Source to Sea down the River Thames WITHOUT Leaving it
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
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I’m attempting to travel from the source to the sea down the River Thames. That’s 210 miles of wading, swimming and kayaking along Britain’s busiest waterway. And to make things harder I’m doing the whole thing alone and self-supported.
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“When’s the next video out?” is a comment I’ve read a ‘healthy’ amount of times since beginning the release of my new source to sea series.
First off, I’m totally amazed and grateful that so many of you want to see this journey unfold. I’ve been working on this project alone for months, so seeing it gain so much traction is incredibly vindicating, and I’d like to say a massive thank you if you spent 40 minutes of your life watching me struggle down the Thames. AND an even bigger thanks if you THEN decided to join on Patreon or UA-cam Memberships to watch me for another 40! 🤯
This project is a completely solo endeavour. Everything from the filming, to editing, to the map graphics (bar the artwork from the talented Louise Saunders), to subtitling, to thumbnails - it’s all me. So your patience is appreciated while I continue slowly piecing this thing together.
With all that being said, the next instalment will be out on Thursday 26th!
I understand, that for some, this will feel like an age, but with the longer video length and density of content I’m trying to pack into each instalment, one video every three weeks is a release schedule I feel like I can be consistent with.
And yes, the whole series will absolutely come out on UA-cam for free, but much of it still isn’t even made. Part 3 for example is close, but still needs finalising.
As I always ensure that I’m one video ahead for supporters, on Thursday 26th, Part 2 will drop on UA-cam (for free!) and Part 3 will come out for supporters on Patreon and YT Memberships.
I hope this serves to answers your questions. I’m now going to get back to editing!
Merry Christmas and I’ll hopefully see you on Boxing Day 🎉
@@EdPratt as you should have read
many times
Thanks for the update, its nice to know the date. Merry Christmas
it’s a christmas present
Bro please part 3 for free we can’t afford to spend too much money
Bros just farming impatience
25:30 imagine you’re just sitting at home in your stately manor and suddenly you hear someone filming a vlog under your floorboards
Yk what else you could imagine
@@BilalRiasat-o8z my dad coming back?
@@BilalRiasat-o8zdeez nutz
Fr 😂
@@BilalRiasat-o8z if ninja got a low taper fade
This is why UA-cam is so good. Unique, brilliant, weird content.
I LOVE weird content! The complete river water testing on its own it a thing you Just wouldn't get on a TV documentary.
And for some unknown reason, they recommend it. And I don't know why. But I like it.
Agreed. I wonder who did the drone work
@ he does.
algorithm is so odd.
Let's say the BBC made a documentary of someone doing this... big crew, equipment in trucks, catering, safety people, a director etc. etc... They could not make a documentary as good as this one. One person, hand-held camera, a drone and barely sufficient equipment. It felt like I was walking with Ed. Just brilliant. Bafta worthy. Seriously.
TBF the BBC does occasionally fund stuff like this, they funded Long Way Down, and Ben Fogle crossing the atlantic, but they need to do more because this is very fun, quite british content.
@@AkimboOfficial I suspect the Beeb wouldn't touch a project like this because of the trespassing issues.
@rogink but maybe they could help acquiring permission to go on this land of they were involved so wouldn't be a problem
That's the problem with legacy media. They can never make content like this. This is why youtube is amazing.
@@AkimboOfficial "They funded " 😵💫 Wrong. The British residents who are stupid enough to pay their compulsory tax, were fleeced to pay the overpaid wages of a bunch of middle class chancers.
& This guy got more views.
It’s always nice to see when people in the real world are cheering you on
yeah, really lovely!
@@ymbus4567it's weird because I would never think of British people as 'having a thing for adventure'
I imagine these people googling "Ed Pratt" later and finding out he's already circumnavigated the globe on a unicycle...
This is where I often come for a safe outside experience. I have agoraphobia and sadly it's not safe for women to go outside in America these days. People don't make you feel welcome or they cat call like you're a piece of meat.
Truly gives me hope in humanity seeing all these people just enjoying his and their own adventures.
@@ymbus4567this is why I don’t love Germany
Speaking as an Australian - this whole exercise looks very English, in all the best ways - the sense of humour of the path walkers included!
Well it is in England. What did you expect?!
@@JohnyG29dont be that guy
You've obviously never watched Beau Miles. Countryman of yours, does remarkably similar things.
@@robstacey5989 Love Beau! First thing I thought of when I saw this was his journey on the Cooks river.
