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The source of the Thames is actually in a group of springs just north of the village of Kemble in
Gloucestershire. There is a stone marking the official sources at Trewsbury Mead. The catch is the spring is mostly dry. However, the Thames Head group of springs is a few hundred metres away and this is
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The field to the north of the A433, Trewsbury Mead, has the highest-located springs, which tend only to flow during a wet winter. One of these springs is marked with an inscribed stone marker. Below it, the springhead itself is in a hollow that has been lined with stones.
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The actual start of the River Thames changes as the level of groundwater changes. The spring known as Lyd Well, located south of the A433 (grid reference ST989984), is often where the river starts. In 2011, the lowest recorded start of the Thames was just upstream of
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in the limestone. In dry periods, the groundwater level falls, causing the Thames Head springs to dry up and the river to begin lower down in its course. In wet conditions, the groundwaters rise and the river can begin at one of the Thames Head springs. During the
344:"The second spring of the Thames Head, located in Trewsbury Mead. A statue of Old Father Thames once stood in the field but was removed to Lechlade where the Thames becomes navigable to larger boats.(General view)"
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A stone-lined springhead in
Trewsbury Mead, with the marker stone above it, taken 2007. Dry at the time of taking the picture, the Thames would otherwise flow towards the photographer.
380:"A mole catcher at work in the field where the fourth spring of the Thames Head emerges. From here the river runs to Somerford Keynes and then on to Cricklade.(General view)"
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278:. As it is further from the mouth of the Thames than Thames Head, the adoption of Seven Springs as its source would make the Thames the longest river in the UK.
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follows their precedent. However, there is also a long-standing alternative view that the real source of the Thames is on a different headstream entirely: at
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Thames Head is a group of seasonal springs which, when flowing, form the headstream of the River Thames, the major river which runs through the
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202:, on either side of the A433 road, about 3 miles (4.8 km) south-west of the town of Cirencester, in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire.
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and which is longer than the course of the Thames from Thames Head to
Cricklade. Further still, a small branch of the Churn runs to the
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In actuality, the source of the River Thames does not have a fixed location – rather, it changes according to the level of the
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and other authorities have the source of the Thames as Thames Head. Others hold that the true source of the Thames is at
416:"View at the source of the River Thames at Thames Head showing the fourth spring and man beside the pump.(General view)"
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BBC News, Gloucestershire. 15 May 2012 Could the River Thames be longer than the River Severn? by David Bailey
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308:"Landscape around the Thames Head spring, the source of the river Thames in Gloucestershire"
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of the
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Thames Head is 360 feet (110 m) above sea level, at grid reference ST980994.
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identifies Thames Head as the source of the Thames on its maps and the UK's
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called
Trewsbury Mead. The springs continue immediately south of the A433.
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556:"Achieving a healthy balance between People, Business and the Environment"
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578:"Source of River Thames dries out 'for first time' during drought"
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198:. Their location is in fields near the villages of Coates and
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The highest springs of Thames Head are located north of the
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453:"14 amazing facts about the Thames you probably never knew"
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The marker stone in
Trewsbury Mead bears the inscription:
266:, some 11 miles (18 km) farther north, and east of
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554:Gordon, Emily (November 2011). Goody, Helen (ed.).
274:, which is a tributary of the Thames that joins at
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270:. Seven Springs is officially the source of the
254:The source of the River Thames is disputed. The
182:, making it the furthest source of the Thames.
1091:Hungerford Bridge & Golden Jubilee Bridges
93:, about three miles south-west of the town of
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520:"Thames Head, the Source of the River Thames"
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565:(31). Upper Thames Protection Society: 1.
354:at Thames Head, Coates, Gloucestershire.
318:at Thames Head, Coates, Gloucestershire.
