Buscot Lock is a lock

Lock (water transport)

A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...

 on the River Thames

River Thames

The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

 in England, near the village of Buscot

Buscot

Buscot is a village and civil parish on the River Thames about southeast of Lechlade. Buscot was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire....

, Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....

.

The lock was built of stone by the Thames Navigation Commission

Thames Navigation Commission

The Thames Navigation Commission used to manage the River Thames in southern England. In particular, they were responsible for installing or renovating many of the locks on the river in the 18th and early 19th centuries.- History :...

 in 1790 and is the smallest on the River Thames. It still has its heavy wooden beams which the lock keeper uses to open and close the gates.

The new weir was created in 1979 when a cut was made through fields on the southern side of the lock. This is an unusual cresting weir which creates a lovely weir pool and is now a National Trust

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...

 picnic area. The weir was previously on the northern side of the lock. The area is rich in flora and fauna, and a frequent haunt for otters, kites and kingfishers.

History

Before the construction of the lock a flash lock

Flash lock

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....

  was in place at Buscot weir to "help" navigation. When the lock was built the weir was owned by E Loveden of Buscot Park

Buscot Park

Buscot Park is a country house at Buscot near the town of Faringdon in Oxfordshire. It was built in an austere neoclassical style between 1780 and 1783 for Edward Loveden Townsend. It remained in the Loveden Townsend family until sold in 1859 to Robert Tertius Campbell, an Australian...

, who was a very strong champion of Thames navigation. The pound lock was built by J. Nock who also built St John's Lock at the same time after the opening of the Thames and Severn Canal

Thames and Severn Canal

The Thames and Severn Canal is a canal in Gloucestershire in the south of England, which was completed in 1789. It was conceived as part of a canal route from Bristol to London. At its eastern end, it connects to the River Thames at Inglesham Lock near Lechlade, while at its western end, it...

. At first it was often alluded to as the "New Lock". The lock keeper's cottage was built in 1791 and features a fish house. The old weir was renewed by Lord Faringdon of Buscot Park in 1909, and was replaced by the new cut and weir in 1979.

Reach above the lock

The river winds and doubles back on itself sharply on the short stretch upstream.
Buscot Park is above the lock. Robert Tertius Campbell who bought it in 1859 built a factory to distill alcohol from sugar beet. He supplied water to his estate from the river via a set of water wheels, but closed the undertaking in 1879. The property is now owned by the National Trust. Upstream, Bloomers Hole Footbridge

Bloomers Hole Footbridge

Bloomers Hole Footbridge is a footbridge across the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. It is situated on the reach above Buscot Lock and was installed in 2000 to carry the Thames Path across the Thames...

 crosses the river, then the River Cole

River Cole

The River Cole may refer to:*The River Cole, West Midlands, England, which flows directly through Birmingham*The River Cole, Wiltshire, England, which flows through Wiltshire and Oxfordshire, where it forms the border...

 enters from the southern bank, the River Leach

River Leach

The River Leach is a river tributary to the River Thames, in England which runs mostly in Gloucestershire. It is approximately 18 miles long, springing from the limestone uplands of the Cotswolds. In parts of its course it becomes a seasonal bourn, only running above ground when there is...

 enters from the northern bank, and finally St John's Bridge

St. John's Bridge, Lechlade

St John's Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames near Lechlade, England. It carries the A417 road between Lechlade and Faringdon, and crosses the Thames just at the lower end of St John's Lock....

 marks the beginning of St John's Lock.

The Thames Path

Thames Path

The Thames Path is a National Trail, opened in 1996, following the length of the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier at Charlton. It is about long....

follows the northern bank from Buscot Lock to Bloomers Hole Footbridge, where it crosses the river.

External links

• Buscot Lock at riverthames.co.uk
• Picture of Buscot Lock at geograph.co.uk