Radcot 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 River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
in England just downstream of
Radcot
Radcot Bridge is a crossing of the Thames in England, south of Radcot, Oxfordshire, and north of Faringdon, Oxfordshire which is in the district of that county that was in Berkshire. It carries the A4095 road across the reach above Radcot ...
,
Oxfordshire, on the southern bank.
The lock was built by 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 ...
in 1892 on the site of an old weir and
flash lock.
The weir is on the other side of the lock island.
History
There was previously a weir on the site known as Clarke's, although the names Becks or Bucks were also used. It was removed in 1868 and the river was widened then. Proposals for the new pound lock and weir were raised in 1891 and implemented the following year.
With the replacement of the historic paddle and rhymer weir(2013?) a combined fish and canoe pass was constructed, this currently (2018), is the only one of its
type on the entire River Thames.
Access to the lock
The lock can be reached on foot from the southern end of Radcot Bridge, or by road on a longer route via Thrupp Turn. There is however no public vehicular access to the lock.
Reach above the Lock
About halfway along is
Radcot Bridge
Radcot Bridge is a crossing of the Thames in England, south of Radcot, Oxfordshire, and north of Faringdon, Oxfordshire which is in the district of that county that was in Berkshire. It carries the A4095 road across the reach above Radcot L ...
the oldest surviving bridge on the river. The bridge crossing the main channel has a single arch, and was constructed in stone in the late 18th century. The A4095 road which it carries also crosses a backwater, which was once the county boundary between Berkshire and Oxfordshire. The backwater bridge dates from the 13th and 14th centuries, and has three arches, the outer two being pointed, with the central one less so,
[ Old Radcot Bridge] as a result of later rebuilding. There is a considerable amount of mooring at the backwaters here. Stone for the rebuilding of
St Paul's Cathedral, obtained from local quarries was loaded on rafts near the bridge.
Above Radcot is a sharp bend called "Hell's Turn" or "Hell Gut", and further on a point known as "Schoolmaster's Hole".
The
Thames Path
The Thames Path is a National Trail following the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel, south east London. It is about long. A path was first proposed in 1948 but it only opened in 1996.
The ...
, which is on the opposite side of the river from the lock, follows the northern bank to Grafton 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 a ...
References
External links
Photograph of Radcot Lockat geograph.org.uk
{{coord, 51.69887, -1.57311, type:landmark_region:GB_source:enwiki-osgb36(SP296001), display=title
Locks on the River Thames