Tuesday, July 5, 2016

The Source of the River Thames to Cricklade

Wow....unlike other British summers that we lived through on these "walks", the weather looks clear albeit cloudy....check..a good start.

Ah, breakfast, nothing like a full English...eggs, baked beans, sausage, toast mushroom and fried tomatoes!  No, not for me....but Don and Pete love it.  I'll stick with the poached eggs on toast...yummm!  Check out the picture of Shelagh with HER breakfast!



Now it's time to work off all that Breakfast.  A quick photo opportunity in front of our B&B and we were off in a taxi to the Source of the River Thames.



So, this is the stone that marks the Source of the Thames.  There is an old Ash tree here and it is surmised that the source of the Thames begins somewhere under it.  Our first sign post marks the 184 mile mark to the end of the Thames River at the Thames Barrier, west of London.
Oddly enough, there is no water here!  At least at this time of year we were looking at a dry field, which was probably a good thing, otherwise we would have been standing in bog.

 And . . . we're off!

Hopping over my first Stile with a little pose . . as we set off in search of water and the humble beginnings of the mighty Thames.

 Within the first couple of miles we found the first source of water . . as a river, not falling from the sky this year.  There was a wall with bog on one side and standing water on the other.  This was the first evidence of the river.

 Several miles further the river starts to take shape, several feet wide and a foot deep.


Our gang enjoying a beautiful day and an easy and flat walk along the river.


Don and Pete could not resist a stop for a pub lunch and a quick pint, after all today was a short walk.


Take a quick look....I think that some one left in a hurry.  I hope that was not quick sand...we did see warning signs for it along some of the small lake all day long.


A memory from childhood...Hovis bread.


And....finally back to the Red Lion in Cricklade.


This evening we enjoyed a fantastic meal as The Red Lion has been named "gastro pub" of the year several times...truly gourmet food!

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