Culham Lock facts for kids
.JPG)
Culham lock from upstream
|
|
| Waterway | River Thames |
|---|---|
| County | Oxfordshire |
| Maintained by | Environment Agency |
| Operation | Hydraulic |
| First built | 1809 |
| Length | 39.87 m (130 ft 10 in) |
| Width | 5.33 m (17 ft 6 in) |
| Fall | 2.41 m (7 ft 11 in) |
| Above sea level | 161' |
| Distance to Teddington Lock |
82 miles |
Culham Lock is a special kind of gate on the River Thames in England. It's near a village called Culham in Oxfordshire. This lock is built on a special channel, or 'lock cut', that goes north of the main river. This channel leads towards the village of Sutton Courtenay. The Thames Navigation Commission built this stone lock in 1809.
Near the lock, there are 'weirs' (small dams) on the river's old path. These are under a very old, big raised road called a 'causeway'. People think Anglo-Saxons built this causeway a long, long time ago!
Contents
History of Culham Lock
Early River Travel
The river used to flow very close to Sutton Courtenay. It went right under a large mill there. In 1667, people first talked about a 'pound lock' under this mill. This old lock had gates under the mill floor. It also had a wide pool behind the mill. Because of its size, it needed a lot of water to fill up. This meant boat owners had to pay a high fee to use it.
Problems with the Old Mill Lock
By 1772, people were complaining. They said the mill floor was blocking boats. Even though the mill was privately owned, the Thames Navigation Commission tried to make it better in 1789. But the complaints kept coming. People found it inconvenient and too expensive.
Building the New Culham Lock
In 1803, a man named Zachary Allnutt became a surveyor for the Thames. He had already surveyed the area for a new lock in 1802. But the new plan was very big. So, it wasn't started right away.
In 1809, Zachary Allnutt did another survey. Work began in June of that year. They started digging the longest 'cut' (channel) ever made on the Thames. It was about 1,400 yards (1,300 m) long! The new lock was built at the end of this channel. It had strong stone walls. The lock also had a big drop of 7 feet (2.1 m) for that time.
A stone bridge was also built over the new channel. It was 20 feet (6.1 m) wide and carried a road. The whole project took just over a year to finish. It cost almost £9,000, which included buying the land. George Treacher oversaw the work. He was given £100 for his great service. After the new lock was built, part of the old path for pulling boats became unused.
Getting to Culham Lock
You can reach Culham Lock by road from Sutton Bridge, Oxfordshire. You can also walk there across the fields from Sutton Courtenay.
River Above Culham Lock
The Lock Cut and New Canals
When you go upstream from Culham Lock, you follow the lock cut. At the end of this cut, you'll find the main river. It flows past a beautiful area called Sutton Pools. Then the river turns sharply to the right.
A new connection for the Wilts & Berks Canal has been built here. It's almost opposite the top end of the Culham Cut. This new connection opened on August 30, 2006. It currently runs for about 150 yards (140 m). Eventually, it will link up with the old route of the canal.
Islands and Bridges
About halfway along the river, on the eastern bank, the Swift Ditch joins the main river. This 'backwater' used to be the main path of the river. A footbridge and the very old Culham Bridge cross it. The Swift Ditch creates Andersey Island. This is one of the biggest islands on the Thames.
On the Thames side, there's a nice park area before Abingdon Bridge. On the other side of the river is the town of Abingdon. After a bricked-up old entrance to the Wilts & Berks Canal, there's an iron bridge. This bridge goes over the mouth of the River Ock. Then you'll see the town's quayside.
The river is crossed by Abingdon Bridge. This bridge is actually split into two parts. The part over the main river is called Burford Bridge. These two parts are separated by Nag's Head Island. Beyond this, on the Abingdon side, there's parkland from Abingdon Abbey.
Activities on the River
There is a rowing club on this part of the river. It's where the Abingdon Head race takes place. The Thames Path follows the eastern bank. It goes over Culham Bridge and Andersey Island. Then it crosses to the other side at Abingdon Lock.
Images for kids
-
Abingdon riverside from the other side of the river
