Goring Lock facts for kids
The view of Goring Lock from Goring and Streatley Bridge
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| Waterway | River Thames |
|---|---|
| County | Oxfordshire |
| Maintained by | Environment Agency |
| Operation | Hydraulic |
| First built | 1787 |
| Latest built | 1921 |
| Length | 54.68 m (179 ft 5 in) |
| Width | 6.40 m (21 ft 0 in) |
| Fall | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Above sea level | 136' |
| Distance to Teddington Lock |
65 miles |
| Power is available out of hours | |
Goring Lock is a special kind of gate system called a lock. It helps boats move up and down a river. It's found on the River Thames in England, right in the middle of a beautiful area called the Goring Gap. This area is part of the Chiltern Hills.
The lock is on the Oxfordshire side of the river, in a village called Goring-on-Thames. Across the river is Streatley, in Berkshire. Goring Lock is just a short distance upstream from the Goring and Streatley Bridge. The very first lock here was built way back in 1787.
Next to the lock, there's a weir. A weir is like a small dam that controls the water level. This weir stretches to an island under the bridge. From that island, another weir goes all the way to the Streatley side of the river.
History of Goring Lock
A long time ago, there was a weir and a ferry here. They belonged to Goring Priory, which was a type of monastery. Later, millers took over and used a "flash lock." A flash lock was a simple barrier that could be opened quickly to create a rush of water. This helped boats get through, but it could be very dangerous.
In 1787, a safer type of lock, called a "pound lock," was built using strong oak wood. For many years, Goring Lock was managed together with another nearby lock called Cleeve Lock. This continued until 1869.
After that, people planned to build a house for the lock keeper. This house was finally started in 1879. The lock itself was rebuilt in 1886 to make it better. The last major rebuild happened in 1921. During this time, the lock had extra gates added in the middle, creating two sections. However, these extra gates were removed when the lock was updated again in 2003.
Getting to Goring Lock
Goring Lock is very easy to find. It's located almost directly under the Goring and Streatley Bridge. You can easily reach it from both Goring-on-Thames and Streatley.
River Section Above the Lock
The section of the river just above Goring Lock is quite short, only about half a mile long. On the Cleeve side of the river, you'll see large gardens that stretch down the hillside. Many of these gardens have lovely boat-houses right on the river.
There are also several islands below Cleeve Lock, with weirs built between them. These islands and weirs extend for some distance. On the Streatley side of the river, you'll find peaceful meadows and woods.
The Thames Path is a famous walking trail. After crossing Goring Bridge to Streatley, the path continues along the western bank of the river. It leads all the way to Cleeve Lock.
