Hurley Lock
Encyclopedia
Hurley Lock is a lock
and weir
on the River Thames
in England, situated in a clump of wooded islands close to the village of Hurley
, Berkshire
. The lock was first built by the Thames Navigation Commissioners in 1773.
There are several weirs between the islands but the main weir is upstream between the topmost island and the Buckinghamshire
bank. The weir is popular with kayak
ers whenever conditions are favourable, and it is very busy at weekends.
in the weir here, referred to in the 16th and 17th century as "New Lock". The pound lock was opened in 1773, being the fifth downstream of the eight original locks built after the 1770 navigation act. It was constructed of fir wood, and like the other locks, where the fir was subsequently replaced by oak, it was in decay and in need of repair in 1780 and 1785. On the latter occasion the owner of the flash lock was instructed to keep the flash lock in good repair for use by barges. Further repair was made in 1791, and in 1910 it still had timber sides. It has since been replaced by masonry.
The timber weir winch, looking like a capstan
and which was used to pull boats through the Flash Lock, is still at the lock.
on the south bank of the river.
and Black Boy Island
on a sharp bend in the river. Magpie Island
is close to Culham Court on the way to Hambleden
and Hambleden Lock.
remains on the Berkshire side and deviates away from the river to the village of Aston, Berkshire
, before returning and continuing to Hambledon Lock.
Hurley is an active freestyle kayaking
centre because of the favourable size and shape of the wave. The gates - those which are open - generate a standing wave
. Hurley also hosts an annual rodeo competition, the Hurley Classic.
The four main weir gates are opened and closed to control the river levels. The number of opened gates will also determine the nature of the wave/waves, and the suitability/difficulty level for kayakers:
Note: at certain levels, the wave train often "goes left" and turns the eddy in a large spinning mass. This has the effect of constantly pushing people who are queuing in the eddy into the main current.
For the weir to form a good wave for kayakers, it generally needs to be late autumn, winter or early spring. Hurley is known to work during the summer, but for short periods of time. 9 months is the average consistent period of use. During the winter, a vague rule of thumb is 10 mm of rain is needed to open a gate. In the summer 15 mm may be required, and persistent rain is needed to keep levels up, due to ground levels of water being lower.
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...
and weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
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, situated in a clump of wooded islands close to the village of Hurley
Hurley, Berkshire
Hurley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire.Hurley is famous for its proximity to the River Thames. It is also within easy reach of Henley-on-Thames, Oxford and London. The parish includes the villages and hamlets of Cockpole Green, Warren Row, Knowl Hill, Burchett's...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. The lock was first built by the Thames Navigation Commissioners in 1773.
There are several weirs between the islands but the main weir is upstream between the topmost island and the Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
bank. The weir is popular with kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
ers whenever conditions are favourable, and it is very busy at weekends.
History
There was a Flash lockFlash 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....
in the weir here, referred to in the 16th and 17th century as "New Lock". The pound lock was opened in 1773, being the fifth downstream of the eight original locks built after the 1770 navigation act. It was constructed of fir wood, and like the other locks, where the fir was subsequently replaced by oak, it was in decay and in need of repair in 1780 and 1785. On the latter occasion the owner of the flash lock was instructed to keep the flash lock in good repair for use by barges. Further repair was made in 1791, and in 1910 it still had timber sides. It has since been replaced by masonry.
The timber weir winch, looking like a capstan
Capstan (nautical)
A capstan is a vertical-axled rotating machine developed for use on sailing ships to apply force to ropes, cables, and hawsers. The principle is similar to that of the windlass, which has a horizontal axle.- History :...
and which was used to pull boats through the Flash Lock, is still at the lock.
Access to the lock
The lock and weir are easily reached by a short footpath from the free car park, which is at the end of Hurley High Street in the village of HurleyHurley, Berkshire
Hurley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire.Hurley is famous for its proximity to the River Thames. It is also within easy reach