CONFLUENCE - River Roding - River Thames - London, UK - River Origins, Destinations and Confluences on Waymarking.com

The River Roding flows from north to south and the River Thames from west to east. Near this point is the Barking Barrier that forms part of London's flood defences. It is a little way north of the confluence point.

Parking is possible in River Road but, as this is an industrial area, it may be unwise to visit during the hours of darkness. There is limited lighting and the co-ordinates are for a point on the river wall. Although rails are in place anyone who slipped or fell may go unnoticed until daylight if alone.

Parking is available at 51° 31.064'N; 000° 05.918'E. At this point there is a track that leads in a south westerly direction to the Barking Barrier and then onwards to the river wall.

On the left, after passing the barrier, there is a bank. Set into the bank is a grey slate memorial that commemorates the sinking of the paddle steamer Princess Alice in 1878. It had the UK's largest single loss of life in peacetime with an estimated 700 people losing their lives. From the memorial both the confluence and disaster area can be seen. The disaster was not caused by the rivers joining but by poor seamanship.

Wikipedia tells us about the River Roding:

The River Roding is a river in England that rises near Dunmow, flows through Essex and forms Barking Creek as it reaches the River Thames in London.

The river leaves Dunmow and passes through a group of villages in Essex known collectively as the Rodings, as they all end with the suffix 'Roding'. However, some are a mile or more from the river itself. After Chipping Ongar, the river flows under the M25 motorway by Passingford Bridge and Abridge.

The river then runs past Loughton and between Chigwell and Woodford Green where the Roding Valley Meadows make up the largest surviving area of traditionally managed river-valley habitat in Essex. This nature reserve consists of unimproved wet and dry hay meadows, rich with flora and fauna and bounded by thick hedgerows, scrubland, secondary woodland and tree plantation. The meadows stretch down to the M11 motorway and Roding Valley tube station is situated close to the area, although Loughton or Buckhurst Hill are better placed for a visit.

Redbridge takes its name from a crossing of the river which then passes through Ilford and Barking. The River Roding through Ilford project is a government backed scheme to improve amenities along this stretch of the river. After Barking the tidal section is known as Barking Creek, which flows into the Thames at Creekmouth.

In Essex the river forms part of the boundary between the district of Epping Forest and borough of Brentwood. The river marks much of the boundary between the London Borough of Newham and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Ilford takes its name from Ilefort, "ford on the River Hyle", which was the mediaeval name for part of the Roding.

Wikipedia also tells us about the tidal River Thames:

The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom, behind the River Severn. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading, Henley-on-Thames, Windsor, Kingston upon Thames, and Richmond.

The river gives its name to several geographical and political entities, including the Thames Valley, a region of England around the river between Oxford and west London, the Thames Gateway, the area centred on the tidal Thames, and the Thames Estuary to the east of London.

Below Teddington Lock (about 55 miles or 89 kilometres upstream of the Thames Estuary), the river is subject to tidal activity from the North Sea. Before the lock was installed the river was tidal as far as Staines, about 16 miles (26 km) upstream. London, capital of Roman Britain, was established on two hills, now known as Cornhill and Ludgate Hill. These provided a firm base for a trading centre at the lowest possible point on the Thames.

A river crossing was built at the site of London Bridge. London Bridge is now used as the basis for published tide tables giving the times of high tide. High tide reaches Putney about 30 minutes later than London Bridge, and Teddington about an hour later. The tidal stretch of the river is known as "the Tideway". Tide tables are published by the Port of London Authority and are available online. Times of high and low tides are also broadcast on Twitter.

The principal tributaries of the River Thames on the Tideway include the rivers Brent, Wandle, Effra, Westbourne, Fleet, Ravensbourne (the final part of which is called Deptford Creek), Lea, Roding, Darent and Ingrebourne. At London, the water is slightly brackish with sea salt, being a mix of sea and fresh water.

This part of the river is managed by the Port of London Authority. The flood threat here comes from high tides and strong winds from the North Sea, and the Thames Barrier was built in the 1980s to protect London from this risk.