Marlow 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 ...

situated 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 the town of

Marlow, Buckinghamshire Marlow (; historically Great Marlow or Chipping Marlow) is a town and civil parish within the Unitary Authority of Buckinghamshire, England. It is located on the River Thames, south-southwest of High Wycombe, west-northwest of Maidenhead and ...

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 ...

, about 300m downstream of

Marlow Bridge Marlow Bridge is a road traffic and foot bridge over the River Thames in England between the town of Marlow, Buckinghamshire and the village of Bisham in Berkshire. It crosses the Thames just upstream of Marlow Lock, on the reach to Temple Lock. ...

. The first pound lock was 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 ...

in 1773. The weir stretches a long way upstream above the lock.

History

A weir at Marlow is recorded in

Domesday book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

, and there are 14th century records of a winch to pull traffic through 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 ...

. The lock was very problematical and in the 16th and 17th century there are accounts of conflicts between millers and navigators. A particular problem was the shallow draught. The first pound lock was built of fir in 1773, the seventh downstream of the eight built after the 1770 navigation act. It was upstream of the present lock and still proved problematical. Rollers were needed to guide barges in, and as there was no towpath, barges needed tow ropes several hundred feet long. The lock needed extensive repairs in 1780 and a year later

eel buck An eel buck or eel basket is a type of fish trap that was prevalent in the River Thames in England up to the 20th century. It was used particularly to catch eels, which were a staple part of the London diet. Eel bucks were baskets made of willow w ...

s had to be removed from the flash lock in case it was needed. The first lock house was erected in 1815 and in 1825 the lock was reconstructed on its present site of

Headington stone Headington stone is a limestone from the Headington Quarry area of Oxford, England. Geology Around 160 million years ago, during the Late Jurassic period, Britain was located further south and was submerged beneath a subtropical sea. The warm c ...

. The weir was rebuilt in 1872. The last rebuilding of the lock occurred in 1927.

Access to the lock

The lock is easily accessible, being located on the town side, accessed via a short footpath off Mill Lane. In Marlow town the Thames Path passes through town back streets including Mill Lane, so the short diversion is required to visit the lock.

Reach above the lock

The long weir stretches several hundred yards above the lock, and beyond it is Marlow suspension bridge close to the church. Once the river leaves the Marlow, it curls through hills and beechwoods. On the Berkshire side is

Bisham Abbey Bisham Abbey is a Grade I listed manor house at Bisham in the English county of Berkshire. The name is taken from the now lost monastery which once stood alongside. This original Bisham Abbey was previously named Bisham Priory, and was the trad ...

, a fine old mansion associated with

Anne of Cleves Anne of Cleves (german: Anna von Kleve; 1515 – 16 July 1557) was Queen of England from 6 January to 12 July 1540 as the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. Not much is known about Anne before 1527, when she became betrothed to Francis, Duke of ...

and Queen Elizabeth that is now one of the

National Sports Centres There are three National Sports Centres as part of Sport England's strategy to create elite English world class sporting talent: * Bisham Abbey * Lilleshall * Plas y Brenin Each centre provides elite athletes with a range of specialist facil ...

. Further upstream is the church of Bisham itself. Temple Mill Island is just downstream of Temple Lock. Temple Regatta takes place in early May between Marlow Bridge and Temple Lock, and

Marlow Town Regatta Marlow may refer to: Places Australia *Marlow, New South Wales, a suburb on the Central Coast Germany *Marlow, Germany United Kingdom *Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire *Marlow, Buckinghamshire **Marlow Bridge, an old suspension bridge over ...

is held in June.

Sports clubs

Marlow Rowing Club Marlow Rowing Club is a rowing club on the River Thames in England, on the southern bank of the Thames at Bisham in Berkshire, opposite the town of Marlow, Buckinghamshire just beside Marlow Bridge and on the reach above Marlow Lock. Founded i ...

Thames Path

After diverting from the river about 200m downstream of the lock, 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 ...

runs through town back streets, passing just north of the lock in Mill Lane. The path rejoins the river at Marlow Bridge. It does not cross the bridge, but passes through Higginson Park and continues on the

Bucks Bucks may refer to: Places * Buckinghamshire, England, abbreviated Bucks * Bucks, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community * Bucks, Illinois, United States, an unincorporated community * Bucks, Michigan, an unincorporated community ...

side to Temple Lock.

Literature and the media

The poet

Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 17928 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his achie ...

lived in Marlow and spent much of his time on the river above the lock in a

skiff A skiff is any of a variety of essentially unrelated styles of small boats. Traditionally, these are coastal craft or river craft used for leisure, as a utility craft, and for fishing, and have a one-person or small crew. Sailing skiffs have devel ...

. It was during this time that he composed

The Revolt of Islam ''The Revolt of Islam'' (1818) is a poem in twelve cantos composed by Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1817. The poem was originally published under the title ''Laon and Cythna; or, The Revolution of the Golden City: A Vision of the Nineteenth Century'' b ...

. The lock was used in 1970 to film the scene in ''

The Ambassadors of Death ''The Ambassadors of Death'' is the third serial of the seventh season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts on BBC1 from 21 March to 2 May 1970. Written by Trevor Ray, Te ...

'', when Liz Shaw is chased onto the weir.

References

{{Coord, 51.5673, N, 0.768812, W, display=title Locks of Buckinghamshire Locks on the River Thames Weirs on the River Thames Marlow, Buckinghamshire