Thames meander refers to a long-distance journey over all or part of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Walking the

Thames Path The Thames Path is a National Trail following the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel, south east London. It is about long. A path was first proposed in 1948 but it only opened in 1996. The ...

is itself a meander, but the term usually applies to journeys using other methods such as

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...

, punting,

running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...

, or

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

. A Thames meander can be a social expedition over a few days, generally in a

Thames skiff A Thames skiff is a traditional River Thames wooden rowing boat used for the activity of skiffing. These boats evolved from Thames wherries in the Victorian era to meet a passion for river exploration and leisure outings on the water. Construc ...

or a punt. However more specific meanders are competitive events, or record breaking attempts. Means of propulsion include swimming and running and propelling virtually every type of small

craft A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale pro ...

that floats on water. Meanders are often associated with charity sponsorship. The normal start of a meander for craft is Halfpenny Bridge,

Lechlade Lechlade () is a town at the southern edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England, south of Birmingham and west of London. It is the highest point at which the River Thames is navigable, although there is a right of navigation that contin ...

. The finish is often

Teddington Lock Teddington Lock is a complex of three locks and a weir on the River Thames between Ham and Teddington in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. Historically in Middlesex, it was first built in 1810. The limit of legal po ...

but other points in Greater London are used. A "giant meander" for craft goes all the way to Gravesend Pier. The Thames Meander run begins at

Reading, Berkshire Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, Southeast England, southeast England. Located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the rivers River Thames, Thames and River Kennet, Kennet, the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 mot ...

Examples

* Polar explorer and endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh became the first person ever to swim the length of the Thames. His journey started on 17 July 2006 close to the source of the river in Gloucestershire and ended later in London. Pugh undertook the challenge to raise awareness of climate change. * The record row by an individual from Lechlade to Gravesend was set by Malcolm Knight in a

skiff A skiff is any of a variety of essentially unrelated styles of small boats. Traditionally, these are coastal craft or river craft used for leisure, as a utility craft, and for fishing, and have a one-person or small crew. Sailing skiffs have deve ...

at 43 hours 40 minutes 56 seconds in April 2005. * In August 2010, inspired by Lewis Pugh, a team of eight swam the entire non-tidal section of the River Thames in a non-stop relay. The team comprised Claire Mans, Ben Watkiss, Sarah Downes, Sam Carson, Louise Hewlett, James Hilditch, Jo Crisp and Tim Endersby. This was the first time this has been done. The Swim for Heroes team started at the source in the Cotswolds and finished just downstream of Teddington Lock covering a distance of in 3 ½ days (and nights). The purpose of the swim was to raise money

Help for Heroes Help for Heroes (H4H) is a British charity which provides lifelong recovery support to British Armed Forces service personnel who have been wounded or injured in the line of duty, and to their families, originally only since 11 September 2001, th ...

, a charitable organisation supporting British servicemen and women. * The Thames Meander 54 mile race is an annual cross country running event that takes place every February. * The comedy classic '' Three Men in a Boat'' describes the misadventures taking place in a boating trip from Kingston to Oxford.

References

{{coord, 51.692, -1.693, region:GB_scale:10000, display=title Tourist attractions in Gloucestershire Geography of the River Thames

Examples

See also

References