From the Thames Barrier in the east to Kingston-upon-Thames in the west – approximately 33 miles - these photographs capture the River Thames in many moods: from shallow gravel stream at Isleworth to swelling tidal torrent at Barnes and Chiswick; to international urban waterway around the City of London and beyond.

Taken in 2012 and 2013 the primary aim of these photographs was to let a picture of London's river emerge organically from my wanderings. For many centuries the main trading artery of a Nation and centre of an Empire, its industrial docks, wharves and warehouses now resemble something more akin to a playground for tourists and Londoners alike. On the approaches to London, villas line the riverbanks and “gin palace” cruisers at private moorings make an ostentatious display of wealth. But the Thames is also a great leisure facility, with thousands of acres of public parkland along its banks being intensively used by sunbathers, swimmers, walkers, idlers, fishermen, rowers, canoeists, dinghy sailors, campers, bird-watchers and drinkers. The most expensive real estate in the country can be found along the bank of the Thames, much of it captured almost incidentally in these photographs. The overriding impression is one of colour; the overriding feeling is one of awe: awe at that complex historical accretion of centuries which line the banks of the most influential river in history and the great city which grew up around it.