Marsh Lock
Encyclopedia
Marsh Lock is a lock
and weir
situated on the River Thames
in England near Henley-on-Thames
, Oxfordshire
. The lock is close to the Berkshire
bank, but accessed from the Oxfordshire
side via two long walkways, the downstream one being near Mill Meadows
. The first pound lock was built by the Thames Navigation Commission
in 1773.
The weir consists of a series of iron watergates running from the lock to the Oxfordshire bank near the mills. It is situated between the two walkways.
is in 1580, but the lock and weir existed for some time before that. The pound lock was the third downstream of the eight locks built after the navigation act of 1770, and was completed in fir wood in 1773. Humphrey Gainsborough
, a non-conformist minister at Henley Congregational Church was concerned in the building of the lock. He was an inventor and the brother of the artist Thomas Gainsborough
. By 1780 the lock was reported as decaying fast, and in 1787 it was rebuilt of oak. The first lock-house was built in 1813. Positioned as it was on the opposite side of the tow path, the lock was considered "Extremely inconvenient and dangerous for barges" in 1814 and there are some indications that the flash lock was still in use.
In 1843 the lock was in poor condition and plans were drawn up to rebuild it on the opposite side of the river. However these came to nothing and the lower walkway was built about this time. The weir was rebuilt after 1879 but with some complaints about its unattractiveness. There were again proposals to move the lock across the river but it was rebuilt of more solid timber and reopened in 1886. The lock was rebuilt again in 1914. The weir was reconstructed in 2004 by Mowlem
PLC to a design by Halcrow Group.
, a long wooden bridge was built from the Oxfordshire bank to carry the path out to the lock island below the weir, and then back again to the riverbank above the weir. This feature is unique on the River Thames.
. At this point, Bolney Ferry used to operate across the river. The island here is called Ferry Eyot
and it is followed by Poplar Eyot
and Handbuck Eyot
. This chain of islands lies off a range of large houses at Shiplake
.
The river then rejoins Hennerton Backwater and passes Wargrave
on the Berkshire bank while there is then open farmland on the Shiplake bank. The River Loddon
flows in on the Berkshire side and the river is crossed by Shiplake Railway Bridge
just below Shiplake Lock. The Wargrave & Shiplake Regatta
takes place on the reach downstream of the railway bridge in August.
follows the river on the western bank and then takes a diversion through Shiplake, rejoining the river at Shiplake Lock
. This diversion arises because: firstly, the towpath used to cross the river at Bolney Ferry and return at Lashbrook Ferry a short way upstream; secondly there is no easy access to rejoin the path for the section between Lashbrook Ferry and Shiplake Lock.
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...
and weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
situated 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 near Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. The lock is close to the Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
bank, but accessed from the Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
side via two long walkways, the downstream one being near Mill Meadows
Mill Meadows
Mill Meadows is part of the flood plain of the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. It is an area of natural beauty close to the town centre of Henley. Marsh Lock and Rod Eyot are also close by and the River and Rowing Museum, established in 1998, is located there...
. The first pound lock was 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 1773.
The weir consists of a series of iron watergates running from the lock to the Oxfordshire bank near the mills. It is situated between the two walkways.
History
The earliest record of 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....
is in 1580, but the lock and weir existed for some time before that. The pound lock was the third downstream of the eight locks built after the navigation act of 1770, and was completed in fir wood in 1773. Humphrey Gainsborough
Humphrey Gainsborough
Humphrey Gainsborough was a non-conformist minister, engineer and inventor.Humphrey Gainsborough was pastor to the Independent Church in Henley-on-Thames, England. He was the brother of the artist Thomas Gainsborough. He invented the drill plough , winning a prize of £60 from the Royal Society for...
, a non-conformist minister at Henley Congregational Church was concerned in the building of the lock. He was an inventor and the brother of the artist Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough was an English portrait and landscape painter.-Suffolk:Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk. He was the youngest son of John Gainsborough, a weaver and maker of woolen goods. At the age of thirteen he impressed his father with his penciling skills so that he let...
. By 1780 the lock was reported as decaying fast, and in 1787 it was rebuilt of oak. The first lock-house was built in 1813. Positioned as it was on the opposite side of the tow path, the lock was considered "Extremely inconvenient and dangerous for barges" in 1814 and there are some indications that the flash lock was still in use.
In 1843 the lock was in poor condition and plans were drawn up to rebuild it on the opposite side of the river. However these came to nothing and the lower walkway was built about this time. The weir was rebuilt after 1879 but with some complaints about its unattractiveness. There were again proposals to move the lock across the river but it was rebuilt of more solid timber and reopened in 1886. The lock was rebuilt again in 1914. The weir was reconstructed in 2004 by Mowlem
Mowlem
Mowlem was one of the largest construction and civil engineering companies in the United Kingdom. Carillion bought the firm in 2006.-History:Founded by John Mowlem in 1822, the company was awarded a Royal Warrant in 1902 and went public on the London Stock Exchange in 1924. It acquired SGB Group in...
