6 mm per year from 10,000 to 6,000 years ago. The rise of sea level dramatically reduced when
3306-570: The Churn (which feeds into the Thames near Cricklade ) rises, is also sometimes quoted as the Thames' source, as this location is farthest from the mouth and adds some 14 mi (23 km) to the river's length. At Seven Springs above the source is a stone with the Latin hexameter inscription "Hic tuus o Tamesine pater septemgeminus fons", which means "Here, O Father Thames, [is] your sevenfold source". The springs at Seven Springs flow throughout
3420-684: The Grand Union Canal (London to the Midlands). The Grand Union effectively bypassed the earlier, narrow and winding Oxford Canal which remains open as a popular scenic recreational route. Three further cross-basin canals are disused but are in various stages of reconstruction: the Thames and Severn Canal (via Stroud ), which operated until 1927 (to the west coast of England), the Wey and Arun Canal to Littlehampton , which operated until 1871 (to
3534-489: The River Lea can be considered another boundary. Most of the local riverside was also marshland. The land was drained and became farmland; it was built on after the Industrial Revolution . Canvey Island in southern Essex (area 18.45 km , 7.12 sq mi; population 40,000 ) was once marshy, but is now a fully reclaimed island in the Thames estuary, separated from the mainland of south Essex by
Thames Conservancy - Misplaced Pages Continue
3648-662: The Royal Academy , London , in 1785. They are now on show at the River and Rowing Museum in Henley). Richard Coates suggests that while the river was as a whole called the Thames, part of it, where it was too wide to ford, was called * (p)lowonida . This gave the name to a settlement on its banks, which became known as Londinium , from the Indo-European roots * pleu- "flow" and * -nedi "river" meaning something like
3762-504: The Thames Barrier , which protects central London from flooding by storm surges . Below the barrier, the river passes Woolwich , Thamesmead , Dagenham , Erith , Purfleet , Dartford , West Thurrock , Northfleet , Tilbury and Gravesend before entering the Thames Estuary near Southend-on-Sea . The sea level in the Thames estuary is rising and the rate of rise is increasing. Sediment cores up to 10 m deep collected by
3876-549: The Thanetian stage of the late Palaeocene epoch. Until around 500,000 years ago, the Thames flowed on its existing course through what is now Oxfordshire , before turning to the north-east through Hertfordshire and East Anglia and reaching the North Sea near present-day Ipswich . At this time the river-system headwaters lay in the English West Midlands and may, at times, have received drainage from
3990-666: The Tideway (upper and lower estuary) was transferred to the Port of London Authority in 1909. In 1974 the conservancy was taken into the Thames Water Authority , later to devolve to the Environment Agency in almost all respects. The stretch of river between the town of Staines , just to the west of London , and Yantlet Creek had been claimed by the City of London since 1197 under a charter of Richard
4104-610: The City of London owned the river bed for its part of the river, the Thames Commissioners did not and hence Thames Conservancy did not acquire the ownership of the river bed for the section above Staines which remained (and remains) the property of the riparian owners. In August 1866 the conservancy inspected works between Oxford and Windsor and in October settled a table of tolls. Bell Weir Lock had collapsed in June and
4218-587: The Garden House, in the grounds for their personal use during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak, the interior of the house has very much the uncontrived air of a private residence rather than that of a public art gallery. The present Lord Faringdon has added many works of art to the collection, including contemporary paintings, ceramics, glass and silver. The house, gardens and grounds are open each year from April to September. In 1863, Robert Tertius Campbell built an irrigation scheme on
4332-654: The Lionheart . The jurisdiction was marked by the London Stones . In 1771 the Thames Navigation Commission was established from a body created twenty years earlier to handle navigation on the river. Although the commissioners were active in establishing locks and weirs above Staines, they did not interfere with the jurisdiction of the City of London. The City of London Corporation built a series of locks from Teddington to Penton Hook at
