Tributaries of the River Thames facts for kids
Around his Throne the Sea-born Brothers stood,
That swell with Tributary Urns his Flood.
First the fam'd Authors of his ancient Name,
The winding Isis, and the fruitful Tame:
The Kennet swift, for silver Eels renown'd;
The Loddon slow, with verdant Alders crown'd:
Cole, whose clear Streams his flow'ry Islands lave;
And chalky Wey, that rolls a milky Wave:
The blue, transparent Vandalis appears;
The gulphy Lee his sedgy Tresses rears:
And sullen Mole, that hides his diving Flood;
And silent Darent, stain'd with Danish Blood.
Windsor Forest
(lines 335-346)
Alexander Pope
This first lists the tributaries of the River Thames from the sea to the source, in England. The secondary lists are of backwaters of the river itself and the waterways branching off.
Note: the River Medway shares the saline lower Thames Estuary.
Tributaries
Name | Confluence | Average discharge (m³/s) | Source | Length | Tributaries | Catchment | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ebbsfleet River | Northfleet 51°27′01″N 0°19′47″E / 51.4503°N 0.3296°E |
Springhead, just S. of the A2 road at Southfleet | 2.4 miles (3.9 km) | Approx. 10 miles due west of London Stone at | |||
Mardyke | Purfleet 51°29′08″N 0°13′40″E / 51.4856°N 0.2278°E |
0.48 | Holden's Wood between Great Warley and Little Warley | 11 miles (18 km) | 35 square miles (91 km2) | ||
River Darent | Dartford 51°28′49″N 0°13′03″E / 51.4802°N 0.2176°E |
0.72 | Westerham | 21 miles (34 km) | River Cray | 154 square miles (400 km2) | Tidal reach: Dartford Creek |
River Ingrebourne or Ingrebourne | Rainham, Essex 51°30′27″N 0°10′24″E / 51.5075°N 0.1733°E |
0.33 | Brentwood | 27 miles (43 km) | Tidal reach: Rainham Creek | ||
River Beam and/or Rom and Bourne Brook | Dagenham 51°30′42″N 0°09′31″E / 51.5118°N 0.1587°E |
0.34 | Stapleford Abbots Golf Club, Watton's Green | 13 miles (21 km) | The Ravensbourne | Rom upstream of inflow of Ravensbourne | |
River Roding | Creekmouth 51°30′52″N 0°05′55″E / 51.5145°N 0.0987°E |
1.85 | Molehill Green, near Dunmow | 31 miles (50 km) | Cripsey Brook Cran Brook Alders Brook Seven Kings Water Mayes Brook |
132 square miles (340 km2) | tidal reach: Barking Creek |
River Lea | Leamouth 51°30′26″N 0°00′33″E / 51.5071°N 0.0092°E |
5.48 | Leagrave | 42 miles (68 km) | River Moselle The Hackney Brook River Stort Turkey Brook River Beane River Mimram |
550 square miles (1,400 km2) | tidal reach: Bow Creek |
River Ravensbourne or Ravensbourne | Deptford 51°29′01″N 0°01′07″W / 51.4835°N 0.0185°W |
0.43 | Keston | 11 miles (18 km) | Spring Brook River Pool River Quaggy |
69 square miles (180 km2) | tidal reach: Deptford Creek |
River Neckinger or the Neckinger Channel | Shad Thames 51°30′09″N 0°04′15″W / 51.5024°N 0.0708°W |
