The Thames Barrier

About

The Thames Barrier is one of the world's largest movable flood barriers, stretching 520 metres across the river at Woolwich in east London. Completed in 1982 and first raised in anger in 1983, it protects central London from tidal surges driven by North Sea storms. A free visitor information centre on the south bank explains how the barrier operates, its engineering history, and the ongoing challenges of managing flood risk for a low-lying capital city.