4446-686: The North Sea, and the Thames Barrier was built in the 1980s to protect London from this risk. The Nore is the sandbank that marks the mouth of the Thames Estuary , where the outflow from the Thames meets the North Sea . It is roughly halfway between Havengore Creek in Essex and Warden Point on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. Until 1964 it marked the seaward limit of the Port of London Authority. As
4560-544: The River Thames on the Tideway include the rivers Crane , Brent , Wandle , Ravensbourne (the final part of which is called Deptford Creek ), Lea (the final part of which is called Bow Creek ), Roding (Barking Creek), Darent and Ingrebourne . In London, the water is slightly brackish with sea salt, being a mix of sea and fresh water. This part of the river is managed by the Port of London Authority . The flood threat here comes from high tides and strong winds from
4674-636: The Thames Conservancy Act 1950 and Thames Conservancy Act 1959, rather than the River Boards Act. The Water Act 1973 abolished river authorities, replacing them with ten regional water authorities , and on 1 April 1974, the Thames Conservancy was subsumed into the new Thames Water Authority , although much of the organisation remained intact as the authority's Thames Conservancy Division. However, when Thames Water
Thames Conservancy - Misplaced Pages Continue
4788-548: The Thames Conservancy continued to operate under the 1930 legislation. The next change occurred with the passing of the Land Drainage Act 1961 , the provisions of which were applied to the Thames Conservancy, although the conservancy did not formally become a river authority in the way that other river boards did. Mention was made in the act that the Thames Conservators derived some of their powers from
4902-415: The Thames Conservancy in October 1857. In June 1857 the first stone of a new lock at Teddington had been laid at the present position, being the central of the three locks. The conservancy opened it in 1858 together with the narrow skiff lock, (known as "the coffin"). and the conservancy soon imposed regulations. In 1858 a toll of 15 shillings was imposed on every steam vessel passing Teddington Lock , and
5016-402: The Thames Conservancy remained responsible for the non-tidal river between Cricklade and Teddington. Lock rebuilds took place at Penton Hook in 1909 and Hurley in 1910. In 1912 the conservancy undertook major works at Boulter's Lock , which involved the purchase of Ray Mill Island . Chertsey Lock was lengthened in 1913 and Marsh Lock rebuilt in 1914. Goring Lock was rebuilt in 1921 with
5130-480: The Thames Estuary), the river is subject to tidal activity from the North Sea . Before the lock was installed, the river was tidal as far as Staines, about 16 mi (26 km) upstream. London, capital of Roman Britain , was established on two hills, now known as Cornhill and Ludgate Hill . These provided a firm base for a trading centre at the lowest possible point on the Thames. A river crossing
5244-521: The Thames as "River Thames or Isis" down to Dorchester. Since the early 20th century this distinction has been lost in common usage outside of Oxford, and some historians suggest the name Isis is nothing more than a truncation of Tamesis , the Latin name for the Thames. Sculptures titled Tamesis and Isis by Anne Seymour Damer are located on the bridge at Henley-on-Thames , Oxfordshire (the original terracotta and plaster models were exhibited at
5358-493: The Thames is not Indo-European (and of unknown meaning), while Peter Kitson suggested that it is Indo-European but originated before the Britons and has a name indicating "muddiness" from a root *tā- , 'melt'. Early variants of the name include: Indirect evidence for the antiquity of the name "Thames" is provided by a Roman potsherd found at Oxford, bearing the inscription Tamesubugus fecit (Tamesubugus made [this]). It
5472-524: The Thames' discharge is low considering its length and breadth: the Severn has a discharge almost twice as large on average despite having a smaller drainage basin . In Scotland , the Tay achieves more than double the Thames' average discharge from a drainage basin that is 60% smaller. Along its course are 45 navigation locks with accompanying weirs . Its catchment area covers a large part of south-eastern and
5586-567: The Thames, from Middle English Temese , is derived from the Brittonic name for the river, Tamesas (from * tamēssa ), recorded in Latin as Tamesis and yielding modern Welsh Tafwys "Thames". The name element Tam may have meant "dark" and can be compared to other cognates such as Russian темно ( Proto-Slavic * tĭmĭnŭ ), Lithuanian tamsi "dark", Latvian tumsa "darkness", Sanskrit tamas and Welsh tywyll "darkness" and Middle Irish teimen "dark grey". The origin
