Thames Estuary

Seen by the Operational Land Imager

Naval chart of the estuary, 1801

The Thames Estuary is where the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea, in the south-east of Great Britain.

The limits of the estuary have been defined in several ways:

• Although physically the head of Sea Reach or the Kent / Essex Strait, south of Canvey Island on the northern (Essex) shore presents a western boundary, the Tideway itself can be considered estuarine; it starts in south-west London at Teddington/Ham.
• The Yantlet Line between the Crowstone in Chalkwell and the London Stone on the Isle of Grain.
• The Nore sandbank between Havengore Creek, Essex, and Warden Point, Kent.
• The eastern boundary of the estuary suggested in a Hydrological Survey of 1882-9 is a line drawn from North Foreland, Margate, Kent via the Kentish Knock lighthouse to Harwich in Essex. It is to this line that the typical estuarine sandbanks extend. The estuary downstream of the Tideway has a tidal movement of 4 metres, moving at a speed of up to 2.6 knots (4.8 km/h; 3.0 mph).
• A line from Warden Point on the Isle of Sheppey Kent via Sea Reach No. 1 buoys to Havengore Head Essex.

The estuary is one of the largest of 170 such inlets on the coast of Great Britain. It constitutes a major shipping route: its thousands of movements each year include large oil tankers, container ships, bulk carriers and roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ferries entering the estuary for the Port of London and the Medway Ports of Sheerness, Chatham and Thamesport.

The traditional Thames sailing barge worked in this area, designed to be suitable for the shallow waters in the smaller ports. More recently one of the largest wind farms in the UK has been developed in the estuary, located 8.5 km north of Herne Bay, Kent. The farm contains 30 wind turbines generating a total of 82.4MW of electricity. The much larger 630 MW London Array was inaugurated in 2013.

This area has had several proposed sites for the building of a new airport to supplement, or even to replace Heathrow/Gatwick. In the 1960s Maplin Sands was a contender; in 2002 it was to be at Cliffe, Kent. The new airport would be built on a man-made island in the estuary north of Minster-in-Sheppey There is also some discussion about the need for a Lower Thames Crossing in order to alleviate traffic congestion at Dartford.

The Thames Estuary is the focal part of the 21st-century toponym, the "Thames Gateway", designated as one of the principal development areas in Southern England.

Greater Thames Estuary

The upper part of the estuary from Tilbury to Mucking Creek looking north from Shorne, which is 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of the river

The appellation Greater Thames Estuary applies to the coast and the low-lying lands bordering the estuary itself. These are characterised by the presence of mudflats, low-lying open beaches and salt marshes, namely the North Kent Marshes and the Essex Marshes. Man-made embankments are backed by reclaimed wetland grazing areas, but rising sea levels may make it necessary to temporarily flood some of that land in places at spring tides, to take the pressure off the defences.

The Blackwater Estuary, on the Essex coast, in the northern part of the Greater Thames Estuary. Mersea Island is on the right.

There are many smaller estuaries in Essex, including the Rivers Colne, Blackwater and Crouch. Small coastal villages depend on an economy of fishing, boat-building, and yachting. The Isle of Sheppey, the Isle of Grain, Canvey Island, Two Tree Island, Havengore Island, New England Island, Rushley Island, Potton Island, Foulness Island and Mersea Island are part of the coastline.

Where higher land reaches the coast there are some larger settlements, such as Clacton-on-Sea to the north in Essex, Herne Bay, Kent, and the Southend-on-Sea area within the narrower part of the estuary.

Salinity

Designations
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Thames Estuary and Marshes
Designated	5 May 2000
Reference no.	1025

The River Thames flowing through London is a classic river estuary, with sedimentary deposition restricted through manmade embankments. The district of Teddington a few miles south-west of London's centre marks the boundary between the tidal and non-tidal parts of the Thames, although it is still considered a freshwater river about as far east as Battersea insofar as the average salinity is very low and the fish fauna consists predominantly of freshwater species such as roach, dace, carp, perch, and pike. The Thames Estuary becomes brackish between Battersea and Gravesend, and the diversity of freshwater fish species present is smaller, primarily roach and dace, euryhaline marine species such as flounder, European seabass, mullet, and smelt become much more common. Further east, the salinity increases and the freshwater fish species are completely replaced by euryhaline marine ones, until the river reaches Gravesend, at which point conditions become fully marine and the fish fauna resembles that of the adjacent North Sea and includes both euryhaline and stenohaline marine species. A similar pattern of replacement can be observed with the aquatic plants and invertebrates living in the river.

Cultural references

Joseph Conrad lived in Stanford-le-Hope close to the Essex marshes. His The Mirror of the Sea (1906) contains a memorable description of the area as seen from the Thames. It is also described in the first pages of Conrad's Heart of Darkness, as both the launching place of England's great ships of exploration and colonization and, in ancient times, the site of colonization of the British Isles by the Roman Empire.

