Boulter's Lock Weir

Seeking inspiration for today's Mono Monday Challenge of Motion relating to the built environment, my thoughts headed to the River Thames and one of its 50 remaining weirs.  Some long exposure photography also came to mind.

Boulter's Lock on the Thames at Maidenhead, and as somewhere I'd not been before, seemed a likely candidate.  The lock itself is nothing special, even with a smart small cruiser heading through, though I was a bit concerned about a family of ducks who were trapped with it, however when I passed again a bit later they all seemed to be OK and were paddling around happily.

A bridge over the canal took me onto Ray Mill Island, named for a family who managed a flourmill there. It was acquired by the local council in the 1950's and is now a small park, complete with a much welcome cafe!

At the end of the island is this weir which despite the recent dry weather was in full and magnificent spate. I experimented with different exposures using 6-stop and 10-stop filters, but felt this unfiltered (apart from polariser) shot showed the rush and power of the water over the weir best. A 6-stop shot is in extras for comparison.

It was a good first visit - I'm sure I will visit again and perhaps explore further.