The
Thames Locks
The
locks keep the water deep, slow moving and navigable. Originally "flash"
locks, merely removable sections in a weir that permitted a flash flood
to carry a boat on down the river, pound locks started to be introduced
in the 15th Century. The process of modernisation was finally completed
in 1938!
Narrow
boats
The
narrow boats in the picture are designed with a beam of 6' 10" to negotiate
the rest of the inland waterways system, which interfaces with the Thames
in the form of The Kennett and Avon, The Wey Navigation, The Basingstoke
Canal, The Lee Navigation and most importantly The Grand Union, giving
access to the rest of the system via Northampton. It is possible to travel
(if slowly) east to the Wash and Humber, north to Lancaster and west to
the Severn.
The
canals were built by the manual labour of the "navigators", later shortened
to "navvies". With the introduction of railways the canals went into a
gradual decline, now reversed by leisure use. |
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