5700-406: The act, and those relating to activities bestowed on them by various Conservancy Acts dating from 1894 to 1924. The River Boards Act 1948 replaced catchment boards with river boards , covering the whole of England and Wales, but again the Thames Conservancy was treated as a special case. The act introduced new constitutional, financial and general administrative powers for the river boards, but
5814-422: The advance in the size of ships and the growth of the Port of London raised questions of management and a royal commission reported in 1900 recommending that a single body take responsibility for the port. Meanwhile at Teddington, the barge lock, the largest lock on the river at 650 feet (200 m), was built in 1904–1905. Locks rebuilt in 1905 included Abingdon , St Johns, Sonning and Osney . Molesey Lock
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#17327834097025928-539: The agreement with the National Trust stated that Buscot would be leased to the Barons Faringdon, enabling them to remain in residence. This arrangement has continued to the present day. The present and 3rd Lord Faringdon, with his wife, not only lives in the house, but is responsible for the day-to-day management and decoration of the mansion. Although Lord and Lady Faringdon have built a smaller house,
6042-544: The art collection founded by the 1st Baron was considerably enlarged, although many of the 1st Baron's 19th-century works of art were sold immediately following his death. The house and estate was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1956. The contents (which include works of art by Rembrandt and Burne-Jones ) are owned by the Faringdon Collection Trust. The house is occupied and managed by
6156-412: The beginning of the nineteenth century. They also used material from the demolished Old London Bridge to support the embankments between Sunbury and Shepperton . However trouble arose around 1840 when the government proposed building the Victoria Embankment and the Crown claimed title to the river bed. The dispute simmered on for 17 years. Meanwhile, as a result of competition from the railways,
6270-458: The case in a Palladian or Baroque design. The severity of the facade, which is of nine bays , is only relieved by a band between the two major floors and the slight projection of the central three bays which are crowned by a low pediment. Following the Palladian tradition, the ground floor is rusticated . The roofline has only a very low parapet and no balustrade , thus leaving the hipped roof and chimneys completely visible. The high slate roof
6384-423: The case of the Colne ), and man-made distributaries such as the Longford River . Three canals intersect this stretch: the Oxford Canal , Kennet and Avon Canal and Wey Navigation . Its longest artificial secondary channel (cut), the Jubilee River , was built between Maidenhead and Windsor for flood relief and completed in 2002. The non-tidal section of the river is managed by the Environment Agency , which
6498-475: The central character in a Victorian murder case that remains unsolved to this day. On Campbell's death, in 1887, the house and its estate were sold to Alexander Henderson a financier, later to be ennobled as Baron Faringdon . Following the death of the 1st Baron in 1934, the house was considerably altered and restored to its 18th-century form, by the architect Geddes Hyslop , for his grandson and successor, Gavin Henderson, 2nd Baron Faringdon , during this era,
6612-423: The confluence, the overall length of the Thames measured from Seven Springs, at 229 mi (369 km), is greater than the Severn's length of 220 mi (350 km). Thus, the "Churn/Thames" river may be regarded as the longest natural river in the United Kingdom. The stream from Seven Springs is joined at Coberley by a longer tributary which could further increase the length of the Thames, with its source in
6726-427: The conservancy. In addition provision was made for all weirs to be transferred to the Conservancy from private owners. Former owners of weirs were freed from liability but two weirs at Buscot and Eaton remained to the owner of Buscot Park . Most weirs belonged to the twenty eight water-mills still operating between Oxford and Staines and the entitlement to water of the mills, many of which dated back to Domesday Book ,
6840-412: The dining and drawing rooms "reigned as king and queen over the other rooms" and were often, as at Buscot, placed symmetrically in the house with a hall or saloon dividing them. The dividing room not only served to muffle the noise of boisterous men, partaking of their post-prandial port and cigars in the "masculine" dining rooms, from the more delicate ladies in the "female" drawing room, but also provided