north Southwark | 0.8 miles (1.3 km) (about; longer old catchment drains to other surface and combined water conduits) | mainly diverted to surface and combined sewer drains | |||
River Walbrook or Walbrook | Finsbury 51°30′34″N 0°05′34″W / 51.5094°N 0.0928°W |
north walls of City of London (trad.) | 0 miles (0 km) | diverted to surface and combined sewer drains | |||
River Fleet or Fleet stream | Bazelgette's Mid and Lower Northern Interceptor Sewers (previously a stream/field ditch ending at Blackfriars, London) 51°30′39″N 0°06′17″W / 51.5108°N 0.1048°W |
Hampstead Heath | 1 mile (1.6 km) (as to connecting lengths of ponds) | diverted to surface and combined sewer drains. Was also known as the Holbourne/Holborn | |||
River Effra | Vauxhall 51°29′14″N 0°07′33″W / 51.4873°N 0.1258°W |
west and east limits of Gypsy Hill, London | 0 miles (0 km) | diverted to surface and combined sewer drains | |||
River Tyburn, the Tyburn or the Ty Bourne | north and south of Vauxhall Bridge, and small forked mouth around Horseguards Avenue, Westminster (4 mouths) 51°29′17″N 0°07′43″W / 51.4880°N 0.1287°W |
South Hampstead | 0 miles (0 km) | diverted to surface and combined sewer drains | |||
Falconbrook | Battersea 51°28′05″N 0°10′51″W / 51.4680°N 0.1808°W |
Tooting Graveney Common, Tooting and east end of Poynder's Road, Clapham | 0 miles (0 km) | diverted to surface and combined sewer drains | |||
River Westbourne | Chelsea 51°29′06″N 0°09′13″W / 51.4850°N 0.1537°W |
Grange Gardens, Hampstead, West Hampstead and two sources in east Willesden (today's Brondesbury Park) | 0 miles (0 km) | Tyburn Brook | diverted to surface and combined sewer drains | ||
Counter's Creek | west Chelsea/east Fulham 51°28′40″N 0°10′46″W / 51.4778°N 0.1794°W |
Kensal Green | 0 miles (0 km) | diverted to surface and combined sewer drains | |||
River Wandle | Wandsworth 51°27′46″N 0°11′43″W / 51.4629°N 0.1952°W |
1.7 | Waddon | 9 miles (14 km) | River Graveney | 78 square miles (200 km2) | |
Beverley Brook | Putney 51°28′18″N 0°13′22″W / 51.4718°N 0.2229°W |
Worcester Park | 9 miles (14 km) | Pyl Brook | 25 square miles (65 km2) | ||
Stamford Brook | Hammersmith 51°29′25″N 0°14′03″W / 51.4903°N 0.2341°W |
Acton | 0 miles (0 km) | diverted to surface and combined sewer drains – old tidal mouth: Hammersmith Creek | |||
Bollo or Bollar Brook | Chiswick 51°28′46″N 0°15′04″W / 51.4794°N 0.2512°W |
Acton | 0 miles (0 km) | diverted to surface and combined sewer drains | |||
River Brent | Brentford 51°28′59″N 0°18′00″W / 51.4830°N 0.3000°W |
1.32 | Barnet | 18 miles (29 km) | Dollis Brook Folly Brook Mutton Brook |
58 square miles (150 km2) | |
Duke of Northumberland's River (west) and (east) | Isleworth 51°28′13″N 0°19′16″W / 51.4704°N 0.3212°W |
River Crane & River Colne | 9.3 miles (15.0 km) (includes eastern 2.5 miles) | Artificial distributary of the Colne and Crane | |||
River Crane | Isleworth 51°27′55″N 0°19′17″W / 51.4654°N 0.3215°W |
