The Thames Valley is an informally-defined sub-region of

South East England South East England is one of the nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It consists of the counties of Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Berkshi ...

, centred on 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 ...

west of

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, with

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

as a major centre. Its boundaries vary with context. The area is a major tourist destination and economic hub, includes part of the M4 corridor, and is sometimes referred to as England's

Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo Count ...

due to the concentration of high-technology companies. The area east of Reading is defined by

Natural England Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna ...

as the Thames Valley National Character Area, while Thames Valley Police cover the counties of

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Be ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-eas ...

and Oxfordshire.

Geography

As a National Character Area, the Thames Valley is bounded to the west by

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...

, fanning out roughly in a wedge shape towards the fringes of London. It contains 38 Sites of Special Scientific Interest and significant amounts of broadleaf forest, including Burnham Beeches, Windsor Great Park and Richmond Park.

Economy

The Thames Valley is a

technology hub Technology Hub is a bi-national startup accelerator and business incubator in the El Paso–Juárez, El Paso–Juárez area on the border of Mexico and the United States. It was founded in 2015 and is a Mexico National Institute for Entrepreneurs ...

centred around

, considered to stretch as far out as Swindon,

and Slough. It is considered to be part of the M4 corridor.

Tourism

As a tourist destination, the Thames Valley is considered to be the area close to the

, running from the source to the

M25 motorway The M25 or London Orbital Motorway is a major road encircling most of Greater London. The motorway is one of the most important roads in the UK and one of the busiest. Margaret Thatcher opened the final section in 1986, making the M25 the lon ...

. It is a popular

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, suc ...

destination.

Policing

Thames Valley Police cover the counties of

and Oxfordshire. The force is governed by the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner.

References

{{Authority control Geography of the River Thames Natural regions of England

Geography

Economy

Tourism

Policing

See also

References