The River Thames weaves through England’s history. Old Father Thames became a protector of the Thames and statues can be found along the Thames including St John's Lock, home to 'Father Thames', the famous statue made in 1851, for the Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace at Hyde Park. The first timber bridge across the Thames in London was built around AD 52.

As well as some of the most famous British icons, such as Windsor Castle, Houses of Parliament or Hampton Court Palace, there are many gems to be discovered with Stonor Park, Dorchester Abbey or Kelmscott Manor.

Explore Historic Sites

• One place that stands out is Runnymede and Ankerwyke. Runnymede is believed to date back to Saxon times - much earlier than Magna Carta. Runnymede is thought to take its name from "runieg" meaning regular meeting, and "mead" meaning meadow. It was on this site, in 1215, that King John sealed the Magna Carta ensuring that the king and his barons could no longer do what he wanted to without question. A network of footpaths links the Magna Carta memorial with two others: one to the late American President, John F. Kennedy, and one to the 20,000 Royal Air Force airmen killed in the Second World War, who have no known grave. Look across the river to the Ankerwyke Yew Tree which is said to be over 2000 years old.
• Close to Henley on Thames is the ancient home of the Stonor family, Stonor Park, dating back to the twelfth century, this has been their family home for over 850 years. A stroll through the house is a vivid walk through history.  Discover art and treasure collected from across the globe, view historic maps, documents and artefacts that reveal generations of service to the country.
• The Reading Abbey Quarter covers the former precinct of one of Europe's largest royal monasteries and dates back over 900 years. It includes the impressive Abbey ruins, Reading Abbey Gateway The Grade I listed Gateway, a substantial part of what remains of Reading Abbey and once part of the Reading Girls School attended by Jane Austen.
• Dorchester Abbey, Dorchester on Thames is an Augustinian monastery founded in 1140. The award-winning Cloister Gallery display, described as the best of its kind in the country, interprets the abbey’s story through a collection of carved and moulded medieval stonework.
• The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead combines 1,000 years of history with contemporary shopping and fine dining and sporting events. Visit Windsor Castle, the oldest inhabited castle in the world, time your visit to watch Changing the Guard. Discover the Borough’s history at The Windsor & Royal Borough Museum; a small local history museum in a Grade 1 listed building completed in 1689.
• The Thames in London from Hampton Court to Greenwich offers over 50 miles of historic riverside walks and in places the Thames Path runs on both sides of the river. Earliest traces of habitation along the London Thames date back to 4,000 years BC. Its name to the Celts was Tamesis, meaning ‘smooth running water’. Three great palaces were built along this stretch; Hampton Court, Richmond (you can still see the Tudor gatehouse built in 1501 by Henry VII) and Greenwich (Excavations at the Old Royal Naval College in 2017 uncovered the remains of two service rooms from the Palace’s Friary buildings and can be viewed beneath the Painted Hall). Take a cruise from Westminster Embankment to Greenwich with City Cruises.