0.54 | Hayes, Hillingdon | 9 miles (14 km) | Yeading Brook | 42 square miles (110 km2) | |
Sudbrook | Petersham 51°26′55″N 0°18′21″W / 51.4487°N 0.3058°W |
Dann's Pond, Richmond Park | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Latchmere Stream | culverted | ||
Hogsmill River | Kingston upon Thames 51°24′33″N 0°18′31″W / 51.4093°N 0.3085°W |
0.98 | Ewell | 6 miles (9.7 km) | Bonesgate Stream | 28 square miles (73 km2) | |
The Rythe | Thames Ditton 51°23′28″N 0°19′34″W / 51.3911°N 0.3260°W |
north Oxshott | 4.2 miles (6.8 km) | ||||
River Mole | Molesey 51°24′04″N 0°20′21″W / 51.4012°N 0.3393°W |
5.43 | Rusper | 50 miles (80 km) | Ifield Brook Gatwick Stream Earlswood Brook Pipp Brook The Rye |
198 square miles (510 km2) | |
Longford River | Hampton Court Palace 51°24′05″N 0°20′18″W / 51.4013°N 0.3383°W |
River Colne | 12 miles (19 km) | Artificial distributary of the Colne | |||
River Ash | southwest corner of Sunbury-on-Thames 51°23′52″N 0°25′02″W / 51.3977°N 0.4173°W |
River Colne | 6.2 miles (10.0 km) | Distributary of the Colne | |||
River Wey (and Caker Stream) | Weybridge 51°22′49″N 0°27′25″W / 51.3804°N 0.4570°W |
6.95 | Hartley Mauditt and Upper Farringdon, Hampshire (main, north or west branch); parishes of Fernhurst/Lurgashall in South Downs National Park (south branch) |
53 miles (85 km) | River Ock, Surrey Cranleigh Waters River Tillingbourne Hoe Stream (fed by the Hodge Brook and Stanford Brook) Of south branch: River Slea, Hampshire Dead Water Cooper's Stream |
350 square miles (910 km2) | Source of south branch about 52 miles to/from mouth. |
River Bourne, Chertsey | Weybridge 51°22′43″N 0°27′50″W / 51.3785°N 0.4638°W |
Windsor Great Park, Ascot and Swinley Forest | 13.2 miles (21.2 km) | River Bourne, Addlestone | |||
River Colne | Staines 51°25′58″N 0°30′55″W / 51.4329°N 0.5152°W |
4.05 (before all distributaries) | North Mymms | 36 miles (58 km) | River Pinn River Misbourne River Chess River Gade River Ver |
||
Colne Brook | Hythe End, Wraysbury 51°26′16″N 0°32′07″W / 51.4379°N 0.5352°W |
River Colne | 9.2 miles (14.8 km) | Distributary of the Colne | |||
The Cut | Bray 51°29′57″N 0°40′53″W / 51.4991°N 0.6815°W |
North Ascot | 14 miles (23 km) | Bull Brook, The Bourne | |||
River Wye | Bourne End 51°34′13″N 0°42′40″W / 51.5704°N 0.7111°W |
1.00 | West Wycombe 51°38′52″N 0°48′45″W / 51.647802°N 0.812522°W |
8.7 miles (14.0 km) | Hughenden Stream | In wet years this river is additionally sourced by an aquifer further up the same valley, extending the river by another mile in length. | |
Hamble Brook | Hambleden Marina 51°33′31″N 0°52′10″W / 51.5585°N 00.8695°W |
Sourced by an aquifer in the Hambleden Valley, occasionally dry. | |||||
River Loddon | Wargrave 51°30′06″N 0°52′48″W / 51.5017°N 0.8800°W |
