One last day of walking to get me to the source! … It was wet and muddy (two words I’ve grown to hate over the past week), with the odd scary mannequin in fields, and then flooded fields to make me walk extra kilometres! I was close to tears when I came across a flooded field and realised it was too deep to try and navigate through, and that my worst fear of having to backtrack for 8km had come true. Using my GPS and google maps, I found a road I could walk along and it would eventually meet up with the Thames Path again near the Cotswold Water Park. It wasn’t enjoyable walking along the road with no footpath, but more enjoyable than swimming through a flooded field!

The source is well and truly tucked away in a field, you would have no idea it was even there if it wasn’t for the stone marker as you can’t see any water / stream / trickle. On my way through the final field to the source I met a man walking his dog who told me about the Thames Head Inn pub and a shortcut to get there over the railway line, rather than the long way I had come. I took a picture of the stone marker, took a moment to reflect on the past week and the journey I had taken… then headed over the railway line as instructed and into the pub for a celebratory drink and dinner!

Not wanting to leave but desperate for a hot bath and comfy bed, I headed to the Kemble train station and made my way back to London via Paddington.

It was a very scenic week, too wet and muddy for my liking, but a beautiful trail along a historic river.

**Hover over the pictures to see details

This mannequin almost gave me a heart attack!

Wet & muddy, two words I’ve grown to hate!

A flooded field that the path runs through – I had to backtrack and take a road until catching up with the path again

Getting close to the source

The source of the Thames

The perfect place to enjoy a drink after finishing the Thames Path walk.

The source of the Thames

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