The Thames Estuary

The River Thames is the longest river entirely in England, stretching 215 miles (346 km). It has always been important as an economic resource, a water highway, a boundary, a fresh water source; a source of food and more recently a leisure facility. But it has not always been a pleasent river to be near. In 1957 the National History Museum declared the River Thames as biologically dead. How bad was it?

On September 3, 1878, The Princess Alice, a passenger paddle steamer set off on the "Moonlight Trip" from Swan Pier near London Bridge to Gravesend and Sheerness. At around 7.40pm, as the steamer was approaching the North Woolwich Pier, the half way point in its journey and where many passengers were to disembark, she collided with the Newcastle bound vessel SS Bywell Castle and split into two.

Hadleigh Castle

Hadleigh Castle is in the English county of Essex and overlooks the Thames estuary from a ridge to the south of the town of Hadleigh. The castle was built around 1215 during the reign of Henry III by Hubert de Burgh, and was surrounded by parkland it had both an important economic, as well as defensive role. Hadleigh Castle was expanded by Edward III, to defend against potential French attack as well as provide the king with a convenient private residence close to London. The ground on which the castle is built is an unstable hill of London clay, the castle has often been subject to subsidence; this, combined with the sale of its stonework in the 16th century has led to it now being ruined.