Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Old Father Thames
LONDON, 1662
The name of the River Thames is inextricably linked with that of London, by far the largest
settlement along its 200-mile course from the Cotswolds to the North Sea. Known to London-
ers simply as 'the River', the Thames has for centuries played many central roles in the life
of the city. At the time when this map was made in 1662, the river served as a county bound-
ary, a vital transport link and the city's chief sewer, but no longer its only source of drinking
water. Only the western end of the map is shown here, covering London and its immediate
