We all take locks for granted as we travel up and down the Thames. These days, the modern electronic controls and smooth hydraulics that are in use at most locks allow easy passage from one river reach to another and the hardest problem for lock keepers to face is simply trying to fit a huge number of boats into the lock chamber.
Let’s face it we’re a seafaring nation. The greatest part of Britain’s history has been spent dominating the seas and protecting our island from unwelcome visitors and whether we like to admit it or not, most Britons fancy themselves as natural seafarers – it’s in the genes, isn’t it?