2.16 | Basingstoke | 28 miles (45 km) | St Patrick's Stream River Broadwater Emm Brook River Blackwater |
400 square miles (1,000 km2) | |
Berry Brook | Hallsmead Ait, near Shiplake 51°29′29″N 0°53′43″W / 51.4913°N 0.8953°W |
street (Surface Water) drains of South View Avenue, Caversham | 4 miles (6.4 km) | ||||
River Kennet | Reading 51°27′32″N 0°56′58″W / 51.4590°N 0.9495°W |
9.75 | Swallowhead spring and others near Silbury Hill | 45 miles (72 km) | Foudry Brook Clayhill Brook River Enborne River Lambourn River Dun River Og |
450 square miles (1,200 km2) | |
River Pang | Pangbourne 51°29′09″N 1°05′17″W / 51.4858°N 1.0880°W |
0.62 | Compton | 14 miles (23 km) | River Bourne, Berkshire River Roden |
66 square miles (170 km2) | |
River Thame | Dorchester 51°38′05″N 1°09′58″W / 51.6348°N 1.1660°W |
3.90 | Rowsham / Cheddington, Vale of Aylesbury | 40 miles (64 km) | 310 square miles (800 km2) | ||
River Ock | Abingdon 51°39′59″N 1°17′02″W / 51.6665°N 1.2838°W |
1.52 | Cock Well, Little Coxwell | 21 miles (34 km) | Holywell Brook (rising in same parish) Stutfield Brook |
||
River Cherwell | Oxford 51°44′32″N 1°14′54″W / 51.7421°N 1.2483°W |
7.2 | Hellidon | 40 miles (64 km) | River Ray River Swere |
364 square miles (940 km2) | |
River Evenlode | Above King's Lock 51°47′06″N 1°20′16″W / 51.7849°N 1.3378°W |
3.7 | Moreton-in-Marsh, Oxfordshire | 10 miles (16 km) | River Glyme Rollright Brook |
||
River Windrush | Newbridge 51°42′36″N 1°25′02″W / 51.7100°N 1.4173°W |
3.27 | Taddington, Gloucestershire | 40 miles (64 km) | River Dikler River Eye, Gloucestershire |
140 square miles (360 km2) | |
River Cole | Above Buscot Lock 51°41′19″N 1°40′38″W / 51.6887°N 1.6772°W |
1.20 | Burderop Park, Hodson, Wiltshire | 17 miles (27 km) | Dorcan Stream (has subsumed original Cole sources) Pennyhooks Brook |
||
River Leach | Lechlade 51°41′21″N 1°40′38″W / 51.6891°N 1.6772°W |
0.75 | Hampnett, Gloucestershire | 18 miles (29 km) | |||
River Coln | Lechlade 51°41′17″N 1°42′19″W / 51.6881°N 1.7052°W |
2.06 | Brockhampton, Gloucestershire | 30 miles (48 km) | |||
River Ray, Wiltshire | Cricklade 51°38′39″N 1°49′31″W / 51.6442°N 1.8252°W |
1.28 | Markham Hill, Wroughton, Wiltshire | 12 miles (19 km) | |||
River Key | Cricklade 51°38′33″N 1°50′46″W / 51.6424°N 1.8461°W |
West of Battle Lake, Braydon | 6.5 miles (10.5 km) | ||||
River Churn | Cricklade 51°38′42″N 1°51′12″W / 51.6450°N 1.8533°W |
0.86 | Seven Springs, Gloucestershire | 16 miles (26 km) |
The average discharge is taken from the lowest point at which measurements are taken, which may be upstream of the confluence.
Backwaters and cuts
This list comprises the principal instances; longest ex-mill races (leats), with own articles are included; the main weirstream/river stream of each Thames lock is omitted and the smallest such associated instances but the Sheepwash Channel is included for its importance in Oxford.
