Molesey 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 at

East 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 ...

, Surrey on the

right 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 ...

. The lock was built by the

City of London Corporation The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the municipal governing body of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United King ...

in 1815 and was rebuilt 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 1906. It is the second longest on the river at ; it is the second lowest of the non-tidal river and third-lowest including Richmond Lock on the

Tideway The Tideway is a part of the River Thames in England which is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock. The Tideway comprises the upper Thames Estuary including the Pool of London. Tidal activity Depending on ...

. Upstream of the lock are moorings for small boats, specifically

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 deve ...

, paddleboard, small speedboat and open kayak hire, a tour boat pier, a kiosk and van parking space for ice cream and soft drinks. A few metres upstream is a combined side weir and front weir followed by an attached

ait An ait (, like ''eight'') or eyot () is a small island. It is especially used to refer to river islands found on the River Thames and its tributaries in England. Aits are typically formed by the deposit of sediment in the water, which accumu ...

Ash Island Ash Island is a forested, drop-shaped island in the River Thames in England, across the weir of Molesey Lock within Greater London on its border. In the same way as Hampton Court, Ash Island's post town is East Molesey (KT8) and the island i ...

. A low backwater against the opposite bank which forms the waterside to homes sometimes called the Hampton Riviera continues to a small upper weir. Molesey Lock is within sight of the walls of Hampton Court Palace in southwest London on the opposite bank through the arches of

Hampton Court Bridge Hampton Court Bridge is a Grade II listed bridge that crosses the River Thames in England approximately north–south between Hampton, London and East Molesey, Surrey, carrying the A309. It is the upper of two road bridges on the reach ab ...

, designed by Edwin Lutyens (220 m away).

Boat hire and touring

The lock's proximity to Hampton Court and boat hire at the site made it a popular venue for spectators in the Victorian and

Edwardian The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...

eras, the tree-lined lock attracts large numbers of visitors for nine months of the year. Hire boat companies and ice cream sales attract visitors in all months apart from winter.

History

A lock was first proposed in 1802 because of then-shallows upstream at " Kenton Hedge and Sundbury Flatts above" — nothing came of the suggestion. In 1809 the proposal was resubmitted Parliament passed the Act for construction of the lock in 1812. Building began in 1814 and it opened in 1815 with an

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...

lockhouse. The first lock keeper was killed in a horse race at

Moulsey Hurst Moulsey Hurst is in West Molesey, Surrey on the south bank of the River Thames above Molesey Lock. It is one of England's oldest sporting venues and was used in the 18th and 19th centuries for cricket, prizefighting and other sports. This are ...

and his successor discharged after incidents of stealing from barges. In 1853 changes were made to the lock in anticipation of lower water levels caused by the extraction of water upstream.

Fish ladder A fish ladder, also known as a fishway, fish pass, fish steps, or fish cannon is a structure on or around artificial and natural barriers (such as dams, locks and waterfalls) to facilitate diadromous fishes' natural migration as well as move ...

s were added to the weir in 1864 and the boat slide built in 1871. Such was the popularity of boating that in 1877 the navigation commission stationed a boat and crew in busy days above the weir in case of accidents. The lock was rebuilt in 1906.Fred. S. Thacker ''The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs'' 1920 - republished 1968 David & Charles On the small lock island is a plaque commemorating Michael J Bulleid whose work for

salmon Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus ''Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Oncorhy ...

conservancy allows them to scale the river.

Access to the lock

The lock is upstream of

on the right bank, which is here the south side. It is immediately accessible from Hurst Road/Riverbank (A3050) with pavements and a sloped approach and is from the platform at

Hampton Court railway station Hampton Court railway station is a suburban terminus station at East Molesey, in the Borough of Elmbridge in the county of Surrey, 100 yards short of Hampton Court Bridge, the midpoint of which is a boundary of Greater London. The station is do ...

terminus on the same bank.

Reach above the lock

After the lock cut is

Tagg's Island Tagg's Island, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is an island on the River Thames on the reach above Molesey Lock and just above Ash Island. Geography The centre of the island has a lake with river access and private moorings surr ...

which provides mooring for houseboats some of which are three storeys high. On the Surrey bank here is the "Eights Tree" a tall metal sculpture outside

Molesey Boat Club Molesey Boat Club is a rowing club between Molesey Lock and Sunbury Lock on the River Thames in England. The club was founded in 1866 where its boathouse stands with hardstanding next to the Thames Path. Molesey has been the organising or su ...

. 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 terra ...

here is sometimes marked as the Hampton Riviera featuring the Swiss Cottage, the Astoria Houseboat and an array of period buildings at

Hampton Hampton may refer to: Places Australia *Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia *Hampton, New South Wales *Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region * Hampton, Victoria Canada * Hampton, New Brunswick *Ha ...

such as Rotary Court.

Garrick's Ait Garrick's Ait (or Garrick's Eyot on Ordnance Survey maps), previously known as Shank's Eyot, is an ait in the River Thames in England on the reach above Molesey Lock, the nearest land being Moulsey Hurst (park) on the Surrey bank and the opposit ...

similar in size to Ash Island, is residential, by the Hampton-Molesey Hurst Ferry, which runs in the summer between Hampton and

park on the right bank. ;Left bank proceeding in reverse to flow Facing Hampton's church, a large pub across the A308 road ''The Bell'' and various brick-built cottages forming the original village conservation area of Hampton is Benn's Island, the second-smallest named island in the Thames. It is covered by Hampton Sailing Club's building and raised pontoons. Upstream is

Platts Eyot Platt's Eyot or Platt's Ait is an island on the River Thames at Hampton, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England, on the reach between Molesey Lock and Sunbury Lock. Geography The island was a typical ait used for growing osie ...

, where Motor Torpedo Boats were built during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. At Platt's Eyot on the left bank is Hampton Water Treatment Works and reservoirs set behind a minor road to

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 the

Hampton School Boat Club Hampton School Boat Club (HSBC) is the rowing club of Hampton School. Each year the club produces 1st VIIIs that compete at Championship level in the United Kingdom. The club hosts two Head race events each year. History The club was foun ...

Millennium boat house.

Grand Junction Isle Grand Junction Isle is a small island in the River Thames on the reach above Molesey Lock at Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England. It is just downstream of Sunbury Court Island, which is three times longer and also close to the north bank. Geog ...

has a footbridge and a few chalets on it followed by riverside houses at Sunbury and Sunbury Court Island. Upstream of these is

Rivermead Island Rivermead Island is a flat grassy island in the River Thames on the reach above Molesey Lock at Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England which is owned mostly by Spelthorne and as to a small part by Elmbridge Borough Council. Geography The island ...

an expanse of public open space. The area of Sunbury Weir pool is used for kayaking and the narrow Creek backwater runs on the left bank adjoining

Wheatley's Ait Wheatley's Ait or Wheatley Eyot is an ait (island) in the River Thames of approximately on the reach above Sunbury Lock, close to the northern side and in the post town Sunbury-on-Thames however in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England ...

which has two sources: the River Ash and a minor tumbling bay-weir fed branch of the Thames which naturally formed the large residential island. ;Right bank proceeding in reverse to flow On the right bank is the large stretch of open ground at Moulsey Hurst, which has a heritage marker and an information panel opposite Platt's Eyot. Beyond the Eyot on this bank are the Molesey Reservoirs behind the towpath to

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 ...

, trees, high brick walls and a patch of meadow before Sunbury Lock. ;Sports and public regattas The stretch is home to two

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 cou ...

and three

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 ...

clubs, one of which is

skiffing Skiffing refers to the sporting and leisure activity of rowing (or more correctly sculling) a Thames skiff. The skiff is a traditional hand built clinker-built wooden craft of a design which has been seen on the River Thames and other waterways ...

and one for two large independent schools.

Molesey Regatta Molesey Regatta is a Rowing (sport), rowing regatta that is held on the River Thames in England. It takes place at East Molesey, Molesey in the County of Surrey on the reach above Molesey Lock, with the finish line between Hurst Park which hosts ...

takes place from Platts Eyot in July and Sunbury Amateur Regatta is held alongside Rivermead Island in August.

