It survived the fire that destroyed the Crystal Palace in 1936 and was acquired by the Thames Conservancy in 1958 for erection at the Head of the Thames at Trewsbury Mead where it stood until 1974 when it was moved to its current location at St. John's Lock in Lechlade.

The origin of the name 'Thames' is not fully known.

 Before the Romans came it was called 'Tems' but the Romans latinised it and called it 'Tamesis'. Various names have appeared since then.

 The name 'Tamyse' was popular in Anglo-Saxon times but it has been known as 'Thames' since about 1600 (a.d.).

 When and why the 'h' was introduced is not known. It was once suggested that the Roman word 'Tamesis' derived from the joining of the word 'Isis', an alternative name used by some for the River above / around Oxford, and the 'Thame', the tributary that meets near Dorchester but there is no foundation for this idea.

 Most etymologists now appear to agree that the name 'Thames' is derived from the Sanskrit (ancient Indian) word 'Tamasa' meaning 'dark river' or 'dark water' and that the use of the word spread from India through the Celts to Britain.

Whilst on the matter of the name of the River Thames, it is worth mentioning that the name 'Isis', which some people call the Thames above Oxford, appears to be quite ficticious. It has no historical foundation. There is no record of the name in any early charter, it was not used by the Romans or Saxons and does not appear before the 14th century when it first appeared as 'Isa'. It seems it is a name conjured up by scribes in the 14th century for some unknown reason.