Brian Eade – författare

The history of the River Thames is inexorably linked to the rights of navigation and water management. Long before there were pound locks on the River Thames, water management was haphazard at best and flooding frequently occurred. The vested interests in maintaining the river included millers and fishermen. The owners of the mills held sway over navigation, deliberately holding back the water to suit their interests, which led to conflict and sometimes fights and vandalism. Many watermills had wooden gears and it is thought that fires caused by the friction of these wheels may have led to their demise. When trading ceased, these watermills were often demolished, converted in some way or the sites sold. It is no coincidence that many of the modern pound locks were constructed adjacent to or on former mill sites.Brian Eade sheds new light on the disappearance of many Thames watermills. Featuring some previously unpublished photographs, this book provides endless fascination for those drawn to the banks and waters of England’s favourite river.

The history of the River Thames is inexorably linked to the rights of navigation and water management. Long before there were pound locks on the River Thames, water management was haphazard at best and flooding frequently occurred. The vested interests in maintaining the river included millers and fishermen. The owners of the mills held sway over navigation, deliberately holding back the water to suit their interests, which led to conflict and sometimes fights and vandalism. Many watermills had wooden gears and it is thought that fires caused by the friction of these wheels may have led to their demise. When trading ceased, these watermills were often demolished, converted in some way or the sites sold. It is no coincidence that many of the modern pound locks were constructed adjacent to or on former mill sites.Brian Eade sheds new light on the disappearance of many Thames watermills. Featuring some previously unpublished photographs, this book provides endless fascination for those drawn to the banks and waters of England s favourite river.

The River Thames is constantly changing, from cool, calm waters in the summer to raging torrents in the winter. Man has intervened over the years to shape and alter the course of this great river, often to turn the wheels of mills and sometimes to protect property. Each change has gradually shaped the Thames into the river we see today. But what great structures are now missing? With evocative names like Hart's and Medley, these long-vanished locks and weirs have been forgotten like a swirl in the water. Keen Edge, Spade Oak and My Lady were grand names for some of the numerous ferries that once plied their trade across the river, essential links to riverside communities, now broken. Containing many unusual photographs, Brian Eade's Forgotten Thames illustrates the changing face of Britain's favourite river, delighting visitors and historians alike.