Cleeve Lock
Encyclopedia
Cleeve Lock is a lock
on the River Thames
, in Oxfordshire
, England
. It is located just upstream of Streatley
on the same side of the river. The village of Cleeve is on the opposite bank near Goring
.
The first lock was built in 1787 by the Thames Navigation Commissioners. The lock has the smallest fall on the river at 2 ft 3 inches (0.69 m). The reach above it is the longest and the reach below it is the shortest on the non-tidal river.
The weir runs to an island below the lock, and there are further weirs between islands downstream.
to Wallingford.
recorded on the site in the 16th century. The first pound lock was built of oak in 1787 alongside a meadow which was then known as Winch Meadow. It was originally to be called Streatley Lock, but in the event took its name from the village of Cleeve on the opposite side of the river. Until 1869 Cleeve Lock and Goring Lock were usually operated a single keeper. The lock was rebuilt in 1874.
The six and a half mile reach is the longest on the river. Much of it is open country apart from the small village of Moulsford
and the larger town of Wallingford. There were formerly two ferries along the reach at Little Stoke
and at Chalmore Hole near Wallingford because the towpath changed sides. Brunel's Moulsford Railway Bridge
crosses at some islands near Moulsford, where there was formerly another flash lock. Winterbrook Bridge a new road bridge crosses just downstream of Wallingford, relieving traffic on the ancient multi-arched Wallingford Bridge
. There were formerly two historic and interesting public houses along the river, but these have both been turned into expensive restaurants.
The river is an active rowing location with the Oxford University Boat Club
and Oxford Brookes University boat club both having club houses on the reach near Wallingford, where Wallingford Rowing Club is also based. The Wallingford Long Distance Sculls take place on the reach in October.
The Thames Path
keeps on the western bank all the way, but to compensate for thoses situations when the towpath changed sides it goes inland at Moulsford following the main road for quite a distance before returning to the river. There is also very small diversion away from the river in Wallingford and then the path stays on the western bank to Benson Lock where it crosses over to the other side of the river. The path is paralleled on the other side of the river as far as Winterbrook Bridge by the Ridgeway.
's Three Men in a Boat
, the narrator recounts a tale of a long and anxious journey down to Cleeve Lock, caused because he had an out of date map showing an intermediate lock at Wallingford. This has a historical basis in fact. Chalmore Lock
at Chalmore Hole was established in 1838 (near the current site of the Oxford University Boat Club building), being called a "summer or low-water lock and weir". Although it appears to have been in decline by 1873 the inhabitants of Wallingford petitioned for its retention. It was removed in 1883 after a damning report from Sir John Hawkshaw
.
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 Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located just upstream of Streatley
Streatley, Berkshire
Streatley is a village and civil parish on the River Thames in Berkshire, England.-Location:Streatley is about from Reading and from Oxford. It is in the Goring Gap on the River Thames and is directly across the river from the Oxfordshire village of Goring-on-Thames...
on the same side of the river. The village of Cleeve is on the opposite bank near Goring
Goring-On-Thames
Goring-on-Thames is a large village and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, about south of Wallingford.-Geography:...
.
The first lock was built in 1787 by the Thames Navigation Commissioners. The lock has the smallest fall on the river at 2 ft 3 inches (0.69 m). The reach above it is the longest and the reach below it is the shortest on the non-tidal river.
The weir runs to an island below the lock, and there are further weirs between islands downstream.
Access to the lock
The lock can be reached on foot from Streatley, or by a track which comes off the A329 roadA329 road
The A329 is an east-west road in Southern England that runs from Wentworth in Surrey to Thame in Oxfordshire. The A329 starts at the A30 in Surrey and passes through the towns of Ascot, Bracknell, Wokingham, Earley, Reading, the village of Pangbourne, and Wallingford in Oxfordshire...
to Wallingford.
