Leigh Flood Barrier

The gates in the Leigh Flood Barrier control the flow of the River Medway to protect Tonbridge from flooding. The barrier was built in 1981. It does not look particularly high in the photo because of the perspective but its actually 18 feet. If the water levels get really high there is a risk the barrier will get washed away, then the gates are opened and Tonbridge floods. This seems to have happened more often in the last decade and Tonbridge residents are getting fed up. Scandalous is the number of flats that were built along the river bank before serious flooding in 2000. Since then new properties have garages on the ground floor so that only the cars get wrecked.

PS todays walk was just over 10,000 paces. Perfect, a new route, I will do it again. I started on the ridge in the background. Climbing back up at the end was a killer.