6954-454: The estate, seriously depleting his fortune in the process. During the early 1850s, Campbell considered vastly expanding the mansion, and plans were drawn up showing the house transformed to a turreted palace in a loose English renaissance style. Ultimately, Campbell decided against any grandiose schemes and contented himself by adding a porch, parapet and gabled windows to the neoclassical south front in an incongruous Neo-Renaissance style. It
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#17327834097027068-461: The estate. His plan was to grow sugar beet and use it to produce alcohol . A distillery was opened in 1869. Campbell built a six-mile railway around the estate to collect the sugar beet and other farm produce. The railway was built to the unusual track gauge of 2 ft 8in. Three 0-4-0T locomotives were supplied by Appleby Brothers of Southwark, the first in 1871. They were named Edith, Emily and Alice, after Campbell's daughters. The estate
7182-408: The existing weirs with locks and footbridges where there was a right of way. New locks were Grafton Lock and Northmoor Lock in 1896 and Shifford Lock in 1898. Also in 1898 the conservancy rebuilt Pinkhill and Rushey. Downstream, Boveney was rebuilt in 1898, with the old lock replaced by a boat slide and Shepperton was also rebuilt on a different alignment in 1899. By the end of the 19th century
7296-416: The facades to their original 18th-century simplicity. To compensate for the space lost through the demolition, he commissioned the architect Geddes Hyslop to create two flanking pavilions in a loose Palladian style. These pavilions, in reality rectangular but detached wings, had temple fronts complementing the two principal facades, and gave the side elevations of the mansion added grandeur and interest. This
7410-412: The flowing river or the wide flowing unfordable river. The river gives its name to three informal areas: the Thames Valley , a region of England around the river between Oxford and West London; the Thames Gateway ; and the greatly overlapping Thames Estuary around the tidal Thames to the east of London and including the waterway itself. Thames Valley Police is a formal body that takes its name from
7524-424: The four seasons, divided into quarters by pleached hornbeams and Judas trees, each section of the garden represents a different season. A novel feature, set on a prominence above the garden is a faux waterfall, a modern sculpture which from a distance creates a convincing optical illusion of a torrential waterfall. During the 1940s, the 2nd Lord Faringdon formulated a plan in conjunction with Ernest Cook to present
7638-499: The funds to meet the promise. There were regular complaints at this time about the poor state of river particularly in upper reaches and the persistence of sewage. Lock replacements continued with Shiplake and Cleeve in 1874, Caversham in 1875, Whitchurch in 1876 and Bell Weir in 1877. In 1883 the conservancy removed the lock at Chalmore Hole at Wallingford , after many years petitioning by residents of Wallingford for its retention. The weirs at Hambleden were built in 1884 and
7752-533: The grounds of the National Star College at Ullenwood . The Thames flows through or alongside Ashton Keynes , Cricklade , Lechlade , Oxford , Abingdon-on-Thames , Wallingford , Goring-on-Thames and Streatley (at the Goring Gap ), Pangbourne and Whitchurch-on-Thames , Reading , Wargrave , Henley-on-Thames , Marlow , Maidenhead , Windsor and Eton , Staines-upon-Thames and Egham , Chertsey , Shepperton , Weybridge , Sunbury-on-Thames , Walton-on-Thames , Molesey and Thames Ditton . The river
7866-427: The house and its estate to the nation, under the auspices of the National Trust. A decade later, the preservation of Buscot's contents was ensured by the creation of a family trust which acquired ownership of the Henderson family's works of art and furniture which became known as the Faringdon Collection. This collection is displayed at Buscot and the family's town house in London's Brompton Square . A stipulation in
7980-400: The house in 1934 has created a series of seemingly meaningless and similar reception rooms, designed to accommodate large house parties. In some cases (including the Dutch Room) smaller rooms were amalgamated and lost. This has hidden the original uses of the rooms. During the late 18th century, rooms came to be perceived as masculine and feminine and arranged in suites accordingly. In particular
8094-424: The house to the distant 20-acre (81,000 m ) lake. Despite its woodland setting leading to an informal lake, the water garden is formal in its concept, in direct contrast to the still popular picturesque movement which perhaps reached its zenith just a few years earlier at Cragside , Northumberland. This was because Peto was influenced by the architect Reginald Blomfield , a disciple of Sir Charles Barry who
