The Source

After 29 days of walking we finally reached the source. Including the section between Greenwich and Tower Bridge which we walked twice once on each bank; the 14 miles downstream from the start of the path and the seven miles above the source in Gloucestershire, we covered about 216 miles. Roll of honour: Bunny, Cathy, Stefania, Alexandra, Alistair, Ian, Louise, CB, Gary, Katja, Janys. Alice, Marcin, Alfie and Amanda did two walks. Maggot came on three walks. Natasha came on eight walks. Chris came on nine walks. Raja came on 26 walks. Ray came on 27 walks. ....And myself Tobias who led, planned and promoted all 29 walks. The Thames Walk to the Source (2007-2010). This is the beginning...... Reaching the end of the Thames path we linked up with the Thames and Severn Canal Janys A ditch of weeds..... The ditch of weeds turned into a channel of pondlife Ducklings in a row Indiana Jones and Thames Severn Tunnel After lunch at the Tunnel House Raja in Cirencester Country Park Different types of fences are displayed at the entrance to the sawmill Chris found this honeycomb piece of wood that had been used as a drill plate protector. He took it home along with a bottle of Black Rat cider. Home for winter bees Amanda stops at the sawmill to adjust her sock.

After a break of more than one-and-a-half years we finally walked the 11 mile 28th stage of the Thames walk from Cricklade in Wiltshire to the highest town on the river Kemble in Gloucestershire.

We began at Cricklade which is the place where the the Roman Road Ermin Street crosses the river. It became a fortified town and site of a royal mint under Alfred the Great defending against the Danes until Canute captured the town and tore down the town walls. The town's North Meadow is home to 80% of Britain's wild Snake's Head Fritillaries.

Chris, Ray and Raja came on the Twenty eighth and penultimate Thames walk.

Crickade High Street

On the bridge at Cricklade

Walking through a field of show jumps

What can I say: mooooo!

Gravel extraction has resulted in flooding in this area and the river flows around and through nearly 150 lakes near Ashton Keynes. The body of Chalky White was dumped in one of these lakes.

The marshlands of the Cotswold Water Park

The path into Ashton Keynes where we had lunch

The Thames as a meandering little stream

Ray pretends to cross the river on a tree trunk

Raja

Spring lambs

Spring lambs by the infant Thames

Kemble station

Chris on the platform at Kemble

The trees seen from the platform at Kemble remind me of looking at photographic film

Lechlade to Cricklade

Ray, Natasha and myself walked the eleven-mile, twenty-seventh stage of the Thames walk on September 20th. Apart from a couple of short summer strolls at Gravesend and at Chiswick, it was the first Thames walk for more than five months.

Having missed the only bus for hours at Swindon we took a taxi to the start of the walk at Halfpenny Bridge at Lechlade.

For a few hundred metres upstream of the bridge there were a few boats moored, but from then on none at all. Lechlade is the limit of navigation for narrowboats. It is only possible to get further upstream by canoe.

Saxon sculpture of the virgin Mary inside Inglesham church

Clock on barn at Castle Eaton

Red marshy plants in meadows next to the river between Castle Eaton and Cricklade. In several places it was obvious that the path had until very recently been under water. The fields around here smelt like a cross between wet dog and seaweed. In places the Thames looks little more than a sluggish drainage ditch or a small stream but then for short stretches it appears to regain a faint echo of its status as a grand river.

Swans passing by the garden at the back of the Red Lion at Castle Eaton.