House moves through Molesley Lock

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Teddy

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Traffic flow through Molesley Lock came to a grinding halt for about an hour on Monday lunch time as a new houseboat was squeezed through the gates with only a few inches to play with.

It was interesting to watch as the tug boats fore and aft tried to keep it parallel to the gates.
Fortunately it turned up the back water and eventually was moored up near the weir out of everybody's way.
 
Here on the Medway the company I used to work for had had a couple of special lighters built to be able to squeeze into the smallest locks on the Medway.They carried paper pulp up to the mills at Tovil and could carry about 60 tons this was pulled by a small 100hp tug.
We normally took two lighters at a time so about 120 tons each trip or about 20 lorry loads.
All came to an end in 1970s when it was decided that road transport was the way forward.
 
A tight squeeze here too

IMG_0466.jpg
 
Teddy said:
Traffic flow through Molesley Lock came to a grinding halt for about an hour on Monday lunch time as a new houseboat was squeezed through the gates with only a few inches to play with.

It was interesting to watch as the tug boats fore and aft tried to keep it parallel to the gates.
Fortunately it turned up the back water and eventually was moored up near the weir out of everybody's way.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I consider these floating prefabs another detractor from the visual appeal of the river. Every river has a finite amount of riverbank and if it is to be populated by residential dwellings they should at least be nautical in design and not just a Bungalow on a pontoon. Speaking as one who has gone through the rigours of the local planning authority and achieved a permission on a riverside site, the emphasis was very much to be in keeping with the environment and visual appeal of the riverside location. I wonder where this dull Bungalow will rest, perhaps next to the part sunken one on the Laleham reach. Design appeal is a personal one I appreciate but if I had a lovely traditional barge on a residential riverside mooring, I would not be too pleased if this plain looking box appeared one morning as my new neighbour. :confused: Or am I just being cantakerous again.:confused:
 
The floating warehouse came to rest up the weir stream on the lock island side, just below the weir itself. It was well and truly stuck in the trees, which is just as well because the back only had a few port holes.

When coming down through the lock you can just see it if you edge over towards the TMYC moorings.
 
dash300 said:
perhaps next to the part sunken one on the Laleham reach.
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Thread drift but that's just awaiting insurance monies then it's to be broken up and removed. Very elderly male resident now in home. Land to be sold for stupid money (assuming anyone will be willing to pay it).
 
Wavey said:
Thread drift but that's just awaiting insurance monies then it's to be broken up and removed. Very elderly male resident now in home. Land to be sold for stupid money (assuming anyone will be willing to pay it).
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Thanks for that. Was a blot on the reach as soon as it arrived.Lets hope it is replaced with something more in keeping.:)
 
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