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426:at Thames Head, Coates, Gloucestershire
213:Thames Head in flood looking downstream
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487:"ABOUT COATES – Coates Parish Council"
242:THIS STONE WAS PLACED HERE TO MARK THE
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530:from the original on 19 February 2020
1148:Longest rivers of the United Kingdom
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238:THE CONSERVATORS OF THE RIVER THAMES
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422:. CC73/00534. Photo taken 1890, by
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314:. CC73/00044. Photo taken 1874, by
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463:from the original on 28 April 2020
105:. The spring water comes from the
74:Thames Head in flood in March 2020
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576:Horton, Helena (4 August 2022).
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386:. HT03070. Photo taken 1881, by
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85:that arise near the village of
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264:Seven Springs, Gloucestershire
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164:Seven Springs, Gloucestershire
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600:"Seven Springs and the Churn"
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130:2022 United Kingdom heat wave
451:Fort, Hugh (26 April 2020).
244:SOURCE OF THE RIVER THAMES
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598:Dorothy Hart (9 May 2004).
474:where the water flows from.
390:at Coates, Gloucestershire.
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436:: CS1 maint: postscript (
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1116:Maidenhead Railway Bridge
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602:. The-river-thames.co.uk
1023:Kentish Knock (England)
491:www.coatesparish.org.uk
81:is a group of seasonal
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48:51.694262°N 2.029724°W
1250:Thames drainage basin
420:The National Archives
384:The National Archives
348:The National Archives
312:The National Archives
250:Thames source dispute
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176:National Star College
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771:Selected settlements
166:, the source of the
53:51.694262; -2.029724
18:Source of the Thames
851:Staines-upon-Thames
97:, in the county of
44: /
1245:Springs of England
1096:Westminster Bridge
1084:Blackfriars Bridge
1059:Rotherhithe Tunnel
635:Thames Pathway Ch1
256:Environment Agency
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194:and the centre of
160:Environment Agency
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1079:Millennium Bridge
1049:Dartford Crossing
895:Major tributaries
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788:Castle Eaton
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675:River Thames
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604:. Retrieved
582:The Guardian
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288:Winterbourne
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229:Marker stone
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118:River Thames
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1007:Ingrebourne
808:Wallingford
746:Thames Head
700:Oxfordshire
534:28 November
496:28 November
467:29 November
272:River Churn
186:Description
168:River Churn
125:groundwater
95:Cirencester
79:Thames Head
51: /
1239:Categories
1170:Great Ouse
837:Maidenhead
294:References
268:Gloucester
36:51°41′39″N
871:Gravesend
817:Streatley
783:Cricklade
705:Berkshire
695:Wiltshire
677:, England
276:Cricklade
240:1857-1974
180:Ullenwood
172:Cricklade
145:Fosse Way
141:A433 road
107:limestone
91:Cotswolds
39:2°01′47″W
932:Cherwell
927:Evenlode
922:Windrush
866:Dartford
803:Abingdon
793:Lechlade
683:Counties
528:Archived
461:Archived
432:cite web
396:cite web
360:cite web
324:cite web
282:See also
110:aquifers
876:Tilbury
842:Windsor
822:Reading
116:of the
103:England
89:in the
83:springs
1160:Thames
1155:Severn
1002:Darent
982:Wandle
957:Loddon
952:Kennet
861:London
844:&
832:Marlow
815:&
813:Goring
798:Oxford
739:Source
720:Surrey
606:17 May
258:, the
200:Kemble
196:London
149:meadow
114:source
87:Coates
1204:Tweed
1199:Clyde
1165:Trent
977:Brent
962:Colne
942:Thame
907:Leach
902:Churn
755:Mouth
730:Essex
559:(PDF)
1219:Eden
1214:Nene
1209:Avon
1194:Spey
1184:Ouse
1028:Nore
972:Mole
947:Pang
917:Coln
912:Cole
846:Eton
725:Kent
608:2010
536:2020
498:2020
469:2020
438:link
402:link
366:link
330:link
154:The
1224:Dee
1189:Tay
1180:Ure
1175:Wye
1133:all
997:Lea
967:Wey
937:Ock
178:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