Accent

Main article: Estuary English

See also: English in southern England

The form of speech of many of the people of the area, principally the accents of those from Kent and Essex, is often known as Estuary English. The term is a term for a milder variety of the "London Accent". The spread of Estuary English extends many hundreds of miles outside London and all of the neighbouring home counties around London have residents who moved from London and brought their version of London accents with them leading to interference with the established local accents. The term London Accent is generally avoided as it can have many meanings. Forms of "Estuary English" as a hybrid between Received pronunciation and various London accents can be heard in all of the New Towns, all of the coastal resorts and in the larger cities and towns along the Thames Estuary.

Channels

For commercial shipping approaching the Nore and thus London, main deep-water routes were the Princes Channel, the Queens Channel and the South Channel to the south, to a lesser extent the Kings Channel and the Swin to the north. The Swin was used by barges and leisure craft from the Essex rivers, and coasters and colliers from the north east. These channels were made up of natural troughs; Yantlet Channel (Sea Reach), Oaze Deep, Knock John Channel, Black Deep Channel which have been extensively marked. These are separated by slow moving sandbanks with names such as the East and West Barrows, the Nob, the Knock, the John, the Sunk, the Girdler, and the Long sands.

The shallow bottomed barges and coasters would navigate the swatchways at flood tide, and would cross the sand banks at spitways, points where the water was least shallow, and just deep enough at that point of the tide. If they missed the moment they would heave to and wait for the next tide.

Recreational craft are expected use channels most suited to the size of their vessel. When navigating to or from the north they should use the Middle Deep, Swin and Warp. Barrow Deep and Warp. When navigating to or from the south, they should use the Horse and Gore and Four Fathom Channels.

To cross the estuary large vessels used Fisherman's Gat, and small vessels to were expected to use Foulger's Gat.

Navigational marks

This table shows, from west to east, the principal navigation lights, buoys and other marks to the north (port) and south (starboard) of the main deep-water channels of the River Thames from Gallions Reach to the Sunk Light Float. The Thames is in IALA region A so port buoys are red and starboard buoys are green.

