Boat Trips

Today I took myself off to the National Trust's Ham House on the River Thames for lunch and a stroll round the gardens. After which I took a walk along the Thames Path.

Normally I head upstream to Teddington Lock, but for a change I went downstream towards Richmond.  The riverside here was relatively busy with cafes and pubs etc. One could also hire a rowing boat or take a trip on a passenger boat.

A  further 10mins walk took me to an ornate footbridge over the river, the  Richmond Lock and Weir.  The weir (extra) is suspended under the bridge and holds back the upstream water, effectively moving the Thames tidal reach from just before Teddington Lock to here. It was originally opened in 1894 to provide a broader navigable depth of water upstream of Richmond. The weir gates are normally only up for 2hours each side of high tide, so river traffic has to use the lock at other times (at a cost!)

Back at Richmond I spotted this sign advertising boat trips, which gave me my entry for today's Mono Monday challenge