Shiplake Lock

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Shiplake Lock
Shiplake-lock-1.jpg
Shiplake lock looking downstream with Shiplake Railway Bridge in the distance
Waterway River Thames
County Oxfordshire
Maintained by Environment Agency
OperationHydraulic
First built1773
Latest built1874
Length40.64 m (133 ft 4 in) [1]
Width5.56 m (18 ft 3 in) [1]
Fall1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) [1]
Above sea level110'
Distance to
Teddington Lock
49 miles
Shiplake Lock
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River Thames
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Sonning Lock & weir
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moorings
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B478 Thames Street
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St Patrick's Stream
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Buck Ait
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Hallsmead Ait
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The Lynch
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Philimore's Island
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Borough Lake
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River Loddon
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Shiplake Lock
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Site of mill
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River Loddon
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River Thames

Shiplake Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames in England between the villages of Shiplake and Lower Shiplake, Oxfordshire. It is just above the points where the River Loddon joins the Thames and Shiplake Railway Bridge crosses the river. The first pound lock was built by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1773.

Contents

The weir is some distance upstream of the lock between the lock island and Berkshire bank.

History

There is reference to the weir and flash lock at this location in the 16th century when it was known as "Cotterell's", a name which persisted after the pound lock was built. It was the second downstream of the eight locks built after the navigation act of 1770, and was completed in fir wood in 1773. At this time the towpath upstream was transferred from the Berkshire to the Oxfordshire bank. The lock had to be rebuilt of oak in 1787 as the fir had decayed. There were two mills on the island at this time. The lock was rebuilt again in 1874 and the weir in 1885. [2] The lock island was purchased by the City of London Corporation for camping in 1891, [3] and in 1907 the ruined mills were demolished. [2] Shiplake Lock was the first lock on the Thames to have hydraulic operation installed in 1961. During the winter of 2009/2010 the wooden lock gates were replaced with steel gates at a cost of £600,000. [4]

The camping island

The reason for the purchase of Shiplake Lock Island by the Corporation was to preserve the amenities for bathing and camping. It was managed by the Corporation's City Lands Committee. However, managing at a distance proved a problem and the island was let in perpetuity in 1914 to the Thames Conservancy. The camp was then divided into 18 plots and run by the lock keepers.

Soon after taking over, the Conservancy allowed huts to be built near the tents. The use of these was restricted to cooking and they were not to be used for sleeping. (At that time, ladies were not allowed to sleep on the island at all, but had to retire to wooden huts on the Shiplake bank).

The Thames Conservancy and its successor organisations the National Rivers Authority and Environment Agency have not been prepared to give more than a one-year lease to the plotholders. However, the community has remained remarkably static with plots passing down the family line.

Access to the lock

The lock can be reached from Lower Shiplake down Mill Road, and into Mill Lane, where there is a tarmac path to the lock along the edge of a field. And from the village of Shiplake, at Shiplake Church take the chalky path down to the riverbank, past Shiplake College's boathouse. The footpath at Shiplake then passes under the College (formerly Shiplake Court) and then the white Shiplake House.The lock is a few hundred metres along this part of the Thames Path.

Reach above the lock

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Shiplake on the hill from near The Lynch
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The River Thames near Sonning

The river skirts Shiplake on the Oxfordshire bank and eventually passes into Sonning. Phillimore Island is just above the lock, and on the hill on the Shiplake bank is Shiplake House and also Shiplake Court (now the premises of Shiplake College). The college boat house is on the river bank at this point. Further on there is a double bend with two large islands The Lynch, and Hallsmead Ait followed by Buck Ait. On the bank opposite the Ait is St Patrick's Stream. This stream is believed to have been a tributary stream of the River Loddon which became an outfall when the water level was raised by the building of Shiplake Lock. [2] Apart from a small development here, the river banks are open fields to Sonning Bridge. Sonning lock is a short was upstream of the bridge, but there is a large backwater branching before the bridge on the Sonning Eye side which is crossed by Sonning Backwater Bridges.

Thames Path

The Thames Path stays on the Oxfordshire bank to Sonning, where it crosses the bridge to the other side and continues to Sonning Lock.

Literature and the media

Shiplake Lock was a favourite place for fishing for the young George Orwell and his Buddicom friends. [5]

See also

Shiplake-pano-1.jpg
Shiplake Lock from downstream with the weir stream to the left
Next lock upstream River Thames Next lock downstream
Sonning Lock
4.68 km (2.91 mi) [6]
Shiplake Lock
Grid reference SU776786
Marsh Lock
4.80 km (2.98 mi) [6]

Coordinates: 51°30′04″N0°53′00″W / 51.50102°N 0.88343°W / 51.50102; -0.88343

Related Research Articles

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Marsh Lock Lock and weir on the River Thames in Berkshire, England

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Sonning Lock is a lock and associated weir situated on the River Thames at the village of Sonning near Reading, Berkshire, England. The first lock was built by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1773 and it has been rebuilt three times since then. There is a weir a little upstream at the top of the island where Sonning Backwater separates from the main course of the river.

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Sunbury Lock Lock on the River Thames in Surrey, England

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Romney Lock Lock on the River Thames in Berkshire, England

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Boveney Lock Lock on the River Thames in Buckinghamshire, England

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Culham Lock

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Abingdon Lock

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Godstow Lock Lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England

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Kings Lock Lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England

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Eynsham Lock

Eynsham Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is on the southern bank near Swinford Oxfordshire. The large village of Eynsham is a little distance away on the northern bank.

Radcot Lock

Radcot Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England just downstream of Radcot, Oxfordshire, on the southern bank.

Buck Ait

Buck Ait is an island in the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. It is on the reach above Shiplake Lock near Sonning.

St Patricks Stream

St Patrick's Stream or Patrick Stream is a backwater of the River Thames in England, which flows into the River Loddon near Wargrave, Berkshire. It leaves the Thames on the reach above Shiplake Lock near Buck Ait, downstream of Sonning.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "A User's Guide to the River Thames" (PDF). PDF file. Environmental Agency. 2009. pp. 29–30. Retrieved 15 November 2012. Dimensions given in metres
  2. 1 2 3 Fred. S. Thacker The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs 1920 - republished 1968 David & Charles
  3. National Archives Archived 8 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Environment Agency, Rare chance to see deep into a Thames Lock
  5. Jacintha Buddicom Eric & Us 2nd ed Finlay Publisher 2006
  6. 1 2 "Environment Agency Distances between locks on the River Thames". web page. Environmental Agency. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012. Distances given in km