PLC to a design by Halcrow Group.
Access to the lock
Because the lock is unusually situated on the opposite side of the river to the towpathTowpath
A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge...
, a long wooden bridge was built from the Oxfordshire bank to carry the path out to the lock island below the weir, and then back again to the riverbank above the weir. This feature is unique on the River Thames.
Reach above the lock
At the lock and beyond it on the Berkshire bank there are steep hills, which give way to Wargrave Marsh, an expanse of water meadows, after the entrance to the Hennerton BackwaterHennerton Backwater
Hennerton Backwater is a narrow backwater of the River Thames on the reach above Marsh Lock near the villages of Shiplake, Oxfordshire and Wargrave, Berkshire....
. At this point, Bolney Ferry used to operate across the river. The island here is called Ferry Eyot
Ferry Eyot
Ferry Eyot or Ferry Ait is an island in the River Thames in England near the villages of Shiplake, Oxfordshire and Wargrave, Berkshire. It is on the reach above Marsh Lock....
and it is followed by Poplar Eyot
Poplar Eyot
Poplar Eyot or Poplar Ait is an island in the River Thames in England near the villages of Shiplake, Oxfordshire and Wargrave, Berkshire. It is on the reach above Marsh Lock....
and Handbuck Eyot
Handbuck Eyot
Handbuck Eyot or Handbuck Ait is an island in the River Thames in England near the villages of Shiplake, Oxfordshire and Wargrave, Berkshire. It is on the reach above Marsh Lock....
. This chain of islands lies off a range of large houses at Shiplake
Shiplake
Shiplake is a village and civil parish about south of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, England on the River Thames.-History:The Church of England parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul dates from at least the 13th century, but in 1869 the Gothic Revival architect G.E. Street rebuilt the chancel,...
.
The river then rejoins Hennerton Backwater and passes Wargrave
Wargrave
Wargrave is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire, which encloses the confluence of the River Loddon and the River Thames. It is in the Borough of Wokingham...
on the Berkshire bank while there is then open farmland on the Shiplake bank. The River Loddon
River Loddon
The River Loddon is a river in the English counties of Berkshire and Hampshire. It is a tributary of the River Thames, rising within the urban area of Basingstoke and flowing to meet the Thames near the village of Wargrave...
flows in on the Berkshire side and the river is crossed by Shiplake Railway Bridge
Shiplake Railway Bridge
Shiplake Railway Bridge carries the Henley Branch Line to Henley-on-Thames, England across the River Thames, connecting Shiplake in Oxfordshire with Wargrave in Berkshire. It crosses the river just downstream of Shiplake Lock on the reach above Marsh Lock....
just below Shiplake Lock. The Wargrave & Shiplake Regatta
Wargrave & Shiplake Regatta
The Wargrave & Shiplake Regatta is a regatta on the River Thames in England. It is the local regatta of the villages of Wargrave in Berkshire and Shiplake in Oxfordshire. Some of the boats used are of a traditional clinker-built style, others are fibre-glass....
takes place on the reach downstream of the railway bridge in August.
Thames Path
The Thames PathThames 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....
follows the river on the western bank and then takes a diversion through Shiplake, rejoining the river at Shiplake Lock
Shiplake Lock
Shiplake Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames in England near the village of Shiplake, Oxfordshire. It is just above the points where the River Loddon joins the Thames and Shiplake Railway Bridge crosses the river...
. This diversion arises because: firstly, the towpath used to cross the river at Bolney Ferry and return at Lashbrook Ferry a short way upstream; secondly there is no easy access to rejoin the path for the section between Lashbrook Ferry and Shiplake Lock.
See also
- Locks on the River ThamesLocks on the River ThamesThe English River Thames is navigable from Cricklade or Lechlade to the sea, and this part of the river falls 71 metres . There are 45 locks on the river, each with one or more adjacent weirs...
- Rowing on the River ThamesRowing on the River ThamesThe River Thames is one of the main rowing areas in England, with activity taking place on the Tideway and on the 45 separate lock reaches on the non tidal section. The river hosts two major rowing events The Boat Race and Henley Royal Regatta, and a large number of other regattas and long distance...
- River and Rowing MuseumRiver and Rowing MuseumThe River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, is located on a site at Mill Meadows by the River Thames. It has three main themes represented by major permanent galleries, the non-tidal River Thames, the international sport of rowing and the local town of...