Bell Weir Lock
Encyclopedia
Bell Weir Lock is a lock
on the River Thames
in England situated on the Surrey bank near Egham
. It is just upstream of the M25 Runnymede Bridge
which carries the M25
and A30 road
across the river. The lock was first built by the Thames Navigation Commission
in 1817.
The weir is just a short distance upstream above the island.
and is behind the Runnymede Hotel.
The reach runs through Runnymede
to Old Windsor
. Immediately on the Buckinghamshire bank is a major water input and management facility at Hythe End
that supplies the Staines Reservoirs
and King George VI Reservoir
. There are then riverside dwellings at Hythe End, particularly on the Island
. This is followed by woods along the bank in which Magna Carta Island
is tucked away followed by Pats Croft Eyot
placed a little further out. Further on are more riverside dwellings at Wraysbury
and on Friary Island
. The Surrey bank has riverside houses and then opens out into a recreation area. Following that are the Runnymead meadows and the end of these are marked by the Edwin Lutyens
gate houses. The "Bells of Ouseley" pub here is supposed to commemorate the bells of Osney Abbey
which were brought downstream at the dissolution and disappeared into the mud at this point. There is a built-up stretch at Old Windsor (which is now Berkshire). There are no river crossings on this reach.
The reach is home to Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club
. Egham Regatta
is held near Hythe End in June and Wraysbury and Old Windsor Regatta is held there in August. Pleasure boats from the recreation ground also ply the Thames here.
, Jerome K Jerome records
"Harris and I began to think that Bell Weir lock must have been done away with ... It was half-past seven when we were through .... We had originally intended to go on to Magna Carta Island....But somehow we did not feel that we yearned for the picturesque nearly so much now as we had earlier in the day. A bit of water between a coal barge and a gasworks would have quite satisfied us for that night"
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
on the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in England situated on the Surrey bank near Egham
Egham
Egham is a wealthy suburb in the Runnymede borough of Surrey, in the south-east of England. It is part of the London commuter belt and Greater London Urban Area, and about south-west of central London on the River Thames and near junction 13 of the M25 motorway.-Demographics:Egham town has a...
. It is just upstream of the M25 Runnymede Bridge
M25 Runnymede Bridge
The M25 Runnymede Bridge is a motorway bridge built in the 1980s, carrying the M25 motorway across the River Thames. It carries the M25 North/South just south of Heathrow Airport and crosses the Thames on the reach above Penton Hook Lock and shortly before Bell Weir Lock.The bridge was built to...
which carries the M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
and A30 road
A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
across the river. The lock was first built by the Thames Navigation Commission
Thames Navigation Commission
The Thames Navigation Commission used to manage the River Thames in southern England. In particular, they were responsible for installing or renovating many of the locks on the river in the 18th and early 19th centuries.- History :...
in 1817.
The weir is just a short distance upstream above the island.
History
The first proposed location for a pound lock in 1811 was across the bend at the present recreation ground. The lock was built at its present site in the winter of 1817-1818. It was known as Egham Lock, but took its name from Charlie Bell, the first weir keeper and ferryman. The weir collapsed under weight of ice in 1827 and the lock collapsed in 1866. Lock and weir were rebuilt in 1867 but the lock had to be rebuilt in stone in 1877. A new weir was completed in 1904.Access to the lock
The lock can be reached on foot from the A308 roadA308 road
The A308, is a road in England in two parts.*The Brompton to Fulham section starts at the A4 road by Brompton Oratory and Victoria and Albert Museum, and follows Fulham Road South West to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where it jumps south a block to follow Kings Road to meet the A219 road in...
and is behind the Runnymede Hotel.
Reach above the lock
Runnymede
Runnymede is a water-meadow alongside the River Thames in the English county of Berkshire, and just over west of central London. It is notable for its association with the sealing of Magna Carta, and as a consequence is the site of a collection of memorials...
to Old Windsor
Old Windsor
Old Windsor is a large village and civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the English county of Berkshire.-Location:...
