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  River Thames
The Thames is one of the major rivers flowing through southern England. Thames is best known as it flows through Central London. Thames also flows through many other English cities like Lechlade, Oxford, Abingdon, Reading, Henley on Thames, Marlow, Maidenhead, Windsor, Staines, Walton on Thames, London, Dartford and Southend. The name Thames is shared by a number of areas around the river including Thames Valley, The Thames Gateway and the Thames Estuary.
The river source is Thames Head which is about a mile north of the villege of Kamble, close to the town of Cirencester, Cotswolds. Though this source is not perennial, thus sometimes people quote the Seven Springs near Cheltenham as its source. These springs provide water to The Thames all year around. The total length of the river is 346 km and if you add the stretch to The Seven springs the total distance becomes 368 km.
After reaching the outskirts of Greater London, the river passes through Hampton Court, Kingston, Teddington, Twickenham, Richmond, Syon House and Kew before flowing through central London. In central London, the river forms one of the main connecting platform, from the Palace of Westminster to the Tower of London.
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Once the river crosses central London, the river passes between Greenwich and the Isle of Dogs, before hitting the Thames Barrier, which shields central London from flooding in the event of storm surges from the North Sea. After crossing the barrier the the river flows to Dartford, Tilbury and Gravesend before entering the Thames Estuary near Southend-on-Sea.
The River has many uses, the main being a fresh water resource. In the past it has served as a boundary, especially during the time of the Romans. It has been used as a water highway. There are 60 active terminals cater for shipping of all types including ferries, cruise liners and vessels carrying containers, vehicles, timber, grain, paper, crude oil, petroleum products, liquefied petroleum gas, etc. Thames is a great navigation channel. The Thames also serves as a major food source, with fishes like brown trout, chub, dace, roach, barbel, perch, pike, bleak, and flounder. Thames also serves leisure and sporting hub. Sightseeing tours in tourist boats are organized for attractions like Houses of Parliament and the Tower of London. There are many clubs along the river with encourage water sports and organize competitions and events on the water front. Rowing, Sailing, Skiffing, punting, Meanders, Kayaking and canoeing are some of the key sports domain promoted by clubs.
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