Given the dire weather forecast I was surprised that it wasn’t raining when I left the Riverside Inn @7:20, but was kitted out in preparation for the worst. The boats that I saw lining the north bank would be the last I saw all day as the navigational limit of the River Thames had been reached.

Not surprisingly, my legs were tired today, compounded by the moderate to strong headwind, which made the going slow. It seemed like the fields of cows were also expecting rain.

After 10 miles I passed through Cricklade where the Thames was still visible.

However by Ashton Keynes it had disappeared to a dry river bed which makes me wonder what it’s like after a wet winter.

I would liked to have stopped for a leisurely coffee somewhere but then again I was determined to avoid the rain which generally held off; I always find the BBC weather forecasts very conservative, perhaps in the interest of trying to deliver unbiased reporting overall…..

It was a popular day for ‘Thames Pathers’ as I encountered many embarking on their journey, including an elderly couple from New Zealand and a lady from Texas both aiming for 3 weeks (10-15 miles/day). There was also a runner who was kitted out and looking good and hence, from experience, I didn’t want to interrupt him with needless chit chat. There were also a few couples completing it in stages.

I eventually made it to the source for 2pm amid light drizzle. Not a particularly impressive destination, but the 6-day total journey to get there had been a great experience and another really enjoyable trip.

I promptly turned around to retrace my steps to Kemble station to catch the train home after 53,000 steps. It had been a hard few days but, satisfying to have finally completed it, without any last minute dramas. Amazingly, I was back in Reading in just 40 minutes, which, as usual, seemed like a week after I started on Day 1.