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The actual source of the River Thames is disputed! However, most people know that there is a spring in the Cotswold Hills marked by a stone block bearing the inscription: "The Conservators of the River Thames 1857 – 1974: this stone was placed here to mark the source of the River Thames". It is in Tewksbury Mead, a meadow located 3 miles SW of the town of Cirencester, and this stone also marks the beginning of the Thames Path, a long distance National Trail that continues all the length of the Thames to the Thames Barrier at Woolwich. This section of the Thames runs through the glorious part of England known as the Cotswolds.
Thames Head stone - photo reproduced by kind permission of Jim Batty- http://www.jimbatty.com
On this first stretch of its journey the Thames is traversed by two major road bridges, the Foss Way (the A433) at Thameshead, and the A429 near Kemble. Thereafter you can cross the Thames at Parker’s Bridge near Mill Farm Ewen (the first village on the Thames), and at Neigh Bridge near the village of Somerford Keynes, before the river winds its way through water meadows en route to Cricklade. It passes under two small bridges at Waterhay and Bournelake, before it is crossed by the main A419 (called Ermine Way).
The next footbridge to cross the Thames is at Eysey, and a further Thames Path footbridge is a mile further downstream at Water Eaton. A road bridge crosses the Thames at the hamlet of Castle Eaton next to the old pub called the Red Lion, and further downstream another road bridge crosses the Thames between Kempsford and Hannington Wick. Soon the Thames reaches Lechlade.
If you are lucky enough to be a tourist in this area do visit www.cotswolds.info. for a lot more useful information about the towns and villages in the Cotswolds section of the River Thames.
The actual source of the River Thames is disputed! However, most people know that there is a spring in the Cotswold Hills marked by a stone block bearing the inscription: "The Conservators of the River Thames 1857 – 1974: this stone was placed here to mark the source of the River Thames". It is in Tewksbury Mead, a meadow located 3 miles SW of the town of Cirencester, and this stone also marks the beginning of the Thames Path, a long distance National Trail that continues all the length of the Thames to the Thames Barrier at Woolwich. This section of the Thames runs through the glorious part of England known as the Cotswolds.
Researched and Written by Jeannette Briggs
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