8208-456: The house with a large wing. In the 1930s, a time when many country houses were being pulled down, converted to schools or standing empty, Buscot enjoyed a renaissance. In 1934, it was inherited by the 2nd Lord Faringdon . The new Lord Faringdon inherited Buscot from his grandfather, the 1st Lord Faringdon, and immediately embarked upon a major remodelling project. He swept away the 19th-century additions of his grandfather and Campbell, returning
8322-512: The ice melt nearly concluded over the past 4,000 years. Since the beginning of the 20th century, rates of sea level rise range from 1.22 mm per year to 2.14 mm per year. The Thames River Basin District, including the Medway catchment, covers an area of 6,229 sq mi (16,130 km ). The entire river basin is a mixture of urban and rural, with rural landscape predominating in
8436-579: The impresario Fred Karno and Eel Pie Island at Twickenham was the birthplace of the South East's R&B music scene. Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster (commonly known today as the Houses of Parliament ) were built on Thorney Island , which used to be an eyot . Researchers have identified the River Thames as a discrete drainage line flowing as early as 58 million years ago, in
8550-425: The land upon which his house was built until 1788. The architect is unknown, and it is likely that Loveden himself had a hand in the design. Loveden is known to have employed James Darley at this time; a little-known architect, described by a contemporary as "able and experienced." The names of other far more eminent architects have been mentioned in connection with Buscot, including that of Robert Adam , but there
8664-402: The late 1760s. Christopher Hussey , writing in 1940, opined that "The architect owed much to Robert Adam and the pattern books of the admirable tradesmen of the day." Unusually for a house of this period, the house has neither portico nor pilasters to break the austerity of the facade. Contemporary drawings show that the principal and central entrance originally had a segmented pediment ,
8778-515: The management of the bulk of the upstream river was the responsibility of the Thames Navigation Commissioners , but this changed in 1866. In 1866 it was considered expedient to put the navigation of the whole of the river under one management It was said that the Thames Commissioners were too numerous, the locks and weirs on the River Thames were in a bad condition and income was insufficient to pay for maintenance. It
8892-426: The non-tidal river, which is a drinking water source before treatment, sanitary sewer overflow from the many sewage treatment plants covering the upper Thames basin should be rare in the non-tidal Thames. However, storm sewage overflows are still common in almost all the main tributaries of the Thames despite claims by Thames Water to the contrary. Below Teddington Lock (about 55 mi or 89 km upstream of
9006-400: The park began in 1782. In the early 20th century, the landscape architect Harold Peto worked at Buscot. Water gardens had become popular in the late 19th century, following the introduction of exotic water-loving plants and the first illustrated gardening magazines. Thus, Peto was commissioned to design a water garden. The result was an " Alhambra-like " series of rills and fountains, linking
9120-429: The present Lord Faringdon . The mansion and its extensive formal and informal gardens and grounds are open to the public each summer. The construction of Buscot Park was begun in 1780, for Edward Loveden Loveden, whose family had owned land adjacent to the site since 1557. The land upon which he chose to build the house itself was owned by the neighbouring Throckmorton estate. Loveden Loveden did not acquire ownership of
9234-407: The public right of way across the river sustained by building the walkway. Bray Lock was rebuilt in 1885. The Thames Preservation Act 1885 was passed to enshrine the preservation of river for public recreation. It prohibited shooting on the river which had become a cause of concern. The act noted "It is lawful for all persons for pleasure or profit to travel or to loiter upon any and every part or
9348-441: The rebuilding of Romney Lock and the addition of a boat slide at Teddington. In 1870 Hambleden Lock and Benson Lock were rebuilt, followed by Day's Lock in 1871 and Godstow Lock in 1872. In the 1870s it is recorded that Teddington weir collapsed twice causing enormous damage. In 1872 the conservancy promised to reopen navigation between Radcot and Newbridge by repairing Rushey Lock but in 1874 recognised that they lacked
9462-479: The river on a straight course between Weybridge and Walton on Thames , and avoiding a meandering stretch past Shepperton and its Lower Halliford locale. The channel cut the regularity of flooding in Chertsey and Old Shepperton and halved the distance of travel on that part of the river. The Thames Conservancy Act 1932 ( 22 & 23 Geo. 5 . c. xxxvii) dealt with construction of jetties and landing stages on
9576-585: The river passes Pimlico and Vauxhall , and then forms one of the principal axes of the city, from the Palace of Westminster to the Tower of London . At this point, it historically formed the southern boundary of the medieval city, with Southwark , on the opposite bank, then being part of Surrey . Beyond central London, the river passes Bermondsey , Wapping , Shadwell , Limehouse , Rotherhithe , Millwall , Deptford , Greenwich , Cubitt Town , Blackwall , New Charlton and Silvertown , before flowing through
9690-458: The river to divert onto its present course through the area of present-day London. The ice lobe which stopped at present-day Finchley deposited about 14 metres of boulder clay there. Its torrent of meltwater gushed through the Finchley Gap and south towards the new course of the Thames, and proceeded to carve out the Brent Valley in the process. Buscot Park Buscot Park
9804-439: The river was tidal at peak spring tides as far as Staines upon Thames . In descending order, non-related tributaries of the non-tidal Thames, with river status, are the Churn , Leach , Cole , Ray , Coln , Windrush , Evenlode , Cherwell , Ock , Thame , Pang , Kennet , Loddon , Colne , Wey and Mole . In addition, there are occasional backwaters and artificial cuts that form islands, distributaries (most numerous in
9918-425: The river" (apart from private cuts). The river had become exceedingly popular for sport and leisure. Many regattas or "aquatic fetes" had been instigated and Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat published in 1889 described a typical boating journey. Lock replacements continued with Marsh in 1888, Temple in 1890 and Cookham in 1892 The first new lock was built at Radcot Lock in 1892, and Chertsey Lock
10032-596: The river, covering three counties . In non-administrative use, the river's name is used in those of Thames Valley University , Thames Water , Thames Television , publishing company Thames & Hudson , Thameslink (north–south rail service passing through central London ) and South Thames College . An example of its use in the names of historic entities is the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company . Marks of human activity, in some cases dating back to Pre-Roman Britain , are visible at various points along
10146-456: The river, while some islands, e.g. Thorney Island , formed over the ages. The northern tip of the ancient parish of Lambeth , for example, was marshland known as Lambeth Marshe , but it was drained in the 18th century; the street names Lower Marsh and Upper Marsh preserve a memory. Until the middle of the Victorian era, malaria was commonplace beside the River Thames, even in London, and
10260-415: The river. In the 1960s modernisation of the locks began with the first hydraulic system introduced at Shiplake Lock in 1961. Sandford Lock was rebuilt in 1972. Significant change in the structure of the conservancy in the 20th century began with the passing of the Land Drainage Act 1930 . This created catchment boards and drainage boards over much of England and Wales, but the Thames above Teddington
10374-519: The river. These include a variety of structures connected with use of the river, such as navigations, bridges and watermills , as well as prehistoric burial mounds . The lower Thames in the Roman era was a shallow waterway winding through marshes. But centuries of human intervention have transformed it into a deep tidal canal flowing between 200 miles of solid walls; these defend a floodplain where 1.5 million people work and live. A major maritime route
10488-551: The sandbank was a major hazard for shipping coming in and out of London, in 1732 it received the world's first lightship . This became a major landmark, and was used as an assembly point for shipping. Today it is marked by Sea Reach No. 1 Buoy. The River Thames contains over 80 islands ranging from the large estuarial marshlands of the Isle of Sheppey and Canvey Island to small tree-covered islets like Rose Isle in Oxfordshire and Headpile Eyot in Berkshire. They are found all
10602-541: The south coast), and the Wilts & Berks Canal . Rowing and sailing clubs are common along the Thames, which is navigable to such vessels. Kayaking and canoeing also take place. Major annual events include the Henley Royal Regatta and the Boat Race , while the Thames has been used during two Summer Olympic Games : 1908 ( rowing ) and 1948 ( rowing and canoeing ). Safe headwaters and reaches are
