Tumbling Bay Weir and part of the Walton Mile of the River Thames in Surrey

Sunbury 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 ...

complex 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 ...

in England near

Walton-on-Thames Walton-on-Thames, locally known as Walton, is a market town on the south bank of the Thames in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Walton forms part of the Greater London built-up area, within the KT postcode and is served by a wide ran ...

in north-west

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, the third lowest of forty four on the non-tidal reaches. The complex adjoins the

right Rights are law, legal, social, or ethics, ethical principles of Liberty, freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal system, social convent ...

, southern bank about downstream of the Weir Hotel. The complex is two locks, old and new, and a narrow concrete divide, which are downstream of the original lock built in 1812. The older, hand-operated, was originally built in 1856, seldom used. The newer was opened in 1927 by

Lord Desborough William Henry Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough, (30 October 1855 – 9 January 1945) was a British athlete, sportsman, public servant and politician. He sat in the House of Commons first for the Liberal Party and then for the Conservatives betwee ...

. Rollers and a slope adjoins for the portage (hauling) of small boats. The lock adjoins Sunbury Lock Ait. The lock has three associated weirs, upstream. The main weir is between Sunbury Lock Ait and Wheatley's Ait (north); the latter has two other weirs, one is a small part-time storm weir.

History

The earliest major weir locally was built in 1789 specifically to divert water to create a deeper channel for navigation. Other such weirs locally were in place since medieval times because of many shoals and flats in the Sunbury, in the period of Old London Bridge (1209-1831) which caused much

silting Siltation, is water pollution caused by particulate terrestrial clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments and to the increased accumulation (temporary or ...

downstream the river locally had minor tidal effects. The first plan for a lock was in 1805 with an ambitious lock cut. A modified scheme in 1809 resulted in the first lock, later removed, built close to the footbridge to Sunbury Lock Ait, where its lock house of the same year survives. The associated long

cut Cut may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely-directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** Cut (ea ...

above the lock expanded a natural channel beside the island known as Church Island and the lock was opened in 1812. The lock had become dilapidated by 1852 and the arrival of water companies planning major water extraction from the section of the river below the lock added an incentive for rebuilding it. The lock was moved downstream and opened in 1856; a new lock house was built.Fred. S. Thacker ''The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs'' 1920 - republished 1968 David & Charles In 1927 a second lock was added at Sunbury, which was opened by Lord Desborough, then president of 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 ...

Access to the lock

The lock is inaccessible by road and can be reached along the towpath from The Weir Hotel, Walton-on-Thames. The weir stream and Wheatley's Ait backwater, the Creek, is used for kayaking from the northern bank, between

Shepperton Shepperton is an urban village in the Borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, approximately south west of central London. Shepperton is equidistant between the towns of Chertsey and Sunbury-on-Thames. The village is mentioned in a document of 959 AD ...

and

Sunbury-on-Thames Sunbury-on-Thames (or commonly Sunbury) is a suburban town on the north bank of the River Thames in the Borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, centred southwest of central London. Historically part of the county of Middlesex, in 1965 Sunbury and other ...

Reach above the lock

A 300 m

upstream of Sunbury Lock Ait links to the Weir Hotel facing the Sunbury Weir which is followed by Wheatley's Ait hosting an Environment agency working area and riverside housing. More riverside housing, small parks and a marina feature on the Walton Mile and Cowey Sale reach below and above

Walton Bridge Walton Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames in England, carrying the A244 between Walton-on-Thames and Shepperton, crossing the Thames on the reach between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock. The bridge is the first Thames road brid ...

, two

pubs A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

, and a marina. After

the river divides between the old course which meanders through Lower Halliford and Old Shepperton and the direct

Desborough Cut The Desborough Cut is an artificial channel in the River Thames above Sunbury Lock near Walton on Thames in England. It was completed in 1935, to improve flow and ease navigation on the river. The cut was dug between 1930 and 1935, taking the r ...

alongside

Desborough Island Desborough Island is a manmade island in the River Thames on the reach above Sunbury Lock in Surrey, England. It was formed in the 1930s by the digging of a channel – the Desborough Cut – by the Thames Conservancy as a meander cutoff of ...

. Before Shepperton lock the waters rejoin where the

Wey navigation The River Wey Navigation and Godalming Navigation together provide a continuous navigable route from the River Thames near Weybridge via Guildford to Godalming (commonly called the Wey Navigation). Both waterways are in Surrey and are owned b ...

the River Bourne and two mouths of the Wey join surrounding

Hamhaugh Island Hamhaugh Island is an island, historically known simply as Stadbury, in the River Thames in England south of Shepperton Lock, in Shepperton, Surrey. Position The island is at the southernmost point of the River Thames. The garden-lined southern ...

