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 The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

in England. Walking the

Thames Path The Thames Path is a National Trail following the River Thames from one of its sources near Kemble, Gloucestershire, Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel, south east London. It is about long. A path was first proposed in 1948 ...

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 a ...

, punting,

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

, or

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

. 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 skiffing. These boats evolved from Thames wherry, wherries in the Victorian era to meet a passion for river exploration and leisure outings on the water. Construction The ...

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 pr ...

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

Halfpenny Bridge Halfpenny Bridge is a bridge across the River Thames, at Lechlade, Gloucestershire, England. The bridge and its toll house are a Grade II listed building. It marks the start of the navigable Thames, although if the waters are high, the Thames c ...

Lechlade Lechlade () is a town at the 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 continues sout ...

. 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 powe ...

but other points in London are used. A "giant meander" for craft goes all the way to

Gravesend Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Roche ...

Pier. The Thames Meander run begins at

Reading, Berkshire Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, England, and the county town of Berkshire. It is the United Kingdom's largest town, with a combined population of 355,596. Most of Reading built-up area, its built-up area lies within the Borough ...

Examples

*Polar explorer and endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh became the first person 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, usually propelled by sails or oars. Traditionally, these are coastal craft or river craft used for work, leisure, as a utility craft, and for fishing, and have a one-pers ...

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 nonstop relay, the first time this has been done. The team, named Swim for Heroes, comprised Claire Mans, Ben Watkiss, Sarah Downes, Sam Carson, Louise Hewlett, James Hilditch, Jo Crisp and Tim Endersby. The 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 for

Help for Heroes Help for Heroes is a British charity which supports members of the British Armed Forces community with their physical and mental health, as well as their financial, social and welfare needs. The charity was founded in 2007 by Bryn and Emma Parry ...

, a charitable organisation supporting British servicemen and women. *The Thames Meander 54 mile race is an annual

cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and soil, earth, pass through woodlands and ope ...

event that takes place every February. *The comedy classic ''

Three Men in a Boat ''Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)'',The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: ''Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog!'' published in 1889, is a humorous novel by English writer Jerome K. Jerome describing ...

'' 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