A momentous day - because today we finished our walk along the entire Thames Path.
It has taken 28 days, spread out over one a half years, and has been quite a family adventure. The boys were just 10 and 13 at the start, now of course they are 11 and 14, and each one of us has walked every step from the Thames Barrier to the Source of the River Thames. The 'official' distance is a mere 184 miles, but that does not take account of detours forced by building works, transport links, angry bulls and path re-routing, so we think it was around 200 miles.
So this final push was 7 miles in the autumn sunshine, from Ashton Keynes to the official source of the river. Not long out of Ashton Keynes, and the water disappeared.
Here's a patch of actual water in the Thames!!!
But for most of the 7 miles it was a dry ditch, in which we could (and often did) walk.
(except when there were exciting bridges to cross, like this one....)
After 6 miles the river bed is no more than a furrow in the grass....
... from which eventually we could see THE STONE!!!
And so, finally, to our arrival. And to think that a drop of water here can find its way to Oxford, then Reading, then London, and out to sea. Well, at least we know the route it takes!
Thanks for reading our blog! We hope that you will walk the Thames Path.And it is not too late to sponsor us for a good cause:
