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| Just messing about on the river......or, rather, the Kennet and Avon canal , which runs through the little village of Kintbury just five miles from here. The canals are man made, traversing countryside which rises and falls in level. To cope with the differing levels of the waterway, the barges (the traditional mode of transport on these waterways for the last 200 years) travel through water locks with gates at either end, moving in stages up and down the levels.
The barge enters the lock, and gates at both ends are closed. Sluices at the lower sides of the gates are then opened or closed according to whether the barge is going in a rising or falling dirction. When the water levels inside and outside the gates (in the direction the boat is travelling) are the same, it is possible to open the exit gate and allow the craft through. With the rise of steam train transport, this canal, like many others in the UK, fell into disuse in the 20th century - but through the endeavours of dedicated enthusiasts, restoration work was carried out for many years, clearing the debris and reapiring gates and banksides, so that this canal is now open for its whole length, from Reading in Berkshire in the East, to the City of Bath in the West. It has always been a very favourite place for me, especially when the boys were small. A canal barge ride (traditionally pulled by a heavy horse) or simply feeding the ducks filled many a childhood hour with them. Journal prompt. Humans seem to need to be able to get close to water at regular interavals. How do you find your way back to the water? Do you have a favourite place to visit? The sea? A lake, or a pond? Is a pampering in the bath the closest you get to water on a regular basis? If so, what is your ritual there to soothe your Self in a return to the primeval fluid? |