Name (ordered lowest to highest elevation) | Re-convergence | Length | Effluence |
---|---|---|---|
The Creek, Sunbury | Wheatley's Ait (North), Sunbury-on-Thames 51°24′04″N 0°24′47″W / 51.401°N 0.413°W | 0.654 miles (1.053 km) | Tumbling Bay weir, east Shepperton (traditionally) (& storm weir) |
Desborough Cut | southwest Walton-on-Thames 51°23′20″N 0°26′10″W / 51.389°N 0.436°W | 0.682 miles (1.098 km) | northeast Weybridge |
Abbey River | Chertsey Lock 51°23′49″N 0°29′17″W / 51.397°N 0.488°W | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Penton Hook Island, Thorpe |
Jubilee River | Black Potts Ait, Datchet 51°29′28″N 0°35′35″W / 51.491°N 0.593°W | 7.2 miles (11.6 km) | Boulter's Lock, Taplow |
Clewer Mill Stream | Queen Elizabeth Bridge, Windsor 51°29′13″N 0°37′26″W / 51.487°N 0.624°W | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | Bush Ait, Clewer, Windsor, Berkshire |
Hennerton Backwater | opposite Ferry Eyot 51°31′19″N 0°52′41″W / 51.522°N 0.878°W | 1.25 miles (2.01 km) | above Camps Puddle, by foot of Wargrave Hill |
Swift Ditch | Culham Bridge 51°39′29″N 1°16′41″W / 51.658°N 1.278°W | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | Abingdon Lock |
Seacourt Stream and Hinksey Stream | Kennington Railway Bridge, Oxford 51°43′16″N 1°14′35″W / 51.721°N 1.243°W | 6 miles (9.7 km) | north Wytham |
Castle Mill Stream | Gasworks Bridge, Oxford 51°44′46″N 1°15′50″W / 51.746°N 1.264°W | 0.66 miles (1.06 km) | Port Meadow, Oxford |
Bulstake Stream | Osney Rail Bridge51°44′49″N 1°16′01″W / 51.747°N 1.267°W | 1.7 miles (2.7 km) | Four Rivers, Oxford |
Sheepwash Channel | Four Rivers, Oxford 51°45′18″N 1°16′19″W / 51.755°N 1.272°W | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Castle Mill Stream at Isis Lock |
Kingsbridge Brook/ Wolvercote Mill Stream | above Godstow Lock and weir 51°46′44″N 1°17′49″W / 51.779°N 1.297°W | 1.3 miles (2.1 km) | Oxey Mead, south Yarnton, Oxfordshire |
Linked waterways
Name | Confluence | Length | Destination | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Regent's Canal | Limehouse Basin south exit 51°30′43″N 0°02′12″W / 51.5120°N 0.0367°W | Little Venice junction with Paddington Arm of Grand Union Canal (to Paddington Basin, or Hayes for Brentford riverside or main course to the Midlands) | ||
Lee Navigation, via lower River Lea | Bow, London 51°30′26″N 0°00′33″E / 51.5071°N 0.0092°E | Hertford Castle Weir, Hertford, Hertfordshire | ||
Grand Union Canal via lower River Brent | Brentford 51°28′59″N 0°18′00″W / 51.4830°N 0.3000°W | Birmingham | ||
Wey and Godalming Navigations via lower River Wey | Weybridge 51°22′49″N 0°27′25″W / 51.3804°N 0.4570°W | 20 miles (32 km) | Godalming, Surrey, via Guildford | |
Maidenhead Waterways | Bray 51°29′57″N 0°40′53″W / 51.4991°N 0.6815°W | unnavigable | ||
Kennet and Avon Canal via River Kennet | Reading 51°27′32″N 0°56′58″W / 51.4590°N 0.9495°W | 87 miles (140 km) | Bristol and via Avonmouth the Bristol Channel, Atlantic Ocean | |
Wilts & Berks Canal | Abingdon 51°39′04″N 1°16′58″W / 51.6510°N 1.2827°W | 52 miles (84 km) | Kennet and Avon Canal at Semington near Melksham, west Wiltshire | abandoned 1914, under restoration |
Oxford Canal via Sheepwash Channel, Oxford via Dukes Cut |
Oxford 51°44′47″N 1°15′49″W / 51.7463°N 1.2636°W King's Lock 51°47′23″N 1°18′31″W / 51.7896°N 1.3085°W |
78 miles (126 km) | Coventry, Warwickshire and the Grand Union Canal | |
Thames and Severn Canal via River Coln | Lechlade 51°41′17″N 1°42′19″W / 51.6881°N 1.7052°W | Stroud, Gloucestershire and Gloucester and the Severn valley | closed 1933, under restoration |