TODAY’S CULTURE TOMORROW’S HISTORY: Conserving and Promoting Historical and Cultural Resource.

The importance of the Thames Estuary as the main water borne access for settles, invaders and traders is reflected in its rich historical and cultural resource.

Remains linked to commercial and economic growth can be found in coastal settlements, industrial sites reliant on transport by water, harbours and docks, ship and boat yards. The estuary's vulnerability to attack is reflected in its historic fortifications, such as Hadleigh Castle and Tilbury Fort. The diverse heritage resource includes both buried archaeological materials as well as those structures which are still visible today.

The importance of the Thames as an archaeological resource is further enhanced by its 'waterlogged' environment. This is because it provides anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions which aid the preservation of organic materials, such as man-made, wooden or leather artefacts, or plant and insect remains. With every ebb and flow of the tide objects and structures, large and small, are uncovered. This includes the remains of prehistoric forests that grew more than 5,000 years ago and can still be seen on the foreshore at Erith.

In addition, sea-level rise means that a number of formerly dry land sites along the coastline have now become submerged, assisting the preservation of associated organic materials. It is important to remember that up to 10,000 years ago England was joined to the Continent and that the Thames was part of a single estuary system with the Rhine, the Meuse and the Scheldt. More recently the Southern North Sea has formed both a barrier and a highway between England and the Continent.

Archaeological remains are a unique and finite resource which, once destroyed, can never be replaced. Redevelopment for homes and factories, road-building and quarrying are all major threats. Constant ploughing gradually erodes archaeological sites while subsoiling has a more immediate impact. Dredging and maritime gravel extraction can remove sites in the river and estuary, while wave action and the scouring of the tides are an ever-present concern.

The importance of the Thames as an archaeological resource is further enhanced by its 'waterlogged' environment. This is because it provides anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions which aid the preservation of organic materials, such as man-made, wooden or leather artefacts, or plant and insect remains. With every ebb and flow of the tide objects and structures, large and small, are uncovered. This includes the remains of prehistoric forests that grew more than 5,000 years ago and can still be seen on the foreshore at Erith.

In addition, sea-level rise means that a number of formerly dry land sites along the coastline have now become submerged, assisting the preservation of associated organic materials. It is important to remember that up to 10,000 years ago England was joined to the Continent and that the Thames was part of a single estuary system with the Rhine, the Meuse and the Scheldt. More recently the Southern North Sea has formed both a barrier and a highway between England and the Continent.

Archaeological remains are a unique and finite resource which, once destroyed, can never be replaced. Redevelopment for homes and factories, road-building and quarrying are all major threats. Constant ploughing gradually erodes archaeological sites while subsoiling has a more immediate impact. Dredging and maritime gravel extraction can remove sites in the river and estuary, while wave action and the scouring of the tides are an ever-present concern.