A journey to the source...

I went to the source of the River Thames today, with my wife. It was my birthday treat.

The Thames flows very close by our house, some 90 miles its origin, so it was time for a visit.

A pub, The Thames Head, is the most significant landmark when tracing the river to its beginning point - and the footpath is a bit manky as you start to make your way across the water-logged fields.

The effort is well worthwhile - it is an enchanted spot. The marker stone and the striking tree overlook what was today a large puddle, a pond really, and magical bubbles continually erupt from the earth through the clear water of the river's genesis.

Photograph copyright ©1999 Denis Waugh