Editing River Thames (section)

==History==
Marks of human activity, in some cases dating back to [[British Iron Age|Pre-Roman Britain]], are visible at various points along the river. These include a variety of structures connected with use of the river, such as navigations, bridges and [[watermill]]s, as well as prehistoric [[Tumulus|burial mounds]].

The lower Thames in the Roman era was a shallow waterway winding through marshes. But centuries of human intervention have [[Embanking of the tidal Thames|transformed it into a deep tidal canal]] flowing between 200 miles of solid walls; these defend a floodplain where 1.5 million people work and live.
{{main|Embanking of the tidal Thames}}

A major maritime route is formed for much of its length for shipping and supplies: through the [[Port of London]] for international trade, internally along its length and by its connection to the British canal system. The river's position has put it at the centre of many events in British history, leading to it being described by [[John Burns]] as "liquid history".

Two broad [[canal]]s link the river to other rivers: the [[Kennet and Avon Canal]] ([[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] to [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]]) and the [[Grand Union Canal]] (London to the Midlands). The Grand Union effectively bypassed the earlier, narrow and winding [[Oxford Canal]] which remains open as a popular scenic recreational route. Three further cross-basin canals are disused but are in various stages of reconstruction: the [[Thames and Severn Canal]] (via [[Stroud]]), which operated until 1927 (to the west coast of England), the [[Wey and Arun Canal]] to [[Littlehampton]], which operated until 1871 (to the south coast), and the [[Wilts & Berks Canal]].

[[Rowing (sport)|Rowing]] and sailing clubs are common along the Thames, which is navigable to such vessels. [[Kayaking]] and [[canoeing]] also take place. Major annual events include the [[Henley Royal Regatta]] and [[the Boat Race]], while the Thames has been used during two [[Summer Olympic Games]]: [[1908 Summer Olympics|1908]] ([[Rowing at the 1908 Summer Olympics|rowing]]) and [[1948 Summer Olympics|1948]] ([[Rowing at the 1948 Summer Olympics|rowing]] and [[canoeing at the 1948 Summer Olympics|canoeing]]). Safe headwaters and reaches are a summer venue for organised swimming, which is prohibited on safety grounds in a stretch centred on [[Central London]].

===Conversion of marshland===
After the river took its present-day course, many of the banks of the [[Thames Estuary]] and the [[Thames Valley]] in London were partly covered in [[marshland]], as was the adjoining [[Lower Lea Valley]]. Streams and rivers like the [[River Lea]], [[Tyburn Brook]] and [[Bollo Brook]] drained into the river, while some islands, e.g. [[Thorney Island (London)|Thorney Island]], formed over the ages. The northern tip of the ancient parish of [[Lambeth (parish)|Lambeth]], for example, was marshland known as ''Lambeth Marshe'', but it was drained in the 18th century; the street names [[Lower Marsh]] and Upper Marsh preserve a memory.<ref name="ADMills">{{cite book |author=Anthony David Mills |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DSIOAQAAMAAJ |title=Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-19-280106-7 |access-date=25 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913153723/https://books.google.com/books?id=DSIOAQAAMAAJ |archive-date=13 September 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{main|Malaria in the River Thames}}

Until the middle of the Victorian era, malaria was commonplace beside the River Thames, even in London, and was frequently lethal. Some cases continued to occur into the early 20th century. Draining of the marshes helped with its eradication, but the causes are complex and unclear.

The [[East End of London]], also known simply as the '''East End''', was the area of London east of the medieval walled [[City of London]] and north of the River Thames, although it is not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries; the [[River Lea]] can be considered another boundary.<ref>''The [[New Oxford Dictionary of English]]'' (1998) {{ISBN|0-19-861263-X}} p. 582 "'''East End''' the part of London east of the [[City of London|City]] as far as the River Lea, including the Docklands".</ref> Most of the local riverside was also marshland. The land was drained and became farmland; it was built on after the [[Industrial Revolution]].

[[Canvey Island]] in southern Essex (area {{cvt|18.45|km2|disp=comma}}; population 40,000<ref>{{cite web |title=A Brief History of Canvey Island |url=https://canveyisland-tc.gov.uk/visitor-information/history-of-canvey/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827085619/https://canveyisland-tc.gov.uk/visitor-information/history-of-canvey/ |archive-date=27 August 2020 |access-date=27 August 2020 |publisher=Canvey Island Town Council}}</ref>) was once marshy, but is now a fully reclaimed island in the Thames estuary, separated from the mainland of south [[Essex]] by a network of creeks. Lying below sea level, it is prone to flooding at exceptional tides, but has nevertheless been inhabited since Roman times.