. Immediately on the Buckinghamshire bank is a major water input and management facility at Hythe End
Hythe End
Hythe End is a place in Berkshire between Wraysbury and Staines, England on the northern bank of the River Thames close to Bell Weir Lock.Hythe End consists of several riverside homes, mainly on The Island, Hythe End. There are gravel pits to the north which make up a Site of Special Scientific...
that supplies the Staines Reservoirs
Staines Reservoirs
The Staines Reservoirs lie to the east of the King George VI Reservoir near Heathrow airport in the county of Surrey within the Colne Valley regional park. The village of Stanwell is nearby as is the town of Staines. The two reservoirs are placed between the A3044 and the A30...
and King George VI Reservoir
King George VI Reservoir
The King George VI Reservoir in England lies to the south of Stanwellmoor near Stanwell and Heathrow. The reservoir was opened in November 1947 and named after the then reigning monarch King George VI. It is owned by Thames Water....
. There are then riverside dwellings at Hythe End, particularly on the Island
The Island, Hythe End
The Island, Hythe End is an island in the River Thames in England on the reach above Bell Weir Lock, near Hythe End and Wraysbury, Berkshire. It is connected to the Berkshire side of the river and has a number of riverside houses on it.The Island lies alongside the course of Egham Regatta.-See...
. This is followed by woods along the bank in which Magna Carta Island
Magna Carta Island
Magna Carta Island is an island in the River Thames in England, on the reach above Bell Weir Lock. It is in Berkshire across the river from the water-meadows at Runnymede. The island was transferred from Buckinghamshire to Berkshire in 1974....
is tucked away followed by Pats Croft Eyot
Pats Croft Eyot
Pats Croft Eyot is a small island in the River Thames in England on the reach above Bell Weir Lock, near Wraysbury, Berkshire and Runnymede, Surrey. The island is privately owned and is inhabited.-See also:*Islands in the River Thames...
placed a little further out. Further on are more riverside dwellings at Wraysbury
Wraysbury
Wraysbury, traditionally spelt Wyrardisbury, is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It is located in the very east of the county, in the part that was in Buckinghamshire until 1974...
and on Friary Island
Friary Island
Friary Island is an island in the River Thames in England on the reach above Bell Weir Lock, on the approach to Old Windsor Lock at Wraysbury, Berkshire. It is just across the river from Old Windsor, where there was a Friary from which it took its name....
. The Surrey bank has riverside houses and then opens out into a recreation area. Following that are the Runnymead meadows and the end of these are marked by the Edwin Lutyens
Edwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA was a British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
gate houses. The "Bells of Ouseley" pub here is supposed to commemorate the bells of Osney Abbey
Osney Abbey
Osney Abbey or Oseney Abbey, later Osney Cathedral, was a house of Augustinian canons at Osney in Oxfordshire. The site is south of the modern Botley Road, down Mill Street by Osney Cemetery, next to the railway line just south of Oxford station. It was founded as a priory in 1129, becoming an...
which were brought downstream at the dissolution and disappeared into the mud at this point. There is a built-up stretch at Old Windsor (which is now Berkshire). There are no river crossings on this reach.
The reach is home to Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club
Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club
Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club is an English skiff and punting club, which was founded in 1931. It is based on the River Thames in England, on the Surrey bank between Bell Weir Lock and Runnymede....
. Egham Regatta
Egham Regatta
Egham Regatta is a rowing regatta on the River Thames in England which takes place at the end of June on the reach above Bell Weir Lock near Egham, Surrey. The regatta is run from Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club and the Runnymede Pleasure Grounds on the outskirts of Egham.The regatta was...
is held near Hythe End in June and Wraysbury and Old Windsor Regatta is held there in August. Pleasure boats from the recreation ground also ply the Thames here.
Literature and the Media
In Three Men in a BoatThree Men in a Boat
Three Men in a Boat ,The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog! published in 1889, is a humorous account by Jerome K...
, Jerome K Jerome records
"Harris and I began to think that Bell Weir lock must have been done away with ... It was half-past seven when we were through .... We had originally intended to go on to Magna Carta Island....But somehow we did not feel that we yearned for the picturesque nearly so much now as we had earlier in the day. A bit of water between a coal barge and a gasworks would have quite satisfied us for that night"
External links
- Bell Weir Lock at visitthames.co.uk