Still looking for the source of the Thames

If you remember, once before we went to look for that holy place where the water that becomes the Thames comes out of the ground. I have never seen this (except in Ampleforth, Yorkshire, where the streams on one side of the road flowed perpetually across the road and nobody remarked on it. We could have used that water!) But I particularly want to see this miracle as it happens and becomes the Thames. You remember that before we went as far as the pub:

and went along an extremely dangerous road and through a railway bridge and up a field and there was a lovely stream, but the path went away from the stream; we didn't know how far we had to walk; we had walked a lot that day and it was getting dark and so we gave up.

This time we discovered that if we had only poked our heads into the pub doorway there was a large, detailed and very clear map showing you how far you had to go and how to avoid some of the highly dangerous bit of road. Anyway, this time we went up the path marked with an orange arrow before you get to the railway bridge, and we followed the path beside the railway before it  joins the Thames path. Then we saw the marker from a distance and found it at last and I took photos but I was not happy. I was not happy because the ground there was lacking an essential element. Water.

This is very clear.

In front of these markers there is a pile of rocks which people have left to show they got here and they saw the water coming out of the ground, but there was nothing to see yesterday.

So we walked off in search of the first sign of the stream.



We walked down this field. By the way, at one time there was a statue of Old Father Thames in this field but it was vandalised, so it was moved to the first lock on the Thames.

This is the river bed - I kept listening for sounds of trickling water. No joy

The river bed is quite marked and easy to follow - the grass is greener : there are more kinds of  weeds.

I seem to remember seeing the stream here last time.

In the river bed. The river is supposed to run under both of the arches of that bridge. 

We went over to the other side of the road. No blooming river. So once again we did not find the source of the Thames. But the lack of water is surely an indication of a problem: empty aquifers. Overuse of water I think as we have had enough rain this year. 

Gloucester - give it a try

If I was in a position where I could move, I would move to Gloucester. It is small but smart. Regeneration has happened around the Historic docks area, and all the big warehouses are apartments (I think), there are lots of shops and cheap but nice eating places; everything is as clean as can be; there is a fabulous Cathedral and a very happy vibe. I say, "Go to Gloucester!" Surprisingly nice!

So we spent quite a bit of time there and in the end, never even saw the Art Gallery, because we decided to go up Crickley Hill (Iron Age Fort: what more could you want, and a fantastic view) and then find the source of the Thames. Well, we went to Kemble, where it's supposed to be, walked beside the little baby Thames (wide, shallow and very clean) for a mile or so and realised we were a long way from the actual marker, but figured we could go back to the car and drive to another road where we would be closer: we got to the pub called the Thames Head OK

 and couldn't park on the busy road, so we went further on to the path, we saw that the path went a long way up the field but we couldn't see the marker and then.... we realised we had to go home. So we never found it.

We were looking for this:

Wintry but dry

 Or this:

Probably more like this as it has been wet

But although there is a path it comes away from the stream (because of the wishes of landowners I think and it seems hard to find!