Sat 2nd June - Ewen to the Source

The shortest leg of the walk but by far the most enjoyable! Partly because we finally reached our goal after countless hours planning and three long weeks of walking, but mostly because friends joined us to walk the last few miles.

Caroline and Gwyn met us at the Wild Duck in Ewen and Caroline walked with us from there. After a short while we met a couple just starting out going the other way. They had not been to the source itself because the lady didn't like going into fields of cows! I noticed she was wearing a pair of pink trainers. I didn't have the heart to tell her about the many more fields of cows she was going to come across. Or the fact her trainers were going to disappear into the thick mud around Ewen.

We had arranged to meet Alan along the way and as planned, he had already parked near to where the Thames Path crosses over the Cirencester-Tetbury road. He walked to meet us in the field between the road and the Lyd Well (the Lyd Well is where water is said to flow all year round .. the source itself is often dry except in Winter). At the point where we met Alan the riverbed was already dry - we were able to walk in the riverbed instead of alongside it. So the predictions we had heard of flooded paths seemed to have been misplaced. After crossing the road it was a case of walking through several more fields (and one last herd of cows) before we arrived at the source itself.

So .. having finally arrived there were quite a few "Woo-hoo's" and even more photos before we set off for the Thames Head Inn and some celebration drinks. There was one funny moment on the way. A young couple had been at the source at the same time as us and had followed us up to and over the railway line. They looked puzzled and asked why there were no Thames Path signs. I explained they needed to go back to the field where the source had been and head in another direction. The guy thanked me and said he had followed me as I seemed to know where I was going! I did know exactly where I was going .. to the pub!! :) Alan had gone back to the car to get Diana and made his way to the Thames Head when we arrived on foot. Sue's husband Bill arrived soon after with a little surprise - he had Tamzin hiding in the back of the car! And a little while later Margaret's friend Karolyne also turned up with a 'recovery pack'.

A few final photos outside and then we went our separate ways and headed home (in our case, thanks to Alan & Diana who gave us a lift).