Blake’s Lock
Location
Reading
Kersey Balme, Marlow
Project Summary
Telling the story of Reading’s two rivers – the Kennet and the Thames – the Riverside Museum occupies two former industrial buildings, the Screen House and the Turbine House.
The Screen House displays a gypsy caravan built by Reading firm Dunton and Sons to the ‘Ledge’ design, and a video about gypsy life. You can also see a variety of objects illustrating life by the river, from stuffed fish to regatta tickets, and including a medieval mill wheel found during excavations at the site of The Oracle shopping centre. A hands-on interactive shows how the mill wheel worked.
The Turbine House is a unique building that spans the Kennet, with waterside views towards the town centre. It houses preserved turbine machinery and hosts occasional summertime art exhibitions and events.