Caversham Lock is a lock and main

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 ...

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 England at

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...

. Both the lock and main weir are connected to De Bohun Island (colloquially known as Lock Island). The

Thames Navigation Commissioners 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 ...

built the original lock in 1778. Additional sluices north of View Island and Heron Island form the whole weir complex. A footbridge passes over all three islands to connect Lower Caversham to Reading via a route other than George Street and Reading Bridge. The weir is upstream of the lock and in the mid-channel. Kings Meadow,

, and buildings comprising homes and office blocks adjoin to the south of the lock itself. The island contains a typical lock-keeper's house, a crane depot, small boatyard, and large boathouse owned by the

Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...

for occasional use by that authority and police in river patrol and maintenance of boats. The head of water provided by the weir is used by

Reading Hydro Reading Hydro is a micro hydro, micro hydroelectric scheme in Reading, Berkshire, Reading, England. It is located on the River Thames, at the upstream end of View Island and using the head of water provided by the weir at Caversham Lock. With a ...

to generate up to 46 kW of electricity.

History

A weir, mill, ferry, and

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 ...

on the site were referenced in 1493 when granted to

Notley Abbey Notley Abbey was an Augustinian abbey founded in the 12th century near Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, England. A team from Oxford excavated Notley Abbey in 1937, establishing a layout and timeline of the building's construction. The building ...

. The pound lock opened in 1778, but the long promised lock house was not built until after 1819. In 1871 Reading Corporation planned to build a swing bridge over the lock upstream, but did not implement the plan. The lock was rebuilt in 1875.Fred. S. Thacker ''The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs'' 1920 - republished 1968 David & Charles

Access to and across the lock

The lock is about 400 metres east of Reading railway station and well connected to Kings Meadow, the largest park of central Reading. Access to the north is to part of the Lower Caversham neighborhood of the former village of Caversham (considered a Reading suburb administratively since it joined the Borough of Reading), and the route is open as a public footpath.

Reach above the lock

Soon after the lock, there is

Reading Bridge Reading Bridge is a road bridge over the River Thames at Reading in the English county of Berkshire. The bridge links the centre of Reading on the south bank with the Lower Caversham area of the cross-river suburb, and former village, of Cave ...

followed by

Fry's Island Fry's Island, also known as De Montfort Island, is an island in the River Thames in England. The island is on the reach above Caversham Lock at Reading, Berkshire. The centre of Reading is to the south and the suburb of Caversham to the imme ...

in the middle of the river. The built-up part of Reading stretches 500m (on the southern side) to Caversham Bridge. A gangway spans from Reading to

Pipers Island Pipers Island, or Piper's Island, is the third-smallest map-named island in the River Thames, in England. It is on the Reading, Berkshire reach (the head of water above Caversham Lock). It is toward the edge of the central urban area of the to ...

, with a restaurant that covers more than 75% of the gangway. The northern bank passes by Caversham. St Mary's Island is close to the bank at the far end of Caversham (seen on maps also as Upper and Lower Large). Further west of St Mary's Island, Mapledurham House comes into view as the river continues almost northwards towards Mapledurham Lock.

Reading Amateur Regatta Reading Amateur Regatta is a rowing regatta, on the River Thames in England which takes place at Reading, Berkshire on the reach above Caversham Lock. The regatta takes place in June and attracts top crews from around the UK.British Rowing Alma ...

is held annually in June between St Mary's Island and Caversham Bridge. Reading Festival is held on August Bank Holiday at Little John's Farm on Richfield Avenue near Caversham Bridge. A temporary structure called Reading Festival Bridge links the site with parking and camping areas along the north bank open meadows during the festival. In these areas the

Chiltern Hills The Chiltern Hills is a chalk escarpment in England. The area, northwest of London, covers stretching from Goring-on-Thames in the southwest to Hitchin in the northeast - across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire. ...

can be seen in the background. CavershamLockReach01

On the south bank, after the farmed meadows, is Tilehurst, where the river veers briefly north with the two islands of

Appletree Eyot Appletree Eyot is an island in the River Thames at Reading, Berkshire, in England. The island is on the reach above Caversham Lock about from Tilehurst, a suburb of Reading. Poplar Island is very close to it. The two islands are in the middl ...

and Poplar Island in the center of the river. The railway runs adjacent to the river for more than 600 meters on a high brick embankment to enable it to cut through the end of the escarpment further upstream, on which most of

Purley-on-Thames Purley on Thames (known locally as Purley) is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. Purley is centred north-west of Reading, east of Pangbourne, and south-east of Oxford. Consequently, Reading is the principal social, economic ...

lies. The Thames Path follows the southern bank. A footpath follows the north bank between Reading and Caversham bridges.
There is an orphan section of the original towpath 1 km downstream of Mapledurham Lock, inaccessible except by boat.

Sports clubs

* Reading Rowing Club * Reading Canoe Club

References

External links