"Old Father Thames keeps Rolling Along"

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On Saturday Jan enquired about the Thames.

“I find it amazing that there are houses so close to the river.

Is the river so well controlled then, that it never floods?”.

Well it does flood Jan, but not as much these days as it used to.

We now have quite a few ‘Flood relief schemes’ in place.

Houses, large and small still are built right alongside the water's edge.

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As here at Marlow. (photo Graham Horn)

As an aside, I took those 'Sunset' photos of Marlow Bridge,

from that jetty on the left - where that man is standing.

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Small houses with long gardens down to the river.

Before the flood relief schemes, thing were different.

This was at Boulters Lock in 1903.

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I was amused to see that fellow fishing.

Obviously keen!

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Maidenhead 1928.

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Cock Marsh flood plain, from Winter Hill.

Here at Bourne End we have Cock Marsh which would be flooded first before the houses on this side of the river.

They are not supposed to build homes on flood plains but in some parts of the country this has been ignored. (as far as I know, not along the Thames).

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Looking back towards Winter Hill,

you can see the height of the marsh is only just above river level.

Below is a Stanley Spencer painting of Cookham marsh,

which when flooded can be crossed by the causeway shown below.

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The old river itself is usually quite tame.

It ambles for 215 miles across southern England from west to east.

It is navigable right up to Lechlade, a 124 mile stretch from the lock at Teddington, (London). Over this huge length it only drops 69 metres, so you see, rather than rushing, it just “keeps rolling along, down to the mighty sea”.

Its flow is scientifically regulated by means of reservoirs and weirs;

there are 44 weir systems along this 124 mile section, and of course 44 locks.

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If the river level rises, the lock keepers can hold the water back to safely flood selected area or open sluice gates to allow the water down to the next section.

It is like a 124 mile cascade with water overflowing from one section to the next.

I can remember 'high waters' at Bourne End'

but nothing like the picture shown below.

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Floods at Bourne End. (photo Tim Harrison)

You can see how poor old Cock Marsh gets to take the excess water,

and protects Bourne End on the opposite bank.

I found an old black & white newsreel film here,

but it wasn't possible to embed it in the blog.

It is of flooding in Bourne End & Cookham.

(Note to Foody - there is no sound and it contains both ponies and chickens! )

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