Sports clubs on the reach

(shares Millennium Boathouse with LEH School) Van Mildert Boat Club Blade

* Sunbury Skiff and Punting Club Sunburyblade

* Lady Eleanor Holles School Boat Club (shares Millennium Boathouse with Hampton School) * Hampton Sailing Club * Aquarius Sailing Club * Hampton Canoe Club
1st Molesey (Jaguar) Sea Scout Group

1st Hampton Hill (Achilles) Sea Scout Group

Waterworks and reservoirs

There are reservoirs on both sides of the river above Sunbury Lock, created after the 1852 Metropolis Water Act made it illegal to take drinking water for London from the tidal Thames below Teddington Lock because of the amount of sewage in the river. The Hampton Waterworks were built on the northern bank in the 1850s by three companies — the

Grand Junction Waterworks Company The Grand Junction Waterworks Company was a utility company supplying water to parts of west London in England. The company was formed as an offshoot of the Grand Junction Canal Company in 1811 and became part of the publicly owned Metropoli ...

, the

Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company The Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company was a utility company supplying water to parts of south London in England. The company was formed by the merger of the Southwark and Vauxhall water companies in 1845 and became part of the publicly ...

, and the

West Middlesex Waterworks Company The West Middlesex Waterworks Company was a utility company supplying water to parts of west London in England. The company was established in 1806 with works at Hammersmith and became part of the publicly owned Metropolitan Water Board in 190 ...

. The reservoirs at Molesey on the southern bank were established in 1872, by the

Lambeth Waterworks Company The Lambeth Waterworks Company was a utility company supplying water to parts of south London in England. The company was established in 1785 with works in north Lambeth and became part of the publicly owned Metropolitan Water Board in 1904 ...

, followed three years later by the

Chelsea Waterworks Company The Chelsea Waterworks Company was a London waterworks Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water sup ...

. Both companies had previously built their reservoirs at

Seething Wells Seething Wells is a neighbourhood in southwest London on the border between Surbiton in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in Greater London, and Elmbridge in Surrey. The area was historically a waterworks that supplied London with water ...

below Molesey Lock, but the turbulence caused by the

River Mole The River Mole is a tributary of the River Thames in southern England. It rises in West Sussex near Gatwick Airport and flows northwest through Surrey for to the Thames at Hampton Court Palace. The river gives its name to the Surrey distri ...

River Ember The River Ember is a short river in the north of Surrey, England — a channel of the River Mole which splits in two south of Island Barn Reservoir, between East Molesey and Lower Green, Esher. The Ember, the larger channel, flows in an easter ...

and The Rythe meant there was too much mud brought in with the water.

Thames Path

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 ...

stays on the Surrey bank (right bank) to Sunbury Lock. The next bridge is half-way along the long reach upstream,

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 bri ...

. A large

tank trap Anti-tank obstacles include, but are not limited to: *The Czech hedgehog and Dragon's teeth are the most famous types of World War II anti-tank obstacles. * Anti-tank trenches were used on the western front during World War I, and in the Pacific ...

from

is visible beside the right-bank reservoirs.

Literature and the Media

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 ...

wrote in the 1880s "I have stood and watched it sometimes when you could not see any water at all, but only a brilliant triangle of bright blazers and gay caps, and saucy hats, and many-coloured parasols, and silken rugs and cloaks and streaming ribbons..."Jerome, Jerome K. ''Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)''. Bristol: Arrowsmith, 1889 * The lock featured in an edition of the gardening make-over programme

Ground Force ''Ground Force'' was a British garden makeover television series originally broadcast by the BBC between 1997 and 2005. The series was originally hosted by Alan Titchmarsh, Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh. Production The series was created b ...

References

External links

Photographs of Molesey Lock
from the

Francis Frith Francis Frith (also spelled Frances Frith, 7 October 1822 – 25 February 1898) was an English photographer of the Middle East and many towns in the United Kingdom. Frith was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, attending Quaker schools at Ackwo ...

Collection
Memoryscape — Drifting: Molesey Lock

1st Molesey (Jaguar) Sea Scout Group
{{Elmbridge Locks on the River Thames 1815 establishments in England Geography of Surrey Transport in Surrey