. Immediately these, including the lock, the

Shepperton to Weybridge Ferry The Shepperton to Weybridge Ferry is a pedestrian and cycle ferry service across the River Thames. The service has operated almost continuously for over 500 years. Connected communities and landmarks The ferry connects points remaining outside ...

Navigation transit markers Navigation Transit Markers are posts placed alongside a navigation to allow powered craft to check their speed. Examples of these markers can be found at several locations along the River Thames in England. A navigation marker consists of a blac ...

are beside

to allow river users to check their speed. The reach is home to six

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...

clubs, a

skiffing Skiffing refers to the sporting and leisure activity of rowing (or more correctly sculling Sculling is the use of oars to propel a boat by moving them through the water on both sides of the craft, or moving one oar over the stern. A long, nar ...

club,

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...

and

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

clubs. Walton and Weybridge Regatta, Walton Small Boats Head, Weybridge Silver Sculls, Weybridge Ladies Regatta and Walton Skiff Regatta are annual events.

Thames Path

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 along the Surrey bank until just before Shepperton Lock where the ferry goes across to the other side. To avoid the ferry calls for a long detour over Walton Bridge and via Shepperton.

Sports clubs on the reach

*Elmbridge Canoe Club *

Walton Rowing Club Walton Rowing Club is an amateur rowing club, on the River Thames in England. Its large, modern, combined club and boat house is on the Surrey bank of the Thames, facing the Walton Mile straight, at Walton-on-Thames about 400 metres above Sunbu ...

Weybridge Rowing Club Weybridge Rowing Club, founded in 1880, is a rowing club by the Thames in England, on the Surrey bank. The club organises head races, notably the Weybridge Silver Sculls which has had Olympian winners and co-organises a May/June regatta. It con ...

*Weybridge Ladies Rowing Club Weybridge Ladies ARC rowing blade

*Weyfarers (recreational and pilot gig) Rowing Club * St George's College Boat Club St George's College rowing blade

Thames Valley Skiff Club Thames Valley Skiff Club is an English skiff and punting club, which was founded in 1923. It is based on the River Thames in England, on the Surrey bank between Sunbury Lock and Walton on Thames. The club supports two traditional water sport ...

*Desborough Sailing Club

Kayaking

Sunbury Weir has the highest volume and fastest

freestyle kayaking Canoe freestyle (also known as playboating) is a discipline of whitewater kayaking or canoeing where people perform various technical moves in one place (a playspot), as opposed to downriver whitewater canoeing or kayaking where the objective ...

playspot In kayaking, a playspot is a place where there are favorable stationary features on rivers, in particular standing waves (which may be breaking or partially breaking), 'holes' and 'stoppers', where water flows back on itself creating a retent ...

on the

. It is wide, surging and unfriendly to new or inexperienced paddlers. The eddyline is also very unstable and requires considerable effort to cross.

Access

Public car park on Fordbridge Road above on the

left bank In geography, a bank is the land alongside a body of water. Different structures are referred to as ''banks'' in different fields of geography, as follows. In limnology (the study of inland waters), a stream bank or river bank is the terrai ...

. From here across an informal football pitch with playground is a backwater, the Creek, which joins below the main weir.

Gates and weir pool level

The weir's gates are variously opened or closed as with the storm weir along the Creek. Sunbury provides its optimal water at a certain

pool Pool may refer to: Water pool * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a rocky pool ...

level — dependent on how many gates are open at the downstream weir (at

Molesey Molesey is a district of two twin towns, East Molesey and West Molesey, in the Borough of Elmbridge, Surrey, England, and is situated on the south bank of the River Thames. East and West Molesey share a high street, and there is a second retai ...

), kayaking websites provide details.

Water levels

* Sunbury Weir will need to be on at least gates for usable features, pool level depending. *

Hurley Weir Hurley Lock is a lock and weir on the River Thames in England, situated in a clump of wooded islands close to the village of Hurley, Berkshire. The lock was first built by the Thames Navigation Commissioners in 1773. There are several weirs be ...

needs to be on at least 3 gates for sufficient water.

Literature and the Media

The lock is mentioned in

Jerome K. Jerome Jerome Klapka Jerome (2 May 1859 – 14 June 1927) was an English writer and humourist, best known for the comic travelogue ''Three Men in a Boat'' (1889). Other works include the essay collections '' Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'' (1886) an ...

's book

Three Men in a Boat ''Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)'',The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: ''Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog!'' published in 1889, is a humorous account by English writer Jerome K. Jerome of a tw ...

:''"The river is sweetly pretty there just before you come to the gates, and the backwater is charming: but don't attempt to row up it"''

External links

Shepperton Whitewater Centre
for Sunbury Weir Levels
Thames Valley Freestylers weir levels

References

{{Elmbridge Locks on the River Thames Weirs on the River Thames Sunbury-on-Thames