Lock Gates

Today's the day ...................... for the hanging gardens

These are the wooden gates of a lock which have to put up with a great deal of stress.

They have to be hugely strong to hold back the enormous pressure of the water while the lock is emptied - but versatile enough to let it all back in slowly when the lock is filled up again.  They spend their time trying to dry off after a soaking.  This, of course, provides a perfect habitat for certain types of plants that hang down like the proverbial gardens of Babylon.

Sometimes though, it all gets a bit too much.  They stop being invincible and start to leak a bit.  This makes them feel better - but isn't all that great for the narrowboats trying to go up or down (see extra) ....................!