You are reading a single comment by @Dropout and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
This site is supported almost exclusively by donations. Please consider donating a small amount regularly.
@Dropout
Thanks for tagging something on the Wandle, MrDrem. I'm local to Bell lane Creek and daily I cross over the river near to its outflow into the Thames. It's often forgoten that London has more rivers than just the Thames!
I don't understand the function of the sluice gate, but it appears that the river is non-tidal upriver from there; at the outflow the water level changes by more than two and a half meters. The Bell appears to be arranged so that its clapper is prevented from swinging whilst the sluice gate is up. But I can't fathom if the bell is to indicate flood waters, simply the operation of the sluice or some other function.
The mechanisms appear to be inoperable now. Mounted to the top are stone plaques with the inscription : Salmon Otter Swan Heron Eel. I've only seen two from that list at that location, so far. The Wandle wasrecently listed as one of the ten most improved British waterways- I imagine the last sightings of salmon and otters may have been centuries ago.