Year round source of the River Thames

A small stone marker in the Cotswold countryside marks where England's most famous river actually begins - not with fanfare, but with a modest trickle from the ground near Coberley. The Thames Source sits in sheep-grazed fields about four miles south of Cirencester, and it's the kind of place that rewards the effort to find it precisely because most people don't bother.

You won't find much here beyond the marker itself and the gentle spring that feeds the infant Thames. The river at this point is barely a stream - you could step across it without getting your knees wet. But there's something oddly moving about standing at the actual source of a waterway that will eventually flow past London and into the North Sea. It's one of those pilgrim-like moments that appeals to geography enthusiasts, keen walkers, and anyone who gets a kick out of visiting significant starting points.

Allow twenty minutes max, longer if you're photographing or just sitting with the stillness of it. The walk is easy enough, though the footpath can get muddy after rain. There's no visitor facility or tea shop, so bring what you need. It's free, naturally.

If you're based at Cirencester Park Caravan and Motorhome Club or Hoburne Cotswold Holiday Park nearby, this works as a gentle morning outing before heading into Cirencester itself. On its own it's a curiosity rather than a day-long destination, but combined with walking the upper Thames Path or exploring the market town, it slots in rather nicely.