Not the Head of the Thames

So off we went, poring over maps and printouts from other anoraquey sites, excited panting (smelly) dog in the back of the car.
We marched (or ambled or darted erratically) across fields and climbed hedges and were good about gates. We said things like "Oh this must be right" and "round the next corner?" and "good dog" and "bad dog" and "no not that way, stupid dog" and "definitely the water course" and "Aaaargghh!" (dog, lead, fence, stile, and feet confusion at this point).

Then we arrived here. It looked about right and it seemed to be the place to which our directions had led us. However, there was no stone marker inscribed with stuff about how this was IT! And though there were two Ash trees, they didn't look old enough or in the right places.
Undergrowth was scrabbled in and there was a good deal of discussion about how they might have taken the marker away to clean it or re-cut the faded wording. There was prodding of the ground in case a spring might bubble merrily up saying "only joking, here I am" (this didn't happen).
Ok. It wasn't the right place. Close, oh so close, but not quite right. So we went in search of lunch and further nice places to see.
We saw the Kennet and Avon canal at Great Bedwyn, Where the railway and a number of assorted bridges are all neatly parcelled up with a picturesque lock - very nice -
And several lovely old canal bridges.We had lunch at a cricket pavilion at Avebury (which was gracelessly decorated with millions of brightly anoraqed tourists and stone lovers, most of whom seemed to be clustering worshipfully on the ground around each stone, though some seemed to be just sleeping there in huddled groups). We saw some one who Barney believes is called Uther Pendragon to which I pointed out that he was in the wrong county, nay, wrong country even since Uther was the King of Cornwall. (A very long time ago when Cornwall was a kingdom not a county). Also people in long black cloaks. Hmm.
And Nutmeg flirted shamelessly with a spaniel and a lurcher.
We bought an old second hand Ordinanace Survey map which confirmed that we hadn't quite got to the right place (we should have gone one more field and crossed one more road!
Then we decided to leave before the rain arrived.

Birtrday Girl (looking svelte and stunning in a floaty dinner dress having been out for a posh birthday lunch) and HF came unexpectedly and had dinner and we played cribbage. It was fun.

A splendid day altogether :)
And we can go and look for the Head of the Thames again which will be fun too :)

I hope you all had a good weekend too :)