CSCC Reports 2009: Thames Source to Cricklade Walk - 3^rd May 2009

On a lovely sunny Sunday in May, Chris, Joanna, Beth, the Lawrence family, Malcolm, Marcia, Richard Szc., Stephen, Ann and I walked the 14 miles from the source of the River Thames to Cricklade, where local land owners accept that the river is navigable.  The official source of the river is marked with a large stone and following a photo opportunity we walked along the dried up river bed.  After a while we spotted puddles and later these joined to form a stream.  In time this became something more closely resembling a river.  

At Thames Head we encountered former England football captain, Tony Adams, walking his dalmatian.  Joanna commented that he (Tony) was very handsome.  Celebrities often seem resentful if they are recognised when off duty, but Tony and his dog were surprisingly friendly.  He seemed a bit surprised that we were walking along a dried up river bed and, assuming that we had got lost on our way to the pub, helpfully offered us directions!

In fact we did not stop until we reached the Bakers Arms pub in Somerford Keynes (at roughly the mid point of the walk).  There was already a mad rush for food before we pitched up and much to my annoyance the bar staff refused to let me order a meal.  I tucked into the packed lunch which I had brought with me, but unbeknowns to me, Chris had succeeded in placing an order and I ended up with a second lunch to eat!  I also had a birthday cake bought for me by Beth, so in the end I did rather well.  

The countryside and the villages we passed through on our walk were really pretty, although at times the "Thames path" is some distance from the actual river.  Chris and I both suffered in the later stages of the walk - having to use our arms to raise our legs over the final couple of stiles!  We agreed that we could both paddle a lot farther than we could travel on dry land.  Towards the end of the walk there was a fair bit of water in the river and we could have paddled on it, if only there weren't barbed wire stopping us (and if we had had boats with us).  We finished at Cricklade where we had started our Source to Sea odyssey a few years previously.

Our thanks go to Chris for organising the walk.

Hils and Peter's photos and photo map.
Chris's pictures are here.