The Thames Navigation Commission managed 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, s ...

in southern

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

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 first commission concerned with the River Thames was the

Oxford-Burcot Commission The Oxford-Burcot Commission was the first commission concerned with the management of the River Thames, appointed by an act of Parliament, the (3 Jas. 1. c. 14) to make the stretch of river from Burcot to Oxford navigability, navigable. The c ...

, appointed in the Thames Commission of Sewers Act 1605. It took responsibility for the river between

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

and Burcot. The Oxford-Burcot Commission was reasonably successful. Thus, the permanent Thames Navigation Commissioners were appointed through a further act under King George II in 1751, the ( 24 Geo. 2. c. 8). This commission had similar powers covering the whole of the river down to Staines as far as a point marked by the

London Stone London Stone is a historic landmark housed at 111 Cannon Street in the City of London. It is an irregular block of oolitic limestone measuring 53 × 43 × 30 cm (21 × 17 × 12"), the remnant of a once much larger object that had st ...

; below this point the rights and responsibilities for managing the Thames were vested in 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 local authority of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United Kingdom's f ...

. Earlier commissions had been created by acts as early as 1695, although these had limited terms. The

Thames Conservancy The Thames Conservancy (formally the Conservators of the River Thames) was a body responsible for the management of River Thames, that river in England. It was founded in 1857 to replace the jurisdiction of the City of London up to Staines-upon-T ...

was established in 1857 to take over duties from the City of London because of falling revenue from boat traffic. Not long after, in 1866, it was considered best to have the navigation of the whole river under a single management, so the Thames Navigation Commission was subsumed by the Thames Conservancy.

Locks built by the Thames Navigation Commission

* Boulter's Lock (1772) * Hambleden Lock (1773) * Hurley Lock (1773) *

Marlow Lock Marlow Lock is a lock (water transport), lock and weir situated on the River Thames in the town of Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England, about 300m downstream of Marlow Bridge. The first pound lock was built by the Thames Navigation Commission ...

(1773) * Marsh Lock (1773) * Shiplake Lock (1773) *

Sonning Lock Sonning Lock is a lock (water transport), lock and associated weir situated on the River Thames at the village of Sonning near Reading, Berkshire, Reading, Berkshire, England. The first lock was built by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1 ...

(1773) * Temple Lock (1773) *

Caversham Lock Caversham Lock is a lock and main weir on the River Thames in England at Reading, Berkshire. Both the lock and main weir are connected to De Bohun Island (colloquially known as Lock Island). The Thames Navigation Commissioners built the ori ...

(1778) *

Mapledurham Lock Mapledurham Lock is a lock (water transport), lock and weir situated on the River Thames in England, about 4 miles upstream of Reading, Berkshire, Reading. The lock was first built in 1777 by the Thames Navigation Commissioners and the present ...

(1778) * Cleeve Lock (1787) * Goring Lock (1787) *

Whitchurch Lock Whitchurch Lock is a lock (water transport), lock and weir on the River Thames in England. It is a pound lock, built by the Thames Navigation Commissioners in 1787. It is on an island near the Oxfordshire village of Whitchurch-on-Thames and i ...

(1787) *

Benson Lock Benson Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England, close to Benson, Oxfordshire but on the opposite bank of the river. The first pound lock here was built by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1788 and it was replaced by the present ma ...

(1788) *

Day's Lock Day's Lock is a lock on the River Thames near Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England on the Dorchester side of the river. The pound lock was built in 1789 by the Thames Navigation Commissioner. The lock is across the river from the small ...

(1789) * Abingdon Lock (1790) * Buscot Lock (1790) * Godstow Lock (1790) *

Osney Lock Osney Lock is a lock on the River Thames in Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the Univers ...

(1790) * Rushey Lock (1790) * St John's Lock (1790) * Pinkhill Lock (1791) * Romney Lock (1798) * Culham Lock (1809) * Bell Weir Lock (1817) *

Clifton Lock Clifton Lock is a lock on River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. It is located south of the village of Clifton Hampden and north of Long Wittenham. It is at the start of the Clifton Cut, which bypasses the river to the north of Long Wittenham ...

(1822) * Old Windsor Lock (1822) * Cookham Lock (1830) * Bray Lock (1845) * Boveney Lock (1838)

References

The River Thames — Its management past and present

History

Locks built by the Thames Navigation Commission

See also

References

Further reading