The Wind in the Willows

On the way back from Longacres we stopped in Pangbourne, where Kenneth Grahame, the author of The Wind in the Willows, lived.  The Thames river there was the setting for the adventures of Mole, Rat, Badger, and Mr. Toad.

We then drove to Goring, a bit further along the river, for another view of the Thames.  There's a lock to lift boats up and down a few feet.

These are "narrow boats", designed for travel along the canals.  As in the US, canals were the big thing in England in the early 1800s before the railways appeared.  The ones that remain are used almost exclusively for pleasure rather than commerce.

These buildings form one hotel, with an extensive waterfront side.