10716-411: The three Barons Faringdon, from the 1880s to the present day. The Dutch Room ( 2 on the plan ) contains, amongst works by Van Dyck, Jordaens and Honthorst, Rembrandt's portrait of Peter Six. The principal room of the house, the saloon, displays Burne-Jones' The Legend of Briar Rose . Painted over nineteen years from 1871, the series of paintings was acquired by the first Lord Faringdon in 1890. The room
10830-560: The volume of traffic on the river had been drastically reduced. Income from tolls fell from £16,000 in 1839 to less than £8,000 in 1849, while maintenance charges for 1850 were estimated at nearly £7,000. The City's unwillingness to pay for necessary expenditure led to complaints. By the Thames Conservancy Act 1857 , the Crown reclaimed its rights and transferred them to the new body. The City of London handed its inventory to
10944-705: The way from Fiddler's Island in Oxfordshire to the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. Some of the largest inland islands, for example Formosa Island near Cookham and Andersey Island at Abingdon, were created naturally when the course of the river divided into separate streams. In the Oxford area the river splits into several streams across the floodplain ( Seacourt Stream , Castle Mill Stream , Bulstake Stream and others), creating several islands ( Fiddler's Island , Osney and others). Desborough Island , Ham Island at Old Windsor and Penton Hook Island were artificially created by lock cuts and navigation channels. Chiswick Eyot
11058-412: The western part. The area is among the driest in the United Kingdom. Water resources consist of groundwater from aquifers and water taken from the Thames and its tributaries, much of it stored in large bank-side reservoirs . The Thames itself provides two-thirds of London's drinking water, while groundwater supplies about 40 per cent of public water supplies in the overall catchment area. Groundwater
11172-433: The whole of Greater London . The lower reaches of the river are called the Tideway , derived from its long tidal reach up to Teddington Lock . Its tidal section includes most of its London stretch and has a rise and fall of 23 ft (7 m). From Oxford to the estuary, the Thames drops by 55 metres (180 ft). Running through some of the drier parts of mainland Britain and heavily abstracted for drinking water,
11286-580: The year, while those at Thames Head are seasonal (a winterbourne ). With a length of 215 mi (346 km), the Thames is the longest river entirely in England. (The longest river in the United Kingdom, the Severn , flows partly in Wales .) However, as the River Churn, sourced at Seven Springs, is 14 mi (23 km) longer than the section of the Thames from its traditional source at Thames Head to
11400-486: Was achieved by the addition of a triumphal arch to an otherwise blank curtain wall. The pavilions are given unity with the mansion by high yew hedges acting as walls, which link the buildings, accentuating the Palladianism of the design. Hyslop's work was not all restoration. Immediately adjacent to the east facade, in a court created by newly planted yew hedging linking the mansion and East Pavilion, Hyslop created
11514-405: Was at this time that many of the estate's woodlands were planted, along with the creation of new gardens and the carriage drive which form the nucleus of the gardens today. Campbell died in 1887, his fortune spent and the estate mortgaged. Buscot was then acquired by Alexander Henderson, later to be ennobled as the first Baron Faringdon. Henderson, an eminent London stockbroker and financier, enlarged
11628-493: Was believed that under single management with the upper river maintained properly and with lower tolls overall the traffic would increase. On 6 August 1866, the Thames Navigation Act 1866 allowed the Thames Conservancy to take over management of the river from Cricklade to Yantlet Creek, a distance of 177 miles (285 km). Under the act, all locks canals and other works of the commissioners were transferred to
11742-479: Was built at the site of London Bridge . London Bridge is now used as the basis for published tide tables giving the times of high tide . High tide reaches Putney about 30 minutes later than London Bridge, and Teddington about an hour later. The tidal stretch of the river is known as "the Tideway ". Tide tables are published by the Port of London Authority and are available online. Times of high and low tides are also posted on Twitter. The principal tributaries of
