Is this where the River Thames decided to take a little detour? Well, almost. This, my friends, is Penton Hook Lock, a key player in taming the once-wild Thames. Before Penton Hook Lock arrived in 1815, the river here was a bit of a drama queen. It curved sharply south, almost doing a full circle before continuing its journey. And when the river got a bit feisty during floods, the water would slam against the bend, bursting its banks and creating havoc. Imagine the chaos for local residents and boaters. Penton Hook Lock brought much-needed order. The lock we see today though, is a younger version, rebuilt in 1909 and a bit more modern. Take note of the missing balance beams on the lock gates. Deemed too heavy for the new design, they were removed during the rebuild. A fun fact for you: the original lock was only out of commission for six weeks during that impressive feat of engineering!
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to