Thames Head
Coordinates: 51°41′39″N 2°01′47″W / 51.694262°N 2.029724°W
Thames Head is a site in Gloucestershire, traditionally identified as the source of the River Thames, a major river which runs through the centre of London. It lies near the village of Kemble and the town of Cirencester. The elevation of the source is 360 feet (110 m) above sea level.
The claim that Thames Head is the source of the River Thames is disputed. The Environment Agency, the Ordnance Survey and other authorities have the source of the Thames as the nearby Trewsbury Mead. Others hold that the true source of the Thames is at Seven Springs, Gloucestershire, some 11 miles (18 km) further north, and east of Gloucester. Seven Springs is officially the source of the River Churn, which is itself a tributary of the Thames that joins at Cricklade. As it lies further from the mouth of the Thames than Trewsbury Mead, the adoption of Seven Springs as its source would make the Thames the longest river in the UK.
A monument beneath an ash tree bears the inscription:
THE CONSERVATORS OF THE RIVER THAMES
1857-1974
THIS STONE WAS PLACED HERE TO MARK THE
SOURCE OF THE RIVER THAMES
A nearby basin of stones marks the spring. However, there is usually only water during a wet winter.
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