We found it…but it was dry!

We found the Source of the Thames…or so we thought, but it was dry.

The Stone marks the spot, and the pile of stones marks….well, that just marks a hole in the ground where the water is meant to be!

I think this is just a ploy… a story made up by the English to sell Sunday lunches to easily duped Welsh bikers, at the nearby ‘Head of the Thames Inn’.

A very nice lunch it was and I can recommend a visit. It is on the A433 just South of Cirencester.

They were very accommodating as 17 bikes descended upon them unannounced. Good service and good food.

But it all got me to thinking that maybe we have a suspect corner of a field here in Wales where easily duped tourists flock in their thousands.

It is of course Beddgelert, just on the edge of Snowdonia National Park.

So the story goes, Prince Llewellyn had a loyal hound named Gelert. One day the Prince was to go out hunting so left Gelert to guard the crib where his young son was sleeping.

When he was gone a wolf attacked the sleeping baby. Gelert fought to protect the child and was severly wounded but was successful in killing the wolf.

During the fight the crib was overtuned and fell over the body of the wolf and the baby, hiding both from view.

On his return Prince Llewellyn saw the bloodshed and the overturned crib. He saw blood on Gelerts mouth. Angry and thinking that Gelert had killed his son he took his sword and struck Gelert killing him in one blow.

It was only when the distraught Prince picked up the crib, did he discover the body of the wolf and his son safe and well, protected by his loyal hound.

It is said that Prince Llewellyn, heartbroken, buried his hound, (yes…. you’ve guessed it, beneath a tree in the corner of a field.)

The small town is named Beddgelert which is Welsh for ‘Gelerts Grave’.

Off course the other story goes that none of this happened at all, but the story was invented by an unscrupulous hotelier aimed at attracting tourists to the town to visit his hotel.

Well that worked and there is a tree in the field which supposedly marks the spot of Gelerts Grave.

So, Lets go and have a look shall we. Bring a shovel and we can solve this once and for all.

The next ride out will be up North to the small, but beautiful town of Beddgelert.

This ride out will be on Sunday the 18th of May. Starting at McDonald’s Cardiff, junction 32 of the M4, at 9.30 for a 10am departure.

Please note that this is the third Sunday of the month and not the usual 2nd Sunday.

This will be a long run, taking advantage of the lighter evenings, so why not join us for another pointless day out.

Over mountains, passing lakes and forests and to a field with nothing in it, again… a bit of Welsh culture……….’Bloody Lovely’ !