DISCOVER ROYAL THAMES
BBC Countryfile Magazine|June 2022
From its spring in the Cotswolds, a wild river winds past dreaming spires and palaces to the city and the sea. Ben Lerwill marks Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by exploring the rich, regal heritage of a great river
Ben Lerwill
DISCOVER ROYAL THAMES
The royal swans of the Thames have seen it all. These imposingly elegant - if occasionally headstrong - birds are said to have been introduced to Britain from Cyprus in the late 12th century, brought here by Richard the Lionheart after the Third Crusade. Their snowwhite feathers have now graced the waters of our most famous river for more than 800 years, swimming sinuously through wars, plagues and coronations, graduating in the process from dinner-table delicacy to protected species.

Today, as the legal property of Queen Elizabeth II - who has the right to claim ownership of all unmarked mute swans swimming in open water, though maybe has more pressing tasks - they remain a regal sight. And they find a suitably majestic waterway in the Thames, that noble artery that rises in a puddly field in the Cotswolds and flows for 215 miles to reach the coast, passing palaces, castles and cathedrals on its way. It runs through nine counties, drifts under 134 bridges and spends much of its time carving a scenic, serpentine course through the countryside. In his book Thames: Sacred River, historian Peter Ackroyd calls the vast waterway "a museum of Englishness itself".

Among it all, from the whisper of the upstream reeds to the clatter of central London, the river's links with the monarchy have long been prominent. This year is the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, marking a decade since the huge, 670-boat royal pageant of 2012 and well over a millennium since Alfred the Great held the first English parliament in a riverside meadow in Shifford, Oxfordshire. Today, burnished tales and princely residences still clasp to the Thames like jewels to a necklace.

This story is from the June 2022 edition of BBC Countryfile Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the June 2022 edition of BBC Countryfile Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BBC COUNTRYFILE MAGAZINEView All
FARMERS ARE THE ORIGINAL FIRST RESPONDERS
BBC Countryfile Magazine

FARMERS ARE THE ORIGINAL FIRST RESPONDERS

Across the country, a secret army is at work, coming to the rescue at times of crisis and springing into action when their communities are in danger.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
Nicola Chester
BBC Countryfile Magazine

Nicola Chester

Building more affordable homes is vital for the survival of rural communities

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
Hush... it's spring!
BBC Countryfile Magazine

Hush... it's spring!

The colours and scents of spring are exhilarating after a long, gloomy winter, but to fully appreciate the power of the season, shut your eyes and listen, urges Ajay Tegala

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
In hope of a bright future for our national parks
BBC Countryfile Magazine

In hope of a bright future for our national parks

At experts came the height of the Second World War, a group of remarkable together for the first time.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
Wild London walks
BBC Countryfile Magazine

Wild London walks

From vast parks and ancient woods to overgrown graveyards and flower-banked canals, England's capital is filled with green surprises. Discover them on foot with six sensational London walks

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
The truth about dogs
BBC Countryfile Magazine

The truth about dogs

As arookie dog owner, Cotswolds writer James Fair was overwhelmed with advice and dire warnings about how to care for his puppy. But how many of the often-repeated truths about canines are really myths?

time-read
6 mins  |
March 2024
TOP 10 ROMANTIC RUINS
BBC Countryfile Magazine

TOP 10 ROMANTIC RUINS

For a thrilling encounter with history, fall in love with a crumbling castle or tumbledown church this spring, swoons Dixe Wills

time-read
9 mins  |
March 2024
THE GREAT SOLAR DEBATE
BBC Countryfile Magazine

THE GREAT SOLAR DEBATE

If developers have their way, miles of Oxfordshire farmland will soon be covered with solar panels. Many local people are opposed but how vital is this sustainable energy for our countryside? Andrew Griffiths investigates

time-read
6 mins  |
March 2024
DISCOVER 100 miles of heaven
BBC Countryfile Magazine

DISCOVER 100 miles of heaven

Looking for an adventure? An intoxicating mix of rolling downland, sleepy hamlets and wave-hewn cliffs makes the South Downs Way one of Britain's loveliest walks. Dixe Wills reveals the highlights of six days on the trail

time-read
8 mins  |
March 2024
THE COMEBACK KITE
BBC Countryfile Magazine

THE COMEBACK KITE

Once virtually extinct in Britain, a magnificent bird of prey now thrives in British skies. What went so right? Nicola Chester profiles the red kite

time-read
6 mins  |
March 2024