Thames estuary navigation marks

Name of navigational mark	South of channel			Channel	North of channel
	Type	Light	Location coordinate		Type	Light	Location coordinate
Margaretness Point (or Tripcock Ness) Light	Lighthouse	Group flashing (2) white 5s	51°30.662′N 0°05.766′E	Gallions Reach / Barking Reach	̶	̶	̶
Crossness Point Light	Lighthouse	Flashing white 5s	51°30.920′N 0°07.990′E	Barking Reach / Halfway Reach	̶	̶	̶
Crayfordness Point Light	Lighthouse	Flashing white 5s + fixed	51°28.689′N 0°13.000′E	Erith Rands / Long Reach	̶	̶	̶
Stone Ness Light	̶	̶	̶	Long Reach / St Clement's Reach	Lighthouse	Flashing green 2.5s	51°27.9167′N 0°16.8231′E
Broadness Point Light	Lighthouse	Occulting red 5s	51°27.878′N 0°18.900′E	St Clement's or Fiddler's Reach / Northfleet Hope	̶	̶	̶
Tilbury Warning Light	̶	̶	̶	Gravesend Reach	Warning light, vessels manoeuvring at Tilbury	Isophase 6s	51°27.000′N 0°21.340′E
Shornmead Light	Lighthouse	Group flashing (2) white, red 10s	51°26.983′N 0°26.533′E	Gravesend Reach / The Lower Hope	̶	̶
Ovens	̶	̶	̶	The Lower Hope	Quick flashing green	51°27.493′N 0°26.355′E
Haven Traffic Warning Lights	Warning light, vessels manoeuvring at Coryton	E	51°27.90′N 0°30.10′E	The Lower Hope / Sea Reach	Warning light, vessels manoeuvring at Coryton	White	51°30.50′N 0°31.65′E
London Gateway	̶	̶	̶	Sea Reach	Buoy		51°30.30′N 0°28.20′E
Sea Reach No. 7	Port buoy Racon T	Flashing Red 2.5s	51°30.011′N 0°36.908′E	The Yantlet Channel	Yellow pillar buoy	Flashing yellow 2.5s	51°30.206′N 0°36.938′E
Sea Reach No. 6	Port buoy	Flashing red 5s	51°29.932′N 0°39.839′E		Starboard buoy	Flashing green 5s	51°30.126′N 0°39.867′E
Sea Reach No. 5	Port buoy	Very quick flashing red	51°29.848′N 0°41.426′E		Starboard buoy	Very quick flashing Green	51°30.041′N 0°41.473′E
Sea Reach No. 4	Port buoy	Group flashing (2) red 5s	51°29.504′N 0°44.121′E		Starboard buoy	Group flashing (2) green 5s	51°29.694′N 0°44.193′E
Sea Reach No. 3	Port buoy	Quick flashing red	51°29.221′N 0°46.707′E		Starboard buoy	Quick flashing green	51°29.410′N 0°47.061′E
Sea Reach No. 2	Port buoy	Flashing red 5s	51°29.296′N 0°49.754′E		Starboard buoy	Flashing green 5s	51°29.493′N 0°49.726′E
Sea Reach No. 1	Port buoy	Flashing red 2.5s	51°29.368′N 0°52.445′E		Yellow pillar buoy Racon T	Flashing yellow 2.5s	51°29.586′N 0°52.710′E
West Oaze	̶	̶	̶	The Oaze Deep	Red & white buoy	Isophase 5s	51°28.975′N 0°55.413′E
Oaze Bank	̶	̶	̶		Starboard buoy	Quick flashing green
Oaze	Yellow pillar buoy	Group flashing (4) Yellow 10s	51°28.977′N 0°56.917′E		̶	̶	̶
Argus	̶	̶	̶		Yellow pillar buoy yellow ‘X’ topmark	Flashing yellow 2.5s	51°29.297′N 0°58.715′E
Oaze Deep	̶	̶	̶		Starboard buoy	Group flashing (2) green 5s	51°30.000′N 1°0.000′E
Knob	Red & white buoy	Isophase 5s			̶	̶	̶
SE Mouse	̶	̶	̶		Starboard buoy	Quick flashing green
Knock John No. 7	̶	̶	̶	The Knock John Channel	Starboard buoy	Group flashing (4) green 15s	51°31.956′N 1°06.406′E
Knock John No. 5	̶	̶	̶		Starboard buoy	Group flashing (3) green 10s	51°32.490′N 1°07.750′E
Knock John No. 4	Port buoy	Group flashing (3) red 10s	51°32.323′N 1°07.906′E		̶	̶	̶
Knock John No. 3	̶	̶	̶		Starboard buoy	Flashing green 5s	51°33.278′N 1°09.692′E
Knock John No. 2	Port buoy	Flashing red 5s	51°33.112′N 1°09.847′E		̶	̶	̶
Knock John No. 1	̶	̶	̶		South cardinal buoy	Quick flashing white (6) + long flash 15s	51°33.717′N 1°10.833′E
Knock John	Port buoy	Group flashing (2) red 5s	51°33.661′N 1°11.357′E		̶	̶	̶
Black Deep No. 12	Port buoy	Group flashing (4) red 15s	51°33.661′N 1°13.511′E	The Black Deep Channel	̶	̶	̶
Black Deep No. 11	̶	̶	̶		Starboard buoy	Group flashing (3) green 10s	51°34.250′N 1°13.475′E
Black Deep No. 10	Port buoy	Group flashing (3) red 10s			̶	̶	̶
Black Deep No. 9	̶	̶	̶		South cardinal buoy	Quick flashing white (6) + long flash
Inner Fisherman	Port buoy	Quick flashing red			̶	̶	̶
Black Deep No. 7	̶	̶	̶		Starboard buoy	Quick flashing green
Black Deep No. 8	̶	̶	̶		West cardinal buoy	Quick flashing white (9) 15s
BDM2	Yellow pillar buoy (mid-channel)	Flashing yellow 2.5s	51°37.370′N 1°20.040′E		̶	̶	̶
Black Deep No. 6	Port buoy	Flashing red 2.5s			̶	̶	̶
Black Deep No. 5	̶	̶	̶		East cardinal buoy	Very quick flashing white (3) 5s
Black Deep No. 4	Port buoy	Group flashing (2) red 5s			̶	̶	̶
BDM1	Yellow pillar buoy (mid-channel) yellow ‘X’ topmark	Flashing yellow 2.5s	51°41.960′N 1°27.590′E		̶	̶	̶
Black Deep No. 3	̶	̶	̶		Starboard buoy	Group flashing (3) green 15s
Black Deep No. 1	̶	̶	̶		Starboard buoy	Flashing green 5s
Black Deep No. 2	Port buoy	Group flashing (4) red 15s			̶	̶	̶
SHM	Yellow pillar buoy (mid-channel) yellow ‘X’ topmark Racon T	Flashing yellow 2.5s	51°46.050′N 1°31.540′E		̶	̶	̶
Sunk Head Tower	̶	̶	̶		North cardinal buoy	Quick flashing white
Black Deep	Port buoy	Quick flashing red	51°48.10′N 1°36.60′E		̶	̶	̶
Trinity	South cardinal buoy	Quick flashing (6) + long flash 15s			̶	̶	̶
Dynamo	̶	̶	̶		Yellow pillar buoy yellow ‘X’ topmark	Flashing yellow 2.5s	51°50.060′N 1°33.880′E
Sunk Inner	̶	̶	̶		Light float	Isophase 3s	51°51.170′N 1°34.400′E

References

Notes

External links

• Locations of deeps and shallows and buoys in the Thames estuary