Here’s the part I love. The Thames is older than the Himalayas? Nope. But it’s older than the Grand Canyon? Actually, yes! The Grand Canyon is about 5-6 million years old. The Thames is a senior citizen compared to that splashy young upstart in Arizona. Take that, Colorado River!
The Thames through the ages: Compelling black and white shots show
It’s also older than the English Channel. The channel only formed about 450,000 years ago. So the Thames was already meandering along for tens of millions of years before Britain became an island. Imagine that: the river was here before we had any real neighbors across the water.
Want another fun fact? The Thames is about twice as old as the River Nile. Wait—that can’t be right? Actually, the Nile is relatively young (about 30 million years old), but the modern course of the Nile is even younger. The Thames has had its current shape for much longer. So, London’s river has seniority over Egypt’s legendary waterway. Suck it, Cleopatra!
