At the foot of Martinsoll-hill doe issue forth three springs, which are the sources of three rivers; they divide like the parting of the haire on the crowne of the head, and take their courses three severall wayes:  viz. one on the south side of the hill, which is the beginning of the upper Avon,† which runnes to Salisbury; on the other side springes the river Kynet, which runnes eastward to Marleborough;‡ from thence passing by Hungerford, Newbury, &c. it looses itselfe and name in the river of Thames, near Reading.  The third spring is the beginning of the stream that runnes to Caln, called Marden,§ and driving several mills, both for corne and fulling, is swallowed up by the North Avon at Peckingill-meadow near Tytherington. [See also Aubrey’s description of these three springs, ante, page 24.- J. B.]

† Avon, a river, in the British language. ‡ Cynetium, Marleborough, hath its name from the river.  The Welsh pronounce y as wee doe u. § Quaere, if it is called Marden, or Marlen? [Marden is the present name.- J. B.]

The North Avon riseth toward Tedbury in Gloucestershire, and runnes to Malmesbury, where it takes in a good streame, that comes from Hankerton, and also a rivulet that comes from Sherston,* which inriching the meadows as it runnes to Chippenham, Lacock, Bradford, Bath, Kainsham, and the city of Bristowe, disembogues into the Severne at Kingrode.

* [The Sheraton rivulet, and not that which rises near Tetbury, is generally regarded as the source of the North, or Bristol Avon.-J.  B.]
        ___________________________________

The silver Thames takes some part of this county in its journey to Oxford.  The source of it is in Gloucestershire, neer Cubberley (in the rode from Oxford to Gloucester), where there are severall springs.  In our county it visits Cricklad, a market towne, and gives name to Isey, a village neer; and with its fertile overflowing makes a most glorious verdure in the spring season.  In the old deeds of lands at and about Cricklad they find this river by the name of Thamissis fluvius and the Thames.  The towne in Oxfordshire is writt Tame and not Thame; and I believe that Mr. Cambden’s marriage of Thame and Isis, in his elegant Latin poem, is but a poeticall fiction:  I meane as to the name of Thamisis, which he would not have till it comes to meet the river Thame at Dorchester.

[The true source of the river Thames has been much disputed.  A spring which rises near the village of Kemble, at the north-western extremity of Wiltshire, has been commonly regarded, during the last century, as the real “Thames head”.  It flows thence to Ashton Keynes, and onward to Cricklade.  At the latter place it is joined by the river Churn, which comes from Coberly, about 20 miles to the northward, in Gloucestershire.  Aubrey refers to the latter stream as the source of the Thames; and, on the principle of tracing the origin of a river to its most remote source, the same view has been taken by some other writers, who consequently dispute the claims of the Kemble spring. - J. B.]
        ___________________________________