11856-463: Was frequently lethal. Some cases continued to occur into the early 20th century. Draining of the marshes helped with its eradication, but the causes are complex and unclear. The East End of London , also known simply as the East End , was the area of London east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames, although it is not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries;
11970-483: Was lengthened in 1893. A major work in 1894 was the Richmond Lock and weir complex built to ensure that there is always at least a 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) depth of water in the river between Richmond and Teddington. The Thames Conservancy Act 1894 ( 57 & 58 Vict. c. clxxxvii) consisted mainly of tidying up legislation. The conservancy finally addressed navigation above Oxford, replacing
12084-535: Was privatised in 1990 as a result of the Water Act 1989 , the river management functions passed to the new National Rivers Authority and in 1996 to the Environment Agency . River Thames The River Thames ( / t ɛ m z / TEMZ ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis , is a river that flows through southern England including London . At 215 miles (346 km), it
12198-418: Was rebuilt the following year. In 1868 tolls were placed on three of the four locks then above Oxford – St John's , Buscot and Pinkhill Locks . Rushey Lock was omitted and there were no tolls on the weirs. This reflects the poor state of navigation above Oxford. Some of the old locks on the rest of the river were still wooden pens and these were gradually renewed or replaced. Works completed in 1869 included
12312-543: Was recognised. No new flow of sewage into the river or its tributaries was allowed and existing sewage works were to be removed. New revenue was raised by a £1,000 per annum charge on each of the five water companies . The Southwark and Vauxhall , Grand Junction and West Middlesex water companies had set up their works at Hampton in the 1850s after it became illegal to take water from the Tideway . The Lambeth and Chelsea water companies had moved initially to Seething Wells but later relocated to East Molesey . Whereas
12426-420: Was regarded as neutral territory and would have been used only for large receptions, or entertaining the most important guests. The original use of the rooms is further confirmed by the design of the second floor, where the windows are of equal size to those below, which indicates that the principal bedrooms were always placed there. The principal staircase is comparatively small and not as grand and commanding as
12540-408: Was replaced in 1906 and Mapledurham Lock in 1908. The Port of London Act 1908 transferred responsibility for the Tideway including Richmond Lock to the Port of London Authority , which began its duties on 31 March 1909. A demarcation point set the authorities' shared boundary as that of the parishes of Teddington and Twickenham , with an obelisk 350 yards (320 m) below Teddington Lock:
12654-407: Was responsible for many of the great Italianate houses and formal terraced gardens of the 19th century. Peto also designed a large entrance court to the mansion, with massive gate piers, intended to create an impressive approach to the house. Before the north front of the house is a formal lawned parterre with a bronze fountain depicting Mercury . Leading from the immediate vicinity of the house are
12768-617: Was subject to minor redefining and widening of the main channel around Oxford, Abingdon and Marlow before 1850, when further cuts to ease navigation reduced distances further. Molesey faces Hampton , and in Greater London the Thames passes Hampton Court Palace , Surbiton , Kingston upon Thames , Teddington , Twickenham , Richmond (with a famous view of the Thames from Richmond Hill), Syon House , Kew , Brentford , Chiswick , Barnes , Hammersmith , Fulham , Putney , Wandsworth , Battersea and Chelsea . In central London ,
12882-477: Was then decorated to accommodate them. Burne-Jones, visiting Buscot, disliked the sequence, and painted a further four scenes to fill the voids between the original canvases. Elsewhere in the house are works by Botticelli , Caracci , Cipriani , Gainsborough , Kauffman , Lawrence , Leighton , Lely , Graham Sutherland and others. The house is set within a large park, of over 100 acres (0.40 km ), containing woodland, lakes and formal gardens. Creation of
12996-453: Was treated as a special case, as outlined in section 79 of that act. The conservators automatically became a catchment board, and were required to carry out the drainage functions described in section 34 of the Act, although not until two years after the act came into force. All the existing conservators had to resign, although they could be reappointed as part of the new regime. Schedule 6 contained
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