View allAll Photos Tagged Embankment
An early 'Grus Aus' postcard of Victoria Embankment posted in 1906 although it was printed before 1903 probably in Germany.
In London last week, for meetings with Westminster politicians for a change. Most of my job is with Holyrood, so it was interesting to be dealing with Scottish MP's in areas that are not devolved.
Rushing to get to Heathrow for a flight to Edinburgh (I had to be there quite early for a reception at the Castle - OK I know, I know) I took a wrong turn and ended up at the end of this long empty corridor.
Hand held - High ISO - no Flash.
"Lake Siriu is an artificial dam lake in Romania, on the Buzău River valley. Construction of the dam started in 1982, and the 42 MW Nehoiaşu hydroelectric plant was opened in 1994.
The dam is a 122 m high embankment dam with a clay core, the second largest embankment dam in Romania.' (Wikipedia)
albertawater.com/lifecycle-of-a-dam-and-reservoir/dam-and...
Victoria Embankment, River Thames, London. The steamer was built by William Gray & Company in 1934 as a passenger ferry on the Humber. In 1973, she was retired from service and laid up. In 1976 the ship was towed to London. PS Tattershall Castle was first opened on the Thames as a floating art gallery until she was sold to the Chef & Brewer group and opened in 1982 as a restaurant and bar. She is now owned by the Stonegate Pub Co. Photo is a merge of three images.
City of Westminster, London, UK - Tattershall Castle floating pub, Victoria Embankment, River Thames
March 2018
MacRitchie Reservoir
MacRitchie Reservoir (Chinese: 麦里芝蓄水池, Pinyin: Maìlǐzhī Xùshuǐchí) is Singapore's oldest reservoir. The reservoir was completed in 1868 by impounding water from an earth embankment, and was then known as the Impounding Reservoir or Thomson Reservoir.
History
Boardwalk at MacRitchie Reservoir
Reservoir, boardwalk and running trail convergeBefore the early 19th century, most of the Singapore main island was covered by primary forest. Soon after the British established a settlement in Singapore in 1819 and commercial activity took root, there was a demand for fresh water. However, it was decades before the settlement's first fresh water supply was established.
Between 1820 and 1870, a substantial portion of the virgin forest was cleared to assist Singapore in becoming an important trading post. Prior to this, Chinese planters had also worked the forested land for timber and the cultivation of crops like gambier, pepper and rubber [rubber was not planted commercially in Singapore before the 20th century]. By 1886, only 10% of the original forest cover remained.
In 1823, British Resident John Crawfurd proposed the building of a reservoir and waterworks, setting aside $1,000 for these plans but nothing came of them. Another plan that ended up in smoke was the idea to tap the headwaters of Singapore Creek.
Finally, in 1857, Straits Chinese merchant Tan Kim Seng donated $13,000 for the improvement of the town's waterworks but delays, poor planning and use of the wrong building materials ate into the budget. New plans were drawn up for an impounding reservoir in Thomson. Tan's money was insufficient – the cost of the new reservoir was $100,000 – but colonial headquarters in Calcutta refused to make up the rest of the cost. When Tan died in 1864, the reservoir was no nearer completion.
Construction was eventually completed in 1868 but the pumps and distributing network were not finished until 1877. By this time, public confidence in the government's ability was dented.
In 1882, in a move to salvage its reputation, the Municipal Council erected a fountain in Fullerton Square in honour of Tan Kim Seng. The fountain was later to moved to Queen Elizabeth Walk, where it stands today.
In 1891, the holding capacity of the Impounding Reservoir or Thomson Reservoir, after its designer John Turnbull Thomson, was expanded to over 465 million imperial gallons (2,110,000 m3). Municipal Engineer James MacRitchie oversaw this $32,000 expansion and the reservoir was named after him in 1922. In the 1890s, he had urged the government to buy the Chasseriau Estate for use as a reservoir but it was not until much later that the purchase was made.
However, the reservoir's 4 million imperial gallons (18,000 m3) a day were still insufficient to meet demand. Water was pumped into the reservoir from the upper section of Kallang River, one of the island's bigger sources of fresh water. Other fresh water supplies – Lower Peirce Reservoir and Seletar Reservoir – were completed in 1912 and 1920 respectively. However, the government realised that Singapore would not be able to meet its own fresh water needs. In 1927, a water treaty was signed with the Sultan of Johor. Singapore received its first supply of water from Johor in 1932 but Singapore is now more independent.
The development of the MacRitchie Reservoir brought the forest devastation around the area to a halt. The forest surrounding the reservoir has been protected as a water catchment reserve. The forested areas surrounding the other two reservoirs, Peirce Reservoir and Upper Seletar Reservoir (formerly Seletar Reservoir) were also protected when these reservoirs were developed.
During World War II, the Japanese Imperial Army during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore built a Shinto Shrine, Syonan Jinja,in the middle of the MacRitchie Reservoir forest in Singapore. When the British forces re-occupied Singapore, the Shrine was destroyed. However, ruins of the shrine remain and serve as a quaint piece of History accessible only to those willing to look for it, given its obscure location. The National Heritage Board declared the site a Historic Site in 2002, although no plans have been made public to develop or to protect the site.
Present
More than one square kilometre of primary forest still flourishes in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve today, particularly around MacRitchie Reservoir. Rubber trees, remnants of the plantations from the 19th century, can still be seen along the fringes around the reservoir.
There are boardwalks skirting the edge of the scenic MacRitchie Reservoir and walking trails through the forest. They range in distances from 3 km to 11 km. Interpretative signboards along the boardwalks allow for a self-guided tour along the fringes of the MacRitchie forest.
The boardwalk around the perimeter of the MacRitchie Reservoir brings the visitor through interesting secondary forest in the Central Catchment nature area. The boardwalk which hugs the reservoir also allows for easy exploration of freshwater wildlife. The Ant plant (Macaranga bancana.) and pitcher plants are common in the area.
In addition to the boardwalk, another popular attraction is the HSBC TreeTop Walk, a 250 m aerial free standing suspension bridge spanning Bukit Peirce and Bukit Kalang which are the two highest points in MacRitchie. The bridge was completed in July 2004, and the TreeTop Walk was officially launched on 5 November 2004. The structure, which is 25 m at its highest point, offers visitors a panoramic view of Upper Peirce Reservoir and the surrounding lush rainforest. Jelutong Tower also offers a view of the Singapore Island Country Club golf course and the MacRitchie Reservoir.
The 3.2 km and 4.8 km trails are still used as cross-country running routes for various inter-school competitions today.
Schools can be seen using the reservoir as a place for water sports such as canoeing and kayaking. There are certain competitions held there annually. A new amenities hub has been recently constructed following the opening of a multi storey car park. This is part of the renewal programme.
London Underground S7 Stock driving coach No. 21337 stands at Embankment working Circle Line Train No. 216 to Hammersmith via Aldgate and Liverpool Street
River Thames Traffic from Waterloo Bridge
Thanks for all the views, Please check out my other photos and albums.
There are two sphinxes on the Thames Embankment, one either side of Cleopatra’s Needle. While the obelisk, erected in 1878, dates from around 1450BC, the sphinxes were created and added in 1882. They were designed by George Vulliamy and modelled by C. H. Mabey. According to the TourUK site, the bronze sphinxes were accidentally replaced facing the wrong way (that is, facing the obelisk) after being cleaned in the early years of the 20th century.
A prewar view (no headlight masks are fitted, and the further tram has no windscreen) showing HR2 1858 which was to become the sole survivor of it's class after being bought from LT by a schoolboy. It now runs at the Carlton Colville Transport Museum near Lowestoft. Here it is seen on route 62 - one of those that climbed the famous Dog Kennel Hill.
(a scan from my collection)