Godstow 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 ...

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 ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It is between the villages of

Wolvercote Wolvercote is a village that is part of the City of Oxford, England. It is about northwest of the city centre, on the northern edge of Wolvercote Common, which is itself north of Port Meadow and adjoins the River Thames. History The Domesday B ...

and

Wytham Wytham ( ) is a village and civil parish on the Seacourt Stream, a branch of the River Thames, about northwest of the centre of Oxford. It is just west of the Western By-Pass Road, part of the Oxford Ring Road ( A34). The nearest village is ...

on the outskirts of

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 ...

. The first lock was built of stone by Daniel Harris for 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 ...

in 1790. It is the lock furthest upstream on the river which has mechanical (electro-hydraulic) operation - every lock upstream of Godstow utilises manual beam operation instead. The main weir is a short way upstream but there is another weir at Godstow Bridge just above the Trout Inn. These feed into a backwater (Wolvercote Mill Stream) which has come from above King's Lock by Wolvercote.

History

Prior to the construction of the lock,

Godstow Bridge Godstow Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames in England at Godstow near Oxford. The bridge is just upstream of Godstow Lock on the reach to King's Lock and carries a minor road between Wolvercote and Wytham. The bridge is in two par ...

served as a form of lock, which remained in service for some time after the construction of Godstow Lock in 1790. After the lock was constructed there were complaints about the raising of the water levels and the effect this had on the meadows upstream at Pixey Mead. After some years of dilapidation, the lock underwent major repair in 1872. River users would often avoid the lock by navigating up the stream past Wolvercote. The lock house was built around 1896 on condition that it sold no refreshments to protect the interests of

The Trout Inn The Trout Inn (often simply referred to as The Trout) is a historic pub in Lower Wolvercote north of Oxford, close to Godstow Bridge, directly by the River Thames. Media and celebrities The pub features in Evelyn Waugh's novel ''Brideshead Re ...

. Previously the lock-keeper had lived on a houseboat.Thacker, 1920/1968, page 101-103 The lock was last rebuilt in 1924.

Access to the lock

The lock is a short way from Godstow Bridge and can be reached on foot from there.

Reach above the lock

Beside the lock at Godstow are the ruins of Godstow Nunnery. Above the lock, the river is crossed by Godstow Bridge and the

A34 Road Bridge The A34 Road Bridge is a modern road bridge carrying the Oxford ring road ( A34 road) at Oxford, England, across the River Thames. It crosses the Thames just upstream of Godstow Lock near Wolvercote on the reach to King's Lock. The bridge was ...

carrying the Oxford By-pass. Upstream of Godstow the river becomes narrower and more winding as it passes Pixey Mead. 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 ...

continues on the western side to King's Lock.

Literature and the media

In the meadows near the lock, an Oxford mathematics tutor

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequel ...

used to have picnics with his friend Dean Henry Liddell and his daughters Lorina, Alice and Edith. Here he made up a story which began

Sources

* *

External links

Godstow Lock
at riverthames.co.uk
Picture of Godstow Lock
at geograph.org.uk

References

{{coord, 51.77667, -1.29843, type:landmark_region:GB_source:enwiki-osgb36(SP485089), display=title 1790 establishments in England Buildings and structures completed in 1924 Locks on the River Thames Locks of Oxfordshire Buildings and structures in Oxford Transport in Oxford