Isis Lock (known to

boatmen A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. The profession of the s ...

as "Louse 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 ...

connecting the Oxford Canal and the

Castle Mill Stream Castle Mill Stream is a backwater of the River Thames in the west of Oxford, England. It is 5.5 km long. Course The stream leaves the main course of the River Thames at the south end of Port Meadow, immediately upstream of Medley Foo ...

, 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 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 ...

Location

The Isis Lock is close to

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 ...

, just to the south and linking with the River Thames to the west. To the west of the lock are Rewley Road, the Cherwell Valley Line, and the Cotswold Line, just north of Oxford railway station. To the east over the Oxford Canal are the grounds of Worcester College, one of the colleges of

Oxford University 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 ...

. There is a winding hole for boats to turn on the Oxford Canal just to the north of the lock.

History

In central Oxford, the Oxford Canal and the River Thames were originally linked by 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. Developm ...

Hythe Bridge Hythe Bridge (formerly known as High Bridge) is a Victorian flat cast iron beamed bridge on Hythe Bridge Street in the west of central Oxford, England. It spans the Castle Mill Stream, a backwater of the River Thames. Hythe Bridge forms part ...

.Davies & Robinson, 2003, page 43. In 1795–97, David Harris replaced it with Isis Lock, a broad lock to allow Thames barges in and out of the Oxford Canal Company's

Worcester Street Worcester Street is a street in west central Oxford, England. History The street used to be called Stockwelle Street, also running along the line of Walton Street and Little Clarendon Street, to the north of the current Worcester Street. T ...

wharves. Isis Lock was rebuilt as a narrow lock in 1844.

Gallery

File:Oxford Canal approaching Isis Lock - geograph.org.uk - 872819.jpg, The Oxford Canal, approaching Isis Lock with

narrowboat A narrowboat is a particular type of canal boat, built to fit the narrow locks of the United Kingdom. The UK's canal system provided a nationwide transport network during the Industrial Revolution, but with the advent of the railways, commer ...

s moored by the canal. File:Isis Lock, Oxford - geograph.org.uk - 320212.jpg, View of Isis Lock and the footbridge. File:Oxford - Isis Lock - geograph.org.uk - 1328171.jpg, Isis Lock, looking towards the river. The raised bricks facilitate the opening of the lock gate in wet weather. File:Oxford - Isis Lock - geograph.org.uk - 1328212.jpg, Isis Lock Looking over the lock gate and under the bridge, towards the southern part of the Oxford Canal. File:Oxford - Isis Lock - geograph.org.uk - 1328149.jpg, Isis Lock and the footbridge. File:Oxford - Isis Lock - geograph.org.uk - 1328200.jpg, Looking over the lock gate. File:Winding hole , Isis Lock - geograph.org.uk - 872816.jpg, Winding hole at Isis Lock. File:Footbridge by Isis Lock - geograph.org.uk - 872810.jpg, Footbridge by Isis Lock.

References

Sources

*{{cite book , title= A Towpath Walk in Oxford , last1= Davies , first1=Mark , last2=Robinson , first2=Catherine , location= Oxford , publisher= Oxford Towpath Press , orig-year= 2001 , year= 2003 , isbn= 0-9535593-1-9 1797 establishments in England Transport infrastructure completed in 1797 Transport infrastructure completed in 1844 Locks of Oxfordshire Buildings and structures in Oxford Transport in Oxford Oxford Canal