History
There was a flash lockFlash lock
Early locks were designed with a single gate, known as a flash lock or staunch lock. The earliest European references to what were clearly flash locks were in Roman times....
recorded on the site in the 16th century. The first pound lock was built of oak in 1787 alongside a meadow which was then known as Winch Meadow. It was originally to be called Streatley Lock, but in the event took its name from the village of Cleeve on the opposite side of the river. Until 1869 Cleeve Lock and Goring Lock were usually operated a single keeper. The lock was rebuilt in 1874.
Reach above the lock
Moulsford
Moulsford is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire to the county of Oxfordshire, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire....
and the larger town of Wallingford. There were formerly two ferries along the reach at Little Stoke
Littlestoke
Littlestoke is a hamlet on the River Thames in the civil parish of South Stoke in South Oxfordshire, north of Goring-on-Thames.Littlestoke is on the old road that linked Wallingford and Reading via Goring Heath.Littlestoke has a manor house....
and at Chalmore Hole near Wallingford because the towpath changed sides. Brunel's Moulsford Railway Bridge
Moulsford Railway Bridge
Moulsford Railway Bridge, known locally as "Four Arches" bridge is actually a pair of parallel bridges located a little to the north of Moulsford and South Stoke in Oxfordshire, UK. It carries the Great Western Main Line from Paddington, London to Wales and the West across the River Thames...
crosses at some islands near Moulsford, where there was formerly another flash lock. Winterbrook Bridge a new road bridge crosses just downstream of Wallingford, relieving traffic on the ancient multi-arched Wallingford Bridge
Wallingford Bridge
Wallingford Bridge is a medieval road bridge over the River Thames in England which connects Wallingford and Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire . It crosses the Thames on the reach between Cleeve Lock and Benson Lock...
. There were formerly two historic and interesting public houses along the river, but these have both been turned into expensive restaurants.
The river is an active rowing location with the Oxford University Boat Club
Oxford University Boat Club
The Oxford University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century....
and Oxford Brookes University boat club both having club houses on the reach near Wallingford, where Wallingford Rowing Club is also based. The Wallingford Long Distance Sculls take place on the reach in October.
The Thames Path
Thames Path
The Thames Path is a National Trail, opened in 1996, following the length of the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier at Charlton. It is about long....
keeps on the western bank all the way, but to compensate for thoses situations when the towpath changed sides it goes inland at Moulsford following the main road for quite a distance before returning to the river. There is also very small diversion away from the river in Wallingford and then the path stays on the western bank to Benson Lock where it crosses over to the other side of the river. The path is paralleled on the other side of the river as far as Winterbrook Bridge by the Ridgeway.
Literature and the Media
In Jerome K. JeromeJerome K. Jerome
Jerome Klapka Jerome was an English writer and humorist, best known for the humorous travelogue Three Men in a Boat.Jerome was born in Caldmore, Walsall, England, and was brought up in poverty in London...
's Three Men in a Boat
Three 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...
, the narrator recounts a tale of a long and anxious journey down to Cleeve Lock, caused because he had an out of date map showing an intermediate lock at Wallingford. This has a historical basis in fact. Chalmore Lock
Chalmore Lock
Chalmore Lock was a lock and weir which operated between 1838 and 1883 on the River Thames in England near Wallingford, Oxfordshire.-History:Chalmore Lock was built in 1838 by the Thames Navigation Commissioners at a place called Chalmore Hole between Cleeve Lock and Benson Lock. It was built as a...
at Chalmore Hole was established in 1838 (near the current site of the Oxford University Boat Club building), being called a "summer or low-water lock and weir". Although it appears to have been in decline by 1873 the inhabitants of Wallingford petitioned for its retention. It was removed in 1883 after a damning report from Sir John Hawkshaw
John Hawkshaw
Sir John Hawkshaw , was an English civil engineer.-Early life:He was born in Leeds, Yorkshire and was educated at Leeds Grammar School...
.
External links
- Cleeve Lock, Goring, Oxfordshire at viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk