Aldermaston Lock Hoodies

A narrowboat passing through the lower gates of Aldermaston Lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal in the late afternoon. The lock is at Aldermaston wharf, a mile or so north of Aldermaston village in West Berkshire. Now peaceful, the Wharf was once a hive of activity with boats being loaded and unloaded with coal, building stone, agricultural implements and foodstuffs. Here were also the carpenters and smiths necessary for the running of the canal. A digital drawing from my original photograph.

The lock at Aldermaston on the Kennet and Avon Canal. This is the view from the wharf next to the swing bridge. The lock was built between 1718 and 1723 being supervised by John Hore a noted engineer from Newbury. It was originally turf sided but was enlarged in the mid 1700s and given scalloped brick walls. These were heightened in 1984 during restoration. The nearby building was once a brewery founded in 1770 and Its beer barrels would have been shipped from this busy wharf.

A canal boat moored just below Aldermaston Lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal. This is known as a 'winding hole' where narrowboats as long as 72 feet can turn round. The building on the left was once Strange's Brewery - giving the lock its alternative name - Brewery Lock. The area here is called Aldermaston Wharf and was once a hive of industry with boats loading and unloading their cargoes. Now it's busy with leisure traffic!

The view from Aldermaston Lock downstream to Aldermaston Wharf on the Kennet and Avon Canal in West Berkshire. Just below the lock is the winding hole - big enough to be able to turn a 72ft narrowboat, Beyond that is the lift bridge carrying the A340 from the A4 Bath Road to Basingstoke. The Wharf was once a hive of industry, busy with canal boats loading and unloading cargoes. Here were also the workshops necessary to maintain the waterway. A digital pencil drawing from my original photograph.

The upstream approach to Padworth Lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal just below Aldermaston Wharf. This lock, no.96, was originally built between 1718 and 1723 and was supervised by local engineer John Hore of Newbury. It was turf-sided but was rebuilt in brick in 1982-4. Very few turf-sided locks now remain. The canal was constructed between 1794 and 1810 to link the Thames and Avon rivers, providing a smooth transport link between Bristol and London via Reading and the Thames.

Canal boats moored above the lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal at Aldermaston, West Berkshire. This image was captured on a sunny February afternoon. The buildings by the lock were once the Aldermaston Brewery established in 1770. In 1833 it was bought by Thomas Strange whose family owned it until it ceased production in 1945. The canal was constructed between 1794 and 1810 to link the Kennet and Avon rivers and thus provide a smooth transport link between Bristol and London via the Thames. Nikon D7100 nikkor 18-200

A digital painting of narrowboats moored just above Aldermaston lock in West Berkshire on the Kennet and Avon Canal. This canal was constructed to link two rivers - the Thames in the east and Avon in the west, enabling goods to be carried from Bristol to London via the Thames. It fell into disuse due to the Great Western Railway being built but was restored in the late 1900s and is now a busy leisure waterway.

A digital painting from my original photograph of the scene above the lock at Aldermaston Wharf on the Kennet and Avon Canal (or Navigation) in Berkshire. A lovely tranquil scene - hard to imagine the industry here over 100 years ago! Then the whole area was busy with working canal canal boats loading and unloading their cargoes. Here too were the workshops and forges necessary for the running of the canal.

A digital sketch of the scene looking past the top gates of Padworth Lock in West Berkshire, - just below Aldermaston Wharf. This lock, no.96, was originally built between 1718 and 1723, supervised by local engineer John Hore of Newbury. It was turf-sided but was rebuilt in brick in 1982-4. The canal was constructed between 1794 and 1810 to link the Thames and Avon rivers, providing a smooth transport link between Bristol and London via Reading and the Thames.

Canal boats - including cruisers and narrowboats moored along the banks of the Kennet and Avon Canal just above Aldermaston Lock in Berkshire. This is the view as seen from the towpath. Below the lock is Aldermaston Wharf which was once busy with working boats loading and unloading cargoes of stone, coal, agricultural goods and produce and groceries. Since restoration in the second half of the 1900s and the reopening of the waterway in 1990, most boats are now for leisure or are lived in.