Oxford, Bulstake Stream, New Botley - geograph

Bulstake Stream, also spelt Bullstake Stream, is a backwater of 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 ...

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 ...

, England. The stream leaves the main stream of the Thames at a river junction known as Four Rivers, at the south west corner of

Fiddler's Island Fiddler's Island is an island in the River Thames at Oxford in England. It is situated south of Port Meadow on the reach above Osney Lock. The north part of the island sits between the River Thames and the top end of Castle Mill Stream, a Thame ...

opposite

Sheepwash Channel Sheepwash Channel connects the River Thames to the west and the Castle Mill Stream next to the Oxford Canal to the east (linked through Isis Lock), in west Oxford, England. To the north are Cripley Meadow (largely allotments) and Fiddler's Is ...

. It immediately flows past Tumbling Bay, which had a bathing place in use from 1853 to 1990, when the toilets and huts were removed. The pool is still in occasional use, though in disrepair. A fish race was added in to bypass the bathing place and was completed by 2020. The

Osney Ditch The Osney Ditch is a side channel of the River Thames at Oxford, England. It is one of the principal watercourses in west Oxford. The ditch leaves Bulstake Stream just east of Binsey Lane and then rejoins the main stream of the Thames south o ...

flows out of the stream southeast towards

Osney Osney or Osney Island (; an earlier spelling of the name is ''Oseney'') is a riverside community in the west of the city of Oxford, England. In modern times the name is applied to a community also known as Osney Town astride Botley Road, just we ...

. The stream follows a semi-circular course, west and then south, passing under bridges on Binsey Lane and

Botley Road Botley Road is the main road into the centre of Oxford, England from the west. It stretches between Botley, on the Oxford Ring Road ( A34) to the west of the city, and Frideswide Square at the junction with Oxford railway station, close t ...

(

Bulstake Bridge Bulstake Bridge is a road bridge across the Bulstake Stream, a branch of the River Thames in Oxford, England. The original stone arch bridge was built by John Claymond (1468–1537), the first President (college), President of Corpus Christi ...

) to a confluence with Seacourt/Hinksey Stream near

North Hinksey North Hinksey is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England, immediately west of Oxford. The civil parish includes the large settlement of Botley, effectively a suburb of Oxford. North Hinksey was part of Berkshire until the 1974 bo ...

. It resumes, east, past

Osney Mead Osney or Osney Island (; an earlier spelling of the name is ''Oseney'') is a riverside community in the west of the city of Oxford, England. In modern times the name is applied to a community also known as Osney Town astride Botley Road, just we ...

Industrial Estate, and rejoins the Thames at the

Osney Rail Bridge Osney Rail Bridge is a railway bridge over the River Thames at Oxford in England. It carries the Cherwell Valley Line between Didcot and Oxford across the river on the reach between Iffley Lock and Osney Lock. The original bridge was built in ...

. 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 ...

crosses the stream on a bridge known as Boney's Bridge.

Botley Stream Bulstake Stream, also spelt Bullstake Stream, is a backwater of the River Thames at Oxford, England. The stream leaves the main stream of the Thames at a river junction known as Four Rivers, at the south west corner of Fiddler's Island opposi ...

flows into it from Seacourt Stream just north of Botley Road. The lower part (resumption) is also known as Potts Stream or Pot Stream. Until 1790, the stream was the main navigation channel of the Thames. It became a backwater when

Osney Lock Osney Lock is a lock on the River Thames in Oxford, England, where the village or island of Osney is next to the river. The first lock was built of stone by Daniel Harris for the Thames Navigation Commission in 1790. Across the weir pool ...

was opened.

References

External links

Where Thames Smooth Waters Glide
{{authority control Geography of Oxford Rivers of Oxfordshire 0BulstakeStream