Thames Path day 1. Travel day 17

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2 September 2019, Monday

Thames Path day 1

We found our way cross the fields to the source of the Thames. Very dry. The source consists of a stone monument and a sign for the Thames path as well as a circle of stones showing the spring that occasionally has water as a source of the Thames.

We were almost to Ewen before we saw the first puddles of water in pools where the Thames normally would flow. But today was nice and a walk was lovely.

At the closed Wild Duck Inn we called for a taxi and went into Cirencester. Here we came for a restaurant and view the old Roman City. The taxi left us at the Fleece restaurant where we had lunch. When visited a bank and the pharmacy to pick up some items we need it. We walked through St Mary's Church past the old Abbey grounds and the Roman wall. The original gate into the Abbey was called Norman gate and we saw that as well as the old Roman amphitheater on the hill above surin Cirencester

Well we made only 2.7 miles of progress on the Thames Path we walked over 10.2 miles for the day with all our walking around Cirencester. About 5 pm we got a taxi and went back to the Thames Head Inn where we had dinner and spent the night again.

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Photos

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The bar at Thames Head Inn

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Father Thames. We will see the real one in a couple of days

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The circle of rocks marks the now dry spring regarded as the source of the Thames

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Trail markers as we start the walk

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First sign of water in river

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We are off

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Toadstool stone seats along the path

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Typical Cotswold stone home

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Under renovation and new ownership and closed

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Cirencester market square the dancing hare

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Inside of St Mary's Abbey church

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Lego model of the church and Abbey. Built by Henry I in 1117; destroyed by Henry VIII In mid 16th century.

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Town of of Roman heritage

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Huge tree. See the boy running under distant limb?

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Norman gate old entrance to abbey

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Log art near Roman wall

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The obelisk marking entrance to the amphitheatre.

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What amphitheatre might have looked like when this was the second most important city of the Roman empire in Britain's.

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Amphitheatre from side

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Now the slopes of the old Roman amphitheatre are grass covered

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Our delicious near n chicken pie with phyllo crust. Yum