The final stage - 24: Cricklade to Source

Dear Bertie,

Today you are 3 years and 2 months old, and we completed the Thames path. The path is 184 miles long and we walked the entire length over 23 stages. What an achievement! This weekend we are staying at our friend Sarah's house in Cheltenham which is close to the end of our walk - the source.

After another late night drive in your jim jams and sleepover a Sarah's house, you ate 2 Wheetabix then drove to the start - The Red Lion pub in Cricklade where we left the path on that hot August day with Papa and Mamie - 

It was a chill and very foggy morning, visibility was very limited as we joined the Thames path for the last time - 

The ground was covered in dew and Mummy got wet feet within the first 5 minutes of the lovely fields we started our day in, the sun was breaking through the fog and it was so quiet -

We passed a foggy field full of cows who were on the banks of the narrow river Thames, some of them looked like they were going for a morning dip which you thought was funny! - 

And we found a lovely big spiders web with morning dew all across it next to one of the field gates then sung one of your favourite songs 'Incy Wincy Spider' - 

The river is really narrow and shallow by now, with just small stone bridges occasionally crossing it which we stood on and saw the water slowly trickling past - 

We passed through a beautiful village - Ashton Keyes - where all the houses were made of the beautiful yellow stone - the village is the only settlement substantially on both sides of the River Thames - 

In the village - some peoples houses have gardens on to the river, and there is a history of flooding there, people talked of keeping their back and front door open so the water flowed straight through! We met a postwoman delivering post to them 'good morning!' - 

Back on the river, we went through a long woodland where the water was very shallow and full of 'river trees' you called them - 

At the half way point, we stopped in the middle of Lower Mill Estate, a 550 acre private nature reserve made up of loads of lakes. The largest, Somerford lagoon, where we stopped, is used for canoeing and sailing in the summer, and closed in the winter so that overwintering birds can use it without being disturbed. Here, you and Lola clambered on funny animals made of wood, you ate cheesy puffs and drank blackcurrant juice  - 

We passed a sign which read 174 miles to the Thames Barrier and 5 miles to the source, haven't we walked a long way together, and we are nearly there! - 

We passed some logs with lots of champignons on them, but decided they might not be eating mushrooms. You love having champignons in your pasta or on pizza - 

We passed more lakes which were beautiful but unfortunately not allowed to swim in - 

And you and Papa went to see a beautiful big lake bathed in sunshine - 

Then it was on to some quiet roads as we made out way into Kemble, the last village before the end of our long walk. We see some small aircrafts in the sky and Papa found out it is Cotswold Airport - which used to host the RAF Red Arrows aerobic display team from 1966 to 1983 - 

Into the last big field before the end, the sun was shining brightly and Papa was getting a little tired! - 

And then the special moment arrived, we reached the source of the Thames, a funny pile of stones and a headstone and post pointing east in the direction of where we first started in London in November 2018 - 

The spring water comes from the limestone aquifers of the Cotwolds and these springs are the source of the Thames. The source doesn't actually have a fixed location as it changes dye to level of groundwater in the limestone. In drier conditions the springs dry up and the river begins to flow lower in it's course, like it was today. When it rains, the groundwater rise and the river begins at one of the springs here. 

With our rumbling tummies, we headed back towards Kemble, crossing a railway line where we had to stop, look, listen and cross the rails very carefully for trains, you did a great job - 

Then we arrived at the pub where you ate a cheese sandwich, drank squash, and played balancing on a big log while we waited for Papa to collect the car - 

Then it was back in the car to Sarah's house and you immediately fell asleep exhausted with white bunny, puffin and your camion de pompier - 

I am so so proud of you Bertie, it was a big adventure with lots of long days of walking, you did brilliantly. What a brave, courageous, inquisitive, lovely boy you are and I am so proud to be your Mummy. I love you loads. Mummy xxx

TOTAL DISTANCE: 21 KM

Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/6087290416

Nappy changes: None, in big boy pants now!

Crying episodes: 1, it was a very long day!

Feeding stop:
Picnic of snacks at Somerford Lagoon 

Late lunch at The Head of the Thames Pub, nr Kemble - traditional pub with standard and filling food 

Travel:
Parked in Cricklade, walked to source nr Kemble, Papa got taxi back to Cricklade then picked us up at the pub before heading home

Kemble does have a station so possible to walk back there via public transport

Accommodation:

We stayed at our friends house in Cheltenham this weekend

Head of the Thames Inn - has camping

Logistics:

Overnight Sarah's

0700 breakfast

0800 leave, drive to Cricklade

0830 arrive Cricklade, park, pack, top up Lola milk

0845 walk - Lola naps 0900-0935

1045 feed lola, Bertie snack - Lola naps 1145-1400

1430 arrive pub, late lunch

1500 Nico get taxi back to Cricklade

1530 Nico drives back to Thames head pub

1600 Head home

Overnight Sarah's

The penultimate leg - Stage 23: Lechlade to Cricklade

Dear Bertie,

Time has flown by and it has been a whole 2 years and 3 months since our last Thames walk! A very busy television series (The Savoy) and then a pandemic has delayed our walking challenge and since our last walk in April 2019.  You are now 3 years old and have a little sister Lola who is nearly 4 months old!

You have become a fun, energetic boy with a cheeky sense of humour and are an absolute joy to be around. I am so proud of the boy you have become and am excited to see you grow and start school next year! In the meantime, we need to crack on with finishing this Thames walk!

So it is now summer 2021 and with your little sister in tow, I need more hands to help on this walk so Papa and Mamie join us for stage 23 of our big challenge.

During Mamie's summer visit, we made a last minute plan to walk 2 long stages of the Thames. Due to lots of places being booked up near Oxford, we jumped ahead to the later stages as that was the only place I could find a hotel. The night before, you wore your pyjamas in the car and we drove in the dark, (you were awake until 21h30!) and saw the sun go to sleep and learnt about what a sunset is with Papa: 'good night sunshine'. 

We arrived at a very rustic old coaching Inn in Lechlade and you went to bed in a big grown up bed sharing with Mamie, what a brave boy you are!

In the morning, you went to the local supermarket to buy our picnic lunch with Papa and we headed out on the path. 

Lola was crying so Papa quickly got her to sleep so we could crack on with our morning leg of the walk -

It was beautifully sunny. Just outside Lechlade, we passed a beautiful old church St John the Baptist Inglesham, a 13th Century church where paintings cover the walls 7 layers thick. 

You were very brave as we walked through big fields full of cows blocking the path. 

At our morning snack stop you had a delicious strawberry juice and raisins, did a stand up wee (well done!) and found a barrier to play on with Papa whilst looking for noisy insects in the long grass. 

Later we found a big straw field and you made big fires with the grass and told one man passing to be careful and jump over them!

We passed south of RAF Letchworth and saw lots of fighter planes doing exercises, they were so noisy in the sky and you loved watching them with Papa. 

We passed many fields of sweetcorn and Mamie opened one for you to check.  It was very green and not ready for eating yet.

Towards the end of the walk, Mummy got the route wrong and we ended up doing another 2k in the hot sunshine before reaching Lechlade and a nice pub for a pint of juice, shortbread and many toilet trips. 

We went to a playground next to a big old church while Papa took a taxi to get the car and collect us. Then it was back home for a nice pub dinner of fish and chips, some fun twirling in the garden by the river and seeing more cows before another late bedtime in your big grown up bed next to Mamie again.

TOTAL DISTANCE: 20 KM

GPS route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37254412Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/5845980553

Nappy changes: None, in big boy pants now!

Crying episodes: None, you loved today

Feeding stop:
Picnic on the river 

Red Lion, Cricklade - traditional pub and big garden, also has rooms

Travel:
Parked in Lechlade, walked Lechlade to Cricklade, Papa got taxi back to Lechlade then picked us up in Cricklade before heading home.

Accommodation:

We stayed in The New Inn, Lechlade which is a rustic coaching inn with small rooms within converted stables, benches outside the rooms for eating/ drinking whilst listening out for the kids!

Red Lion in Cricklade has a few rooms at the back of the pub/ next to the garden which look nice