Walsham Lock at Ripley

The hot weather continues with no sign of abating. Tomorrow the forecast is 36C in London, I am not looking forward to that as I am going to London to see the Summer Exhibition at the RA and I can already imagine just how awful the public transport will be with no air conditioning. Everything is so dry and brown, it apparently has been the driest summer since 1961. I wonder what the summer was like in 1808 when William Blake wrote Jerusalem, it surely was wet and green then which caused him to write 'in England's green and pleasant land' - somehow 'on England's dry and scorched earth' just does not have the same ring to it!

I felt the need for shade and water today, so I visited Walsham Lock at Ripley. It is an ancient lock, dating back to the 17th century and therefore part of England's early canal history. Its always very pretty there, and despite many families enjoying rides on canal boats the reflections remained quite still. I have added an extra of more reflections and the lock masters house. Ripley is a charming little Surrey village, it was once popular with sailors on their way from London to Portsmouth who visited the inns there. It is also where Eric Clapton was born, and the church in the High Street is where the funeral for his infant son was held in 1991.

Hopefully this old lock qualifies for Wide Wednesday.