The Thames Twenty Rivers of the World Audio Tour
Produced by the Thames Festival and King’s College London.
Why did the wobbly bridge wobble? How do the river’s tides work? What is the hidden world under the riverbed? Working with academics from King’s College London we have created this audio tour to explore the answers to these and many more fascinating questions about our great river and its unique history.
Take your audio tour down to the river and follow the sound trail on the Rivers of the World columns along the Festival site, or listen online.
Listening: Click any image to start the audio and again to stop it. Volume controls are found directly under the image. Do not click more than one image at a time – it will get confusing.
Download instructions: Right-click any link and select (PC) 'Save Target As…' or (MAC) 'Save Link As…'. Then choose a place on your computer where you would like to download the file.
Recordings produced by Hannah Andrassy.
Track 1
View from London Bridge at Night, Steve Hollingshead
How has London’s relationship with the Thames changed since the 18th century? And what will our attitude be to it in a hundred years’ time? Find out more from Dr David Green, Department of Geography, King’s College London.
Track 2
‘The Great Stink’ Punch Illustration, Museum of London
Why did the Thames stink? And what is hidden underneath the Victoria Embankment? Hear all about The Great Stink from Angela Gurnell, Professor of Physical Geography at King’s College London.
Track 3
Waterloo Bridge, Wikimedia Commons
What is the matter with Waterloo Bridge? Discover how the materials of Waterloo Bridge affect the landscape of the city from Zoe Laughlin, artist and materials researcher at King’s College London.
Track 4
Somerset House c.1850 before the Embankment print from a drawing by W. Monk
What was the width of the river before the embankment was built? And how did people cross it when there was only one bridge? Find out more from Dr David Green, Department of Geography, King’s College London.
Track 5
Strand Chapel, Paul Grundy
Which is England’s fourth oldest University? Why was the Duke of Wellington so concerned about a ‘godless college on Gower Street’? And where would you find one of London’s finest Victorian church interiors? Find out more from Arthur Burns, Professor of Modern British History at King’s College London.
Track 6
Eel, Tony Bark
Ever wondered what lurks beneath the Thames’ muddy surface? The river may look dirty, but it is actually very clean, and home to a wide variety of fish including the mysterious eel. Find out more from Tony Bark, Lecturer in Aquatic Science, King’s College London.
Track 7
Millennium Bridge & Beyond, Steve Hollingshead
Twice a day London breathes in water from the sea and then expels it, changing the water level by up to six metres and revealing the underbelly of the river. What is the cause of these tides, and will they one day destroy London? Find out more from Mark Miodownik, Lecturer and Head of the Materials Research Group at King’s College London.
Track 8
Queen Victoria opening Blackfriars Bridge in 1869, Illustrated London News
How did the Industrial Revolution change London? You wait a thousand years for another bridge across the Thames and then three come along at once! Find out more from Mark Miodownik, Lecturer and Head of the Materials Research Group at King’s College London.
Track 9
Bankside Power Station at night, c. 1965, Southwark Local Studies Library
What did Shakespeare's Thames look like? How many bridges were there? And what would you have seen if you looked up at the sky? Find out from Gordon McMullan, English Department, King’s College London.
Track 10
The Blitz, Imperial War Museum
Wren’s St Paul’s Cathedral dominates the skyline. But what was there before the Great Fire of London? And who came to St Paul’s in a barrel of brandy? Find out more from Arthur Burns, Professor of Modern British History, King’s College London.
Track 11
Sheep on Millennium Bridge, Steve Hollingshead
Why is the Millennium Bridge sometimes called the Wobbly Bridge? How was the wobble fixed? But does it still wobble?? Yikes! Find out more from Mark Miodownik, Lecturer and Head of the Materials Research Group at King’s College London.
Track 12
1809 Drawing of the Globe Theatre based on Merian’s 1638 Illustration, Guildhall Library
Do you know what historic event happened at the Globe Theatre on 29 June 1613? And what is the relationship between the theatre and ship-building? Find out more from Gordon McMullan, English Department, King’s College London.
Track 13
Frost Fair in 1683, Museum in Docklands
When did the Thames freeze over? Why did it freeze over? And will it freeze again? Find out more from Angela Gurnell, Professor of Physical Geography at King’s College London.
Track 14
Barges by Hungerford Bridge, c.1870, Illustrated London News
What part does the river play in keeping London tidy? Meet John Langford, Lighterman, City of London, who, for fifty years, has been transporting cargo up and down the Thames, and discover more from Zoe Laughlin, artist, curator and researcher at King's College London.
Track 15
‘The Silent Highwayman’ Punch Illustration, Guildhall Library
Do you know which shocking new disease arrived in London in the early19th century? And what did the River Thames have to do with it? Find out more from Dr. David Green, Department of Geography, King’s College London.
Track 16
Morris Dancers beside the Golden Hinde, Steve Hollingshead
This ship sailed round the world, launched the British Empire and helped to defeat the Spanish Armada. Still think it's a toy? Find out more from Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History at the Department of War Studies, King's College London.
Track 17
Old London Bridge: Part of Visscher's Panoramic View of London, 1616; Guildhall Library
Who is St Olaf and what is his link to the nursery rhyme ‘London Bridge is Falling Down’? Find out from Clare Lees, Professor of English, King’s College London, with contributions from pupils at Charles Dickens Primary School, Southwark.
Track 18
City Hall, Steve Hollingshead
Have you ever wondered why the Thames is brown, no matter what the weather is like? Join Zoe Laughlin, artist, curator and researcher at King's College London, as she takes a closer look at the water of the Thames.
Track 19
D-Day, Federal Government USA
Why is the biggest ship in London trying to hide behind some fancy paintwork? Did it work? And just who are those guns pointing at? Find out more from Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History at the Department of War Studies, King's College London.
Track 20
A ‘stackie’ delivering hay, c. 1890, English Heritage National Monuments Archive
You won’t remember this part of the river as a forest of masts and a web of rigging, but can you remember the smell of the cinnamon spice? Listen to Dr David Green from the Department of Geography, King’s College London, conjure up the Pool of London in its heyday.
From 27th August to 16th September the riverside walkway between Westminster and Tower Bridges is spectacularly transformed by giant works of art. These fabulous displays are the result of an exciting global art education project that links schools in London with partner schools from across the globe. Take your downloaded audio tour down to the river and follow the prompts on the ‘Rivers of the World’ art works to take the tour in situ.
Download the full tour here: