Boulter's Lock is a
lock
Lock(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance
*Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lock ...
and
weir
A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...
on the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
in England north-east of
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England, on the southwestern bank of the River Thames. It had an estimated population of 70,374 and forms part of the border with southern Bu ...
town centre,
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
. The present 1912-built lock replaces those at this point of the river to the immediate east dating from the late 16th century and that of 1772 built by the
Thames Navigation Commission
The Thames Navigation Commission managed the River Thames in southern England from 1751 to 1866. In particular, they were responsible for installing or renovating many of the locks on the river in the 18th and early 19th centuries
History
The f ...
. The lock is on the western side of the north-south flowing reach between the ''A4094'' Maidenhead to Cookham road and
Ray Mill Island. The name is variably used for the immediate surrounding area.
The weir is some way upstream of the lock, at the northern end of Ray Mill Island. It is one of the most popular whitewater
freestyle kayaking
Canoe freestyle (also known as playboating) is a discipline of whitewater kayaking or canoeing where people perform various technical moves in one place (a playspot), as opposed to downriver whitewater canoeing or kayaking where the objective ...
areas on the River Thames, as it has been modified to allow kayakers to use it without causing disruption to other river users.
History
The earliest reference to a
flash lock
A flash lock is a type of lock for river or canal transport.
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.
Developme ...
is in the late 16th century, although a mill is known to have existed here in the 14th century. The flash lock was located in what is now the main weir, with a winch to haul barges through on the west bank near the tip of Boulter's Island. In 1746 it was written that there was no (extant) lock further downstream on the Thames. The
Navigation Act
The Navigation Acts, or more broadly the Acts of Trade and Navigation, were a long series of English laws that developed, promoted, and regulated English ships, shipping, trade, and commerce between other countries and with its own colonies. The ...
obtained in April 1771 did not allow the Thames Navigation Commission to build locks below
Maidenhead Bridge
Maidenhead Bridge is a Grade I listed bridge carrying the A4 road over the River Thames between Maidenhead, Berkshire and Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. It crosses the Thames on the reach above Bray Lock, about half a mile below Boulter's Loc ...
, so the lock built here in 1772 was the furthest downstream of the eight first built by the Commission. The lock was timber-sided, and the work was overseen by Joseph Nickalls, who had designed a scheme of improvements to the river from Abingdon to Richmond, in preparation for obtaining the
Act of Parliament
Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...
. Originally the lock was on the
Taplow
Taplow is a village and civil parish in the Unitary Authority of Buckinghamshire, England. It sits on the left bank of the River Thames, facing Maidenhead in the neighbouring county of Berkshire, with Cippenham and Burnham to the east. It is th ...
side, close to Taplow Mill. It was referred to as Boltus lock or Bolters lock. A "bolter" was a
miller
A miller is a person who operates a Gristmill, mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Mill (grinding), Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surname ...
and referred to the mill of Taplow. In 1773 a resident landowner complained of trespass in his woods by barge crews who "very much misbehaved themselves by their indecent conversation and horrid oaths and imprecations." Its prototype lock-keeper's house was built here in 1774. By 1780 the lock was reported as being in as bad a state as Marlow, and in 1795 Phillips ''Inland Navigation'' complained of the deep hole and subsequent shoals caused by the force of water.
In 1825 the City of London Corporation complained regarding condition and recommended it be rebuilt on the Berkshire side of the river. This involved excavating a lock cut. For drainage during construction, a
waterwheel
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with a number of blades or buckets ...
was placed in the weir, which was used to operate pumps. The contract to dig was given to George Gynell, at a cost of £1,630. A separate contract for the masonry and millwright's work was given to Clarke and Moss, while carpentry and general labouring was done by men employed directly by the Commission. Stone was obtained from
Headington Quarry
Headington Quarry is a residential district of Oxford, England, located east of Headington and west of Risinghurst, just inside the Oxford ring road in the east of the city. To the south is Wood Farm. Today the district is also known colloquial ...
near
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
. Because of the distance from the fall below to the lock, a separate steam engine was used in operation post-building to pump out (lower) the lock chamber. The project was managed by George Treacher, with work beginning in December 1827 and finishing in April 1829. The total cost of the work was £11,800 When completed, the lock's volume – length with a fall of plus depth of over the sills—was the largest of a pound lock with masonry walls on English river navigations. In recognition of his work, Treacher was awarded £100 by the Commission in June 1829. The new lock was known as Ray Mill pound after Ray Mill Island next to it. The lock cut created
Boulter's Island.
This part of the river became popular for boating parties in the late 19th century and early 20th century, as portrayed in a painting by
Edward John Gregory
Edward John Gregory , PPRBSA (19 April 185022 June 1909), was a British painter.
Biography
Gregory was born in Southampton on 19 April 1850. He was grandson of John Gregory, engineer-in-chief of the auxiliary engines in Sir John Franklin's la ...
. The lock was a popular place to visit on the Sunday after
Royal Ascot
Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...
when the wealthy and famous passed through the lock, some on their way to
Cliveden
Cliveden (pronounced ) is an English country house and estate in the care of the National Trust in Buckinghamshire, on the border with Berkshire. The Italianate mansion, also known as Cliveden House, crowns an outlying ridge of the Chiltern H ...
. In 1899 an iron railing was placed round the lock to keep spectators at bay. In 1909 the
Thames Conservancy
The Thames Conservancy (formally the Conservators of the River Thames) was a body responsible for the management of the that river in England. It was founded in 1857 to replace the jurisdiction of the City of London up to Staines. Nine years la ...
purchased Ray Mill Island to provide for expansion of the lock, and it was rebuilt in 1912.
Congestion at the lock was a serious problem before
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, and a novel solution was employed to reduce it. A moving ramp, consisting of wooden slats with chocks to prevent rowing boats from rolling over, was constructed to bypass the lock. The ramp was similar to an
escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horizo ...
, and small boats simply rowed towards it, and were carried up to the higher level while the occupants remained seated in their boat. The boat lift opened in 1909, and was powered by an electric motor. The date of its demise is uncertain, but its location on Ray Mill island can still be visited.
The
salmon ladder opened at Boulters Weir on 19 May 2000 by the
Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...
was the last of a series built on the Thames. The last salmon caught at the weir was landed on the 5th August 1993. It is to this day the largest salmon in recorded history caught on the non-tidal River Thames and weighed 14lb's, measuring 97cm's in length.
Access
![Boulters Lock Maidenhead](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Boulters_Lock_Maidenhead.jpg)
Ray Mead road/Lower Cookham road (A4094) runs alongside the lock. There is a public car park about 100m north of the lock. A track runs onto the lock island. An hourly bus route to the lock from
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England, on the southwestern bank of the River Thames. It had an estimated population of 70,374 and forms part of the border with southern Bu ...
town centre is run by
Courtney Coaches
Thames Valley Buses, known until 2021 as Courtney Buses is a bus company based in Bracknell, England. Founded in 1973, the company operates a network of commercial and contracted local bus services and school buses in Berkshire, north Hampshire ...
.
Reach above the lock
After the long cut beside the islands the reach opens out at the head of the
Jubilee River
The Jubilee River is a hydraulic channel in southern England. It is long and is on average wide. It was constructed in the late 1990s and early 2000s to take overflow from the River Thames and so alleviate flooding to areas in and around the t ...
on the east bank. This is followed by
Bavin's Gulls on Cliveden Deep with landscaped hanging beech woods on the escarpment above which hosts
Cliveden
Cliveden (pronounced ) is an English country house and estate in the care of the National Trust in Buckinghamshire, on the border with Berkshire. The Italianate mansion, also known as Cliveden House, crowns an outlying ridge of the Chiltern H ...
, a grandiose mansion run by a visitors' and public hire charity which was in the 20th century a forum for
a prominent set of individuals and scene of the
John Profumo affair. The river then curves round to
Formosa Island
Formosa Island is an island in the River Thames in England at Cookham Lock near Cookham, Berkshire, with two smaller adjacent islands.
The island is one of the largest on the non-tidal river Thames with of woodland. It can be reached by foot ...
and the other islands where
Cookham Lock
Cookham Lock is a lock with weirs situated on the River Thames near Cookham, Berkshire, about a half-mile downstream of Cookham Bridge. The lock is set in a lock cut which is one of four streams here and it is surrounded by woods. On one sid ...
has been built.
The
Thames Path
The Thames Path is a National Trail following the River Thames from its source near Kemble, Gloucestershire, Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel, south east London. It is about long. A path was first proposed in 1948 but it onl ...
follows the western (Maidenhead) bank upstream along Cliveden Reach until it cuts into
Cookham
Cookham is a historic River Thames, Thames-side village and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the north-eastern edge of Berkshire, England, north-north-east of Maidenhead and opposite the village of Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, Bourne ...
village, missing Cookham Lock. The path rejoins the Thames near Cookham church. There was originally a towpath ferry (My Lady ferry or Lower Cliveden ferry) crossing to
Cliveden
Cliveden (pronounced ) is an English country house and estate in the care of the National Trust in Buckinghamshire, on the border with Berkshire. The Italianate mansion, also known as Cliveden House, crowns an outlying ridge of the Chiltern H ...
[Cliveden ferries http://thames.me.uk/s000748.htm] and an Upper Cliveden ferry crossing back to Cookham lock island.
Kayaking
The weir at Boulter's Lock is a popular
kayak
A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' ().
The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...
ing site. A
canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the term ...
/kayak
flume
A flume is a human-made channel for water, in the form of an open declined gravity chute whose walls are raised above the surrounding terrain, in contrast to a trench or ditch. Flumes are not to be confused with aqueducts, which are built to tr ...
is installed during each summer to add to a permanent fixed
ramp
An inclined plane, also known as a ramp, is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle from the vertical direction, with one end higher than the other, used as an aid for raising or lowering a load. The inclined plane is one of the six clas ...
in front of the third of the weir's six gates.
Literature and the media
![BoultersLock03](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/BoultersLock03.jpg)
One of the best known works of the artist
Edward John Gregory
Edward John Gregory , PPRBSA (19 April 185022 June 1909), was a British painter.
Biography
Gregory was born in Southampton on 19 April 1850. He was grandson of John Gregory, engineer-in-chief of the auxiliary engines in Sir John Franklin's la ...
(1850–1909) is his ''Boulter's Lock, Sunday afternoon''.
Nicholas Pocock
Nicholas Pocock (2 March 1740 – 9 March 1821) was an English artist known for his many detailed paintings of naval battles during the age of sail.
Birth and early career at sea
Pocock was born in Bristol in 1740, the son of a seaman.Chatte ...
, the marine artist, lived at 'Ray Lodge' and broadcaster
Richard Dimbleby
Frederick Richard Dimbleby (25 May 1913 – 22 December 1965) was an English journalist and broadcaster, who became the BBC's first war correspondent, and then its leading TV news commentator.
As host of the long-running current affairs ...
had a house on
Boulter's Island.
Author
John O'Farrell, grew up in 'The Weir House' opposite.
The Mr Bean episode
Tee Off Mr Bean was recorded in a miniature golf course next to Boulter's Lock.
See also
*
Locks on the River Thames
The English River Thames is navigable from Cricklade (for very small, shallow boats) or Lechlade (for larger boats) to the sea, and this part of the river falls 71 meters (234 feet). There are 45 locks on the river, each with one or more ad ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
Boulter's Lock information for tourists and residentsincluding
Thames Valley Freestylers weir levels
{{Canoeing and kayaking
Buildings and structures in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Locks of Berkshire
Locks on the River Thames
Weirs on the River Thames
Maidenhead
Canoeing and kayaking venues in the United Kingdom