@@robstacey5989 I was looking for this comment! Beau is brilliant
3:55 I appreciate the level of commitment to get out of the culvert, set up a camera, get back in the culvert, then get back out of the culvert. All so that we can have a seamless viewing experience
Uhhhh huhhh
Or just go around the easy way, put the camera down, then go through the hard way one time. Much easier.
@@humanmerelybeing1966 do you really get the impression that this man takes the easy way? ever?
20:27: Cows are very curious animals and they often feel very bored in modern farms. Any kind of novelty always sparks their interest!
20:47 ones even mating!
cows are fun but aweful
I worked with them for a few years
and its non stop madness and dumb stuff
And I eat toenails
@@Jellyfish_king gross
Yeah it must be very boring. 😢
The amount of extra shots you have set up is so impressive. That must add up to a lot of doubling back and whatnot. But it does make for an exceptional video of the journey!
He did this for a unicycle journey around the world too, really insane stuff
I always think about it when there is one. Setting the camera up and climbing back under a flood-water tunnel to get the shot of exiting it sounds miserable, but it definitely makes the video more enjoyable.
Watching videos like this, i'm often curious about how much time & extra mileage is added to the endeavor. I admire their dedication & appreciate the results of their efforts. I'm such a lazy sod, i could never be a vlogger. 😆 Covering ground an extra 2-3 times sounds exhausting.
I thought there is a second guy who is driving with a car and taking shots every few hundred meters
@@AniMerDolonce you start, you often get really into it, like "I bet this would make a really good shot!" And once you get into the habit you don't even need to check all the footage afterwards cos you have so much b-roll.
Anyway the editing part is often more time-consuming than filming, which is why UA-camrs often hire editors, so they can start their next video.
To do this in the southeastern US you'd be worried about water moccasins (poisonous water snakes), alligators, mean dogs, landowners with guns, poison ivy all over the bank, mosquitos and ticks. Watching you anxiously watch the swans float by was absolutely hysterical. But I LOVED this whole video. What a hoot! Great to have your videos to watch again and I loved the idea for this one.
Oh and leeches!
Ah yes the Leaches are the best
Precisely what I was thinking! And Chiggers, too! Don't underestimate Chiggers (Harvest Mites, I believe, is what they're called across the pond), or Horse Flies! I once had Horse Flies take chunks of flesh from me while boating before I could get covered up. And then there's the flesh eating bacteria, that's really unpleasant from what I've heard!
To be fair, swans can be vicious if they want to be
@@natejablonski yeah they can but where I live we have geese. There will be a flock of about 100 in a feild or on a path and they won’t budge so you can bike or run by 1 foot away and they just hiss at you
No flashy graphics, no loud sound effects, no over the top voices. Just a guy going down a river. What good content
I'll be honest, I clicked this just to see where the river thames started off, thinking I'd be clicking away about a minute in. But before I knew it "to be continued" popped up on the screen. Great video!
Same lol
I walked there before and it’s a really pretty location so it’s definitely worth a 30 minute walk from a car park there are huge flower fields in spring and a railway bridge
Until about two years ago I lived in the neighbouring village to the source, a tiny village called Coates. The pub in the village closed for a few years so as a 17/18 year old the closest place by foot to get a pint was the Thames Head, which meant about an hours walk directly over the source to climb over a wall to get to the pub. So funny seeing him doing a proper expedition and filming the spot where my mates and I used to plod through in our jeans and trainers just to get somewhere they wouldn't check IDs
I found this guy about 10 days in on youtube shorts. I followed the rest of his journey every day and have been waiting for this to come out ever since!
❤
Ok but HOW is this so like a fairy tale? The landscape, the buildings, the interactions, the flippin' SWANS! Just wonderful!
Couple of lessons I learned doing diving inspections years ago: 1) NEVER go into a tiny culvert that may be a confined space without an oxygen meter. It could have gases or lack of oxygen and you'll pass out and die before anyone finds you. 2) wear coveralls over your wetsuit - a canvas or cotton set of coveralls is comparatively cheap to repair/replace instead of a damaged wetsuit which might be a writeoff and/or will end your day
Or get a drysuit, comes with harder rubber soles
Enclosed spaces can be dangerous, however, the culvert at the end of this video absolutely is not. There is zero chance of it being low oxygen, it's fairly short, open on both sides, there would be a draft anytimes there is the smallest amount of wind. By far the most accidents happen with fully enclosed spaces that are only opened occasionally. Especially if the walls of that enclosed space are steel, like in a ship, since the rusting consumes oxygen.
Really, a culvert like this has zero risk in this regard. As do most culverts that are open on both sides and not km's long.
Canvas or cotton coveralls would add extra weight when wet,use half coveralls that fisherman use it includes boot or full set
@@slome815 I'd also expect flowing water to drag in plenty of air.
No
Ed! Super important safety tip! When you were getting stuck in the clay on the bottom of the river, that's legitimately dangerous. I am a fly fisher and wade a lot myself. I have heard more than once of someone getting stuck in mud without cell service and really having a dangerous time.
TIP: Wear a whistle on a necklace while wading. If you do get stuck then you have an easy signal to others that you need help. 99p whistle is a cheap investment for potentially getting stuck for hours in a cold river.
That’s such a great tip. To be honest it never even occurred to me that I might get stuck. I actually made a kind of necklace clip to attach my phone around my neck. I could easily have used one of those clips that’s also a whistle - next time :)
Actually, he had a whistle and probably didn't realize it (on the Jackson & Cole backpack). The orange buckle on the pack's sternum (chest) strap is a buckle whistle - you can see the small mouthpiece and hole. It's not totally uncommon with backcountry packs. I have one on one of my hunting packs here in Montana. Never had the need to use it fortunately. Good comment though. Cool trip. Nice camera work.
@@robrobinett9753hah, of course! Whose knows if that would’ve occurred to me in a ‘stuck situation’ - I hope so
@@robrobinett9753a fellow Montanan. 🤠
@@EdPratt I almost died getting stuck in the muck with the tide quickly coming in on us. Lucky my friend helped get me out quickly.
Amazing how many lovely people you met. No judgement, just interest in what you are doing. Good Job on humanity there. And thank you for capturing it all on film.
A friend and I made this journey over a summer as young teenagers, it formed the expedition for our Duke of Edinburgh' award, I remember it with great fondness. Lovely to see the river has changed so little in the intervening 50 odd years, I hope the rest of it passed as well as this section. Well done, its a fantastic trip. p.s. your nutrition and kit are so much better than the tinned Spam and Millets waterproofs we had!
And I thought we were hardcore for doing 100 miles on land for our dofe gold!
Did you have Spam and beans?
Well done to the pair of you doing this 50ish years ago! Amazing to hear.
@@nixxie2390 It made us the young foolish soldiers we then became, it went downhill from there!
must’ve been exciting as a teenager, especially with a buddy! It would be a good book to read.
Some confusion in the comments regarding trespassing. Under British law civil trespassing is not a prosecutable offence contrary to what a lot of signage would have you believe. Only certain areas like airports and military bases is it illegal to enter without permission. Private land does not have such protections and it is not illegal to enter someone's land without permission provided you don't break and enter and aren't stealing or vandalising. Only once the land owner requests you leave their land must you do so via the safest and shortest route. Only if you ignore the land owners request to leave their land have you committed a crime
There's English law and there's Scottish law, trespassing as well as land access rights are very different in both jurisdictions. There's no actual legal British law. Laws are enacted by the parliaments and in the case of laws that affect Scotland a separate Scottish law is enacted although the Scottish Parliament has the authority to create it's own laws upto a certain level.
@@DaithiKerr68 Yeh I know I just used British instead of English my mistake. Bit of a moot point considering this is in England
Very correct. It is not an offence to walk onto somebodies land as long as you comply with their request to leave (or they have served you a trespass notice prior, that's illegal). Though walking onto somebodies land without permission or an implied licence (a shop has an implied licence during it's opening hours), is called civil trespass, so the land owner could sue you for civil trespass, but chances of that happening are nil. Also because it is civil trespass you aren't required to provide your name due to no offence committed, therefore they will struggle to prosecute you.
@@DaithiKerr68 Not all laws are enacted by parliament. Statutes are, but trespass often falls under common law - basically the system of judges making decisions based on precedent. And because British judges have been making decisions about how to address trespass for thousands of years, there's a hell of a lot of precedent to draw from
@@ashergibson9969god save english common law
I do appreciate you directly responding to some of the comments regarding your sponsorship. I know you're getting paid for it, but even so it just seems a bit more genuine when instead of ignoring such comments, you directly address them.
Imagine being that frog at the beginning, enjoying life undisturbed in your wet tunnel, then some bloke with a torch comes in
You spend you whole life, from tadpole to frog, just sitting on your favorite pipe in your favorite tunnel. Not messin with no one. Starin at your favorite wall. And then one effin' day some bloke comes along and ruins the fun. Shines a big bright flashlight in your face, (no thank you sir, that's why I like this tunnel in the first place thanks). Effectively screams right at your arse "HELLO". And then continues on with his day having a whale of a time and acting like nothin ever happened. Worst day of my life.
Blud he was in the tunnel for like 5 minutes it wasn’t that bad :/
@@aprophetofrng9821 Then he's had a VERY easy life.
I absolutely hate it when that happens. I'm definitely not a frog, though. I promise.
@@voidoflife9372 We have to take in account the relative lifespan of the Frog. In percentage, how much of his life did this rando bloke take of ruin? How long does that particular species of frog live? Google says 5-7 years, but rare individuals reach 10+ years. Let's make math easier and say the Frog lives for 10 years. Let's also be generous and say Ed lives for 80 years, and thus he spent roughly 0.000012% of his life with the Frog (if we say it was 5 minutes), but the frog spent 0.00095% of their life with Ed.
Sooo.... if we calculate the 0.00095% of Ed's life into minutes, that is 399.46 minutes, or 6.66 hours! In other words, from the Frog's perspective Ed was in the tunnel well over 6 hours, approaching 7 hours. That'll ruin anyone's day if they're not really looking forward to uninvited houseguests.
You probably did it to save money, but you bought the wrong wetsuit. Yours is a surfing wetsuit. What you needed, is a diving wetsuit. You were cold on day 2 (around 27:00 right after the Golden Retriever), and that would not have happened with a diving wetsuit. Also, for multiple days, a neoprene drysuit would have been more appropriate...
Diving gear also offer matching shoes instead of the surfing socks. But even within the cheap surfing segment, you could have gotten ballerinas (they have thin soles, but at least it would have been hard rubber...)
Amazing effort! Thanks for taking us with you on the journey! I have been dreaming of doing this on the Rhine for over 20 years now. Perhaps now I will finally get to it...
i think he also needed wet suit booties, my husband used to do a lot of diving that involved scrambling around rocks
How long is the Rhein?!?!!!
Where would you start a Rhein trip?
@@williamb4652 hahaha it's pretty freaking long, but it connects 2 areas that are significant in my life. I have played with the idea of the Moldau too, because on Easter Sunday 2000 I nearly died in its upper tributary Otava. But the Rhine plan is much older. There are many possible sources for the Rhine, especially since it flows through the Bodensee. So my historical first option would be to start in the mountains surrounding the tiny village Sibratsgfäll, that even today looks exactly like it did in 1980 when I spent my first summer there. I would have to study the possibility of traversing the several waterfalls and pick the route that starts the highest up the mountain. I might run into legal issues tho, in which case I would walk around the waterfalls and rapids where needed. It's definitely not a 1-man operation up there.
A second scanario would be to start at Tomasee (Toma glacier, Switzerland), which is generally considered the actual source. But I also see a third option in which I research the longest possible route that I could go without having to deviate from the river bed or bank. Meaning that it would only include waterways where canyoning is allowed.
@@garyrowden7150 yes, those are the "matching shoes" I referred to. Mine came with my double layer wetsuit (basically a full wetsuit plus a tropical water wetsuit to put over it). They are tight and flexible enough to swim, yet the sole is sturdy enough to walk on sharp rocks or oyster banks.
38:52 Wow I thought there's no way into that dark entrance, you gotta take the other way. Nope dead end too, you've gotta track back and circle around the town. But you madlad actually went through that tiny tunnel. Man, you're leaving me speechless. This is why I love youtube so much!
In my country, Germany, you cannot be trespassing as long as you move on a river since no part of any river can be publicly owned.
Even if the river flows straight through a farm - as long as you stay on or in the water, you're good.
Same with most of Western Canada. You know what really nuts? A lot of the shoreline of the USA is even private (beaches). Really depresses me.
@@CJSHM Unfortunately here in the US it's state dependent. In Illinois all rivers are privately owned and people can therefore be shooed away legally (with the exception of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers). On the other hand, here in Washington any river with an average flow of more than a certain threshold or with a status of "navigable" (Doesn't have to be actually navigable, just currently or formerly used for commercial purposes) are public up to the scour mark in the riverbed.
Same in Russia. There even is a law that bans ownership of ground directly next to it in a way that blocks access to the river bank, but there are several workarounds about it.
In England the boundary line is in the middle of the river so one side of the river you could be trespassing on one property, and on the other you can be trespassing on the other.
The Crown Estate owns 55% of Englands coastline which includes beaches. Like Robin Hoods Bay where there are many fossils.
My parents lived in Ashton Keynes when I was younger and I had the idea to do this exact journey although my plan was to ditch the kayak in London and get the train home. I probably wouldn’t have even told anyone never mind would it have occurred to me back then to self-film and document the adventure!
It’s a real pleasure to vicariously live the journey that never was.
Thanks
42:05 I'm completely unsurprised that Max Fosh has supported this. Awesome video, can't wait for part 2 and the rest to come
fr 😂
Wait...this guy isn't Max Fosh?
WTF is Max Fosh?
Finally somebody who knows how to properly comment with music without overdoing and without smearing it all over the place. Kudos
it is surprisingly well-made and the music is fun. Very entertaining.
@@DadiszFekete It is well made, I agree, although as of late quality by youtuber has gone up considerably. But the problem by some of them is that they have this sort of "horror vacui" that forces them to smear horrid music everywhere. He hasn't.
Just in case no-one else has mentioned it, the claw at 35:40 is from the introduced and very invasive signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus), which is well on it's way to making the native crayfish (and a few other species) extinct in the British Isles.
same problem up here on the river tees in county durham, 10 years ago the american crayfish were hardly seen now everywhere you go to fish you can find them and the numbers of our crayfish have dwindled, on a side note the big chub and the otters do enjoy eating them though and with the explosion in invasive crayfish the actual fish numbers have started to decline rapidly, up around barnard castle the numbers of fish being caught have dropped significantly as the crayfish eat the fish spawn
@@dazt5831 they are goooood eating thoughg, we gotta just eat more hahaha
Native are extinct pretty much
@@ruperttristanblythe7512 Whether he's good at catching fish or not is totally irrelevant to whether the the fish numbers have declined or not. I'm inclined to believe what he says.
That’s really sad
All your interactions are so wholesome. I really can’t imagine people behaving so kindly where I’m from-really speaks to how lovely they are and how special a project this is :)
Regarding the sandals failing, part of your emergency kit should include a few zip ties. They come in various sizes, weigh almost nothing, take up almost no space, and can be used for so many different things. You could easily have replaced your sandal heel strap, and had spares should you wear out the repair and need to redo it.
Anyway, I've been watching since Oz on the RTW trip (a late starter, I know) and enjoy watching your videos. Thank you for sharing what you're doing with us on our sofas.
or just get thick soled wetsuit boots, they can be expensive but would be worth the money doing something like this
@@briton3851zomo, made in Taiwan, they got a shop in glasgow, highly recommended.
dont forget paracord.
He could put the sandal soles inside the wetsuit
@@briton3851 I was going to argue the same. Look for kayaking or canyoning boots and they should be fine (and warm) with sturdiness and grip on wet/slipery surfaces.
This was the most quintessential British thing iv watched for some time, the public cheering you on in your endeavour, an absolute pleasure, all that's missing was some one saying, "I say" and " look here"...whilst a spitfire does barrel rolls over golden fields of corn, before screaming out to sea over the white cliffs of dover. disappointed lashings of ginger beer wasn't in your kit.
😀
And the swans! So majestically European!
He paddles around the corner in a secluded stretch of the river, hears polka music coming from a barge, and discovers "foreign chaps" probably plotting against Blighty
"I reported the rotters to the Magistrate !".
As a former Royal Marine, could I just say that you would have done well on the Commando Course. You have what it takes, courage, plodding on, getting the job done, no matter what the obstacles and staying cheerful. Love this vid and the eccentricity of it. Well done. 👍👍
It's 1am on a Sunday night.
I am watching a man walk through the Themes river.
I hope UA-cam never changes.
It’s 7am on a Thursday. Just completed a 24hr shift and am eating breakfast, definitely didn’t think I’d be watching a man walk through the themes but here I am as well haha
Lovely
It's 5 to 11 on a Sunday evening, eating brioche and considering faking sickness to not wake up early tomorrow, his video is another reason for me to not go to sleep yet.
those lil tunnels are a nightmares and u went through them! genuinly impressed
Very very dangerous , if it rains water will rise quickly in the tunnels
Honestly this series deserves to be broadcasted on TVs it’s just that level of quality keep it up ed
guy also did all of that with his glasses, instead of contact lenses. Maximum respect
As a contact lens wearer I would also opt for glasses in this case. Contact lenses are horrible once they get wet and need to be pulled out and disposed of straight away
@@Joebagshaw63 Plus unless you use extended wear contact lenses. He would have to use a new set every day. Doing that in the River Thames would not be fun or practical.
Ed Pratt x Geowizard collab?
Ha! I was thinking the same thing
Yessssss
Ed Pratt x Geowizard x Jet Lag crew collab.
Ed Pratt and Beau Miles would be incredible.
this has to happen! one goes source to sea and one goes the other way.
3:55 Many probably won't think about it twice, but you gotta admire the effort put into the cinematography. The camera outside, watching him crawl out of that tiny tunnel. Which means, he was out there, setting up camera, crawl back in and film himself getting out. This being already quite the big and nuts adventure, these things make everything way more lengthy and complicated. Granted, it's part of the fun and videographers do a lot for great shots. I'd do the very same.
This is prime, unique UA-cam content; things that interest you just because you can experience it vicariously through the lens of someone else's life.
HE'S BACK IN THE WATER
He is indeed!
@@EdPratt after crosing the whole earth on land he is now conquering the waters!
Watch him unicycle across the Mediterranean Sea
@@EdPrattis anyone else here sick and tired, I say sick and tired, of this so called 'River' 'Thames', with its meandering and water, flowing through our great capital, completely unelected?
How parents went to school
Hi Ed, there's a thing called Ripparian rights, where the land owners only own up to half way across the width of the river. So whilst technically yes you are trespassing, if you moved to the other side of the river from the person having a go at you, there's nothing they can do (unless of course they own land both sides of the river lol).
No one owns the water, so if you just act that you are doing some form of swimming you're golden
As long as you're seeking to leave their land once told you're not welcome, which Ed is, there's nothing they can do. Trespassing only occurs if you don't immediately seek to leave or if there's signs posted that you should have seen.
@@spankyjeffro5320 Kind of true
Furthermore, I can almost guarantee that this aspect, like some others, was just part of the drama for the video. It's possible that the lad contacted the homeowners of properties he was passing and going underneath. The early on drone footage would have been done another day as well.
Research on Google maps would have shown all the obstacles he would have come across and visits in a car to see if they were deemed safe
@@spankyjeffro5320 right in the first half but you're wrong about the signs which actually have no legal power at all
20:46 - That's the most inspiring moment, almost cried
i just spotted that and wanted to see if anyone else did
Haha, I didnt know those shenanigans were going on behind me until I was editing! Glad someone spotted it :)
Very inspiring, but did you notice skinwalker cow too
Seriously, what the heck this is scary
What’s going on in the background?
edit: oh.. never mind. one lucky bull
I love the explanation of the sponsor, very transparent about the product, and not just implying they only fish out plastic bottles like I've seen other people do
For next time, drysuit "rock boots" would be a good alternative to sandals which gave you so much grief. Scuba divers drysuits either have attached boots or neoprene socks. Drysuits with socks are paired with rock boots to protect the socks from getting pierced and to provide some support, in particular on shore entries. They have rubber soles with a reasonable tread to reduce the risk of slipping. They are normally mid ankle height and either uses laces or velcro. I would suggest a simple design such as the boots made by Otter Drysuits (UK supplier). Enjoyed watching your channel for the first time. Will be back for more.
Would love to see an Ed Pratt and Beau Miles colab. What an adventure that would be!
Tandem unicycle :)
Or GeoWizard
This would be my absolute dream
Beau would have taken that sand castle bucket and made it into a kayak and sailed it the rest of the way
Ed and Beau paddle towards each other across 3-4(?) oceans and meet up in the middle :D
20:52 black cow in the back is trying to hump another cow. Can't believe that's my comment for such a great journey.
Nomenclature tip. If there is a conduit (rectangular, round, egg etc) that takes water under a road, it is called a culvert. If the road goes over the water (i.e. if it is not a hydraulic structure) it is a bridge.
I would not get in any of those culverts! Good job.
There's a guy on the other side of The Pond, Post 10, who does a lot of videos about culvert operations.
.
Unlike other cowards, my Puns are FULLY intended! 😁
Nice job! fun fact this is the exact route that my grandparents walked to school!
They had to go upstream, both ways!
Mine too, and they lived in North Carolina, USA!
This is exactly what I want to do with the Ottawa river and all its major tributaries in Canada. The persistence seen in this video going through the headwaters is exactly what I love to see and will need to do for 21 rivers. Motivational
The house with the little mill in the wall and the river flowing underneath blew my mind, wow
it took me 30 mins to find it on maps, they had google place the river near their house-mill not on it so it took longer than i thought, i bet the owner isnt pleased that their secrets out!
This is the first time I've seen one of your videos, and I'm now a fan. Your camerawork is brilliant, and this is a great subject to cover - it's fascinating, and the fact that you're drawing attention to conservation concerns is brilliant. Bravo. This is the best video I've seen in a while.
I applaud anyone who can take the time to video these things...ive done loads of silly/amazing quests in my time but the thought of having to set up camera equipment etc. Whilst doing it is one step too far for me, as much as it would be great to share i wouldnt have the patience for it, so well done and thx for your efforts
The level of thought you have into the film making process whilst completing these missions is genuinely just as impressive and so appreciated. The amount of extra effort and time it must take is wild, but it really pays off. Your production is always so impressive to be completed in these conditions.
Howdy Ed. This may have been brought up by someone else, but in caving we use bags from a brand called Swaygo. They're designed to be dragged around on the ground, and are very thick dry bags, so there wouldn't be any risk of your bag breaking, if you were to attempt another similar adventure. In addition, they can hold air, so sometimes they're used as impromptu floatation devices. Might be a good piece of gear for you or anyone else who is interested in attempting something like this!
Seeing comments like this is why I love these videos, so many kinds of knowledge that you wouldn't hear unless you were active in the hobby. Thanks for the info!
caving is insane (in a positive way) personally I wouldn't be able to but its so cool haha
It’s been mentioned before, but your dedication to cinematography is nothing short of admirable. The fact that you’ll walk parts then either back to get the camera or back to get the shot is amazing
3:15 first hurdle I'm out of the challenge
Trust me😂😂😂
Watching from the southeastern US and I’m thinking ‘do you know how many spiders and snakes are in there!?’ I guess cold climates are good for that problem
Love the video! I used to live right by the river Avon and would go on walks besides it often.
But mostly watching you interact with all the people along the way reminded me how much I miss the casual and friendly nature of the Brits. Often I would have complete strangers start a chat with me and we parted happily with having stories exchanged and also made a new aquientance!
its genuinely so fun that everyone that you meet on the path is supportive
My idea for the series: Ask majors/officials of cities you will pass through to accompany you for like a mile in or next to the river, do a pollution test with them and try to make rivers a more public issue.
Ha! They’d never do that
I was really surprised to see how much tree and branch debris is in the water. Here in Canada we have to keep these waterways clear so they don't get blocked with melting ice during the spring run off, causing flooding. It dawned on me after a few minutes that you probably don't have 'spring runoff' in the UK! Great series, I followed you on instagram during the journey and I'm really enjoying the full story. Thanks!
this is an absolute masterpeice. We need more people like you not just thinking of these creative ideas but doing them. Hats off
I'M from Boston, the Boston harbor was so disgusting, there is a pretty popular song about how dirty it was.That was in the late 70's early 80's...now it is safe to swim, camp on the islands ,and just totally enjoy....it is possible to clean these waterways up....for everyone!....great job Ed....it is so important!
I’ve lived in Gloucestershire my whole life and I didn’t know the Thames’ source was so close! Definitely going to make a trip out to see the marker soon! Excited to see this journey unfold! Good luck and thanks for sharing!
7:30 fun and under-appreciated fact: droppers are calibrated dosage instruments. For them to work properly with the dosage volumes designed for, they need to be completely vertical and not tilted.
41:00 absolutely terrifying stuff, couldn't pay me enough to do that
Yeah, not my smartest decision...
I don't consider myself claustrophobic but that bit raised my heartrate to 200
*Just* below GeoWizard jumping into a bog on a straightline mission in terms of stupidity 😬
Imagine if there were bars at the end
Imagine if he damaged the wooden gate climbing over it, then it gave way while he was in the tunnel.
I can't wait for part 2.
I'm from Belgium but I love these videos about people following rivers from source to mouth.
I'm a geography geek, yeah ....
Ed you are my kind of mentalist,wonderfully British slightly eccentric, slightly bonkers too ,great stuff,
So I have decided to binge watch your entire world journey on your uni cycle as tribute to your efforts in one hit . Living vicariously through you and enjoying every mile!
I love this kind of stuff on UA-cam! It's what the platform was made for! AND it's for a charity. Happy to support you! Keep it up!
THIS IS AWESOME Feels like a good ol' cable channel network
When I was a kid growing up by the Thames we were always taught to keep our shoes on if we were going in. Better wet shoes than a rusty tin through the foot.
Parts of this are so crazy. Like stupid crazy. I guess by the fact you're uploading it you didn't die, but man
Thanks
As a little kid, I always wondered what it would be like to travel from sea to source or from source to sea, and here it is. Thank you, Ed, for showing a dream of mine with the struggles and obstacles faced. It's such an amazing video. Keep up the great work!
32:32 ".....a low level shiver that I can't shake". Good one Ed.
I’m currently in South America backpacking but this made me really homesick - despite me living 200miles north of the Thames. Great vid!
Putting on the wet suit in the morning will be MUCH more pleasant if you can heat some water to pour inside it, and mix around first.. *Snow shoes ironically would help walking through the mud **Also wear wool on the inside of your wet suit to keep warmer. It retains most of it's thermal properties when wet, just make sure you can compensate for the loss in buoyancy should there be an emergency dip in deep water.
That couple at the start asking you how it's going, that's *so English*. I love it.
I'm not from England and I think it's pretty normal in other countries too, just people talking to each other pretty much
I absolutely loved your river Parrett source to sea challenge, it's so awesome to see you're now taking the opportunity to educate and raise awareness for the environment. THIS is what science education should be like!
I'm now 67yrs, used to live near the source of the Thames and thought about doing something similar to this in my younger days - brilliant video. You're doing it so I don't have to!
Well done, excellent video. I enjoyed it very much🎉. Regards Tony Sadler South Wales UK 🏴
PS. There is credible speculation that the "real" source of the Thames is more north towards Cheltenham. Might be a good video to explore the contenders for the source of the Thames! If you do - get a pair of windsurfing or kayak boots. They have a good sole, zip up sides and form an ankle boot, close fitting, made of neoprene - and wear a "rash" vest under your wet suit, it's warmer. I kayaked many rivers and white water rivers and found them most useful.
Correct regarding the source. The furthest source is Severn springs near Cheltenham, NOT Thames head.
This was reccomended to me last night and I was hooked instantly. A novel idea that is suprisinigy very interesting, especially with the water testing along the way. And the production quality too, shots, backing music. This feels like it should be a mini documentary on ITV or BBC2. Superb.
33:35 Ed Pratt: “this is painful” - followed by the most wholesome footage ever
The beginning looks magical. Its so pretty ! The music and all. The beautifuk weather. Looks straight from the Shire. Great vid!
I did a similar thing about 15 years ago. I took the train to Kemble carrying a Sevylor inflatable kayak. I had to follow the course as best as possible to Cricklade recreational ground, I'd spent the first night in a bird hide in it the water park with 3,000 mosquito's. I stopped at Windsor and have never completed the journey..I went under the old mill at Formosa Island! Well done Ed.
I'm so appreciative of how much effort goes in to this videos. It's so so impressive. Not many people put this much effort in to their work. Really amazing!
Right I enjoyed it immensely
Hi from New Zealand. I've always had a fascination with the Thames and always wondered what it looked like at the start and your programme is great. So much history flowed with that river!
41:15 that tunnel made me super anxious, all I could think of was you getting stuck and there being a sudden rainfall
These 42 minutes were more entertaining than 42 minutes of most modern cinema movies!
Fair play for taking it up a notch Ed! We might have to do River Nile source to sea to show you up 🤔
Go for it. I reckon the Nile is the final boss of source to sea missions!
@@EdPratt Surely the Amazon is the final boss?
You could circumnavigate the world on a pogo stick
@@gunamerstravels For a long time it was a mystery where even the Nile starts, no one could travel down it to find out. It is the worlds longest river. If you are interested in these sorts of expeditions, I suggest reading River of the Gods
If Ed does that Nile trip he will learn about Speke, just down the road from his home in the village of Dowlish Wake. The reason Nile barges are thatchers marks there. Ed if you see this please have a pint or three of Perry's for me.
I have a super short attention span, at most I only watch 3 mins of a youtube video (crazy, ik.) but, before i knew it, i was already halfway thru this video! i have no idea why this video specifically caught my attention, and got me to stay through all of it, im the least active person and i don’t like going out much. great video, can’t wait to watch the second part !!
31:37 I wouldn’t have expected you to so I’m happy you said it instead of just lying.
That last tunnel took some serious dedication!
Very cool to see folks encouraging him
The claustrophobia is effing real with this one...
Great video. Seeing you climb through that tiny hole at the end, not knowing what lies ahead has got me hooked. Not many would attempt that. Time to checkout your back catalog whilst I wait for episode 2.
My hat’s off to Ed. After the world tour on a unicycle, another show of original and adventurous excellence, with his now usual humility. This touch of British light-hearted and purposeful eccentricity I’m fond of because it is simply civilized.
I'd highly recommend some wet suit boots next time. I have a pair from Mares that are great for walking in before I go sailing/diving
The implication of him going under or around some obstacles multiple times for the camera shots is pretty funny
Awesome to see Ed getting the recognition he deserves lately. Hes been UA-cam's best kept secret for years, been following since he was still on his unicycle trip.
This was an absolute treat to watch during the teaser shorts, can't wait to tuck into the full series.
This is awesome. I often follow rivers on maps from the source to the sea. You’ve do done it so we don't have to get wet. Well done.
I think the best part of this is the smile on your face as you do it all