How England became the "precious stone set in the silver sea"

In case you didn't know, England at times (Neanderthal times) used to be connected to the European mainland -- where now we have the English channel, then there was the English land bridge. A new study geologically describes the occurrences of the land bridge, the breaches (not the breeches, King James), and the flow of the Fleuve Manche -- the giant river flowing where the English Channel now is.

I tell you, if humans could live 10,000 years, it would be as much fun to watch sea level rise as it is for us 80-year-lifespan humans to watch the tides in the Bay of Fundy.

Rather than for me to try and describe this, here's the summary:

'Super-river' formed the English Channel