Last year we stopped down at the locks to watch the sunset and see if we could see the locks in operation. Well, we weren't thinking and because it was evening all of the river activity had shut down for the night. We were rather disappointed, which is why this year we went smack dab in the middle of the day to see what we could see. The Shepperton Lock is not far from us, so it was a quick drive down. When we pulled up there was a boat all ready to exit the lock so we rushed to see it. We didn't need to worry. There was so much traffic this afternoon! As soon as one or two boats made it through, others came from the other direction, on and on.
Even though I understand the basic mechanics of how a lock works, it was still neat to see it working. This one has about a two meter fall, so it's easy to see the water rising and falling.
And that bridge that my kids so casually walked across the first time, is what opens to let the boats inside. I'm glad they were paying attention and weren't caught in the middle.
Apparently the locks are a great social scene. We weren't the only ones there just enjoying the view. There were quite a few other onlookers. The boat captains and lock operator were also friendly to chat with.
It was really peaceful just watching the world go by.
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