Google Street View sets sail on the Thames

Google Street View is continuing it seemingly relentless documentation of some of Britain’s most iconic locations (they've already had a peek inside the Tardis and hoofed it along our canals) with a 30 mile voyage down the Thames.

It marks the first time a river in Europe has been included on Street View with the search giant teaming up with the Port of London Authority (PLA) to capture the imagery by hitching a ride on the Yantlet - the trust’s hydrographic surveying vessel.

Normally used to collect data on all sorts of river-related info (everything from shorelines to currents), the Yantlet traversed the river from Woolwich to Richmond with Google’s Trekker camera on board.

The Trekker is the most portable of Google’s Street View cameras, usually attached to a 18kg (40lbs) backpack, and just one of the team’s diverse line-up of imaging equipment, including a snowmobile (first used for the Winter Olympics in Canada), an upright trolley (used for the more sedate pace of museums and galleries), and a trike (used for parks, trails and landmarks).

Click the gallery above to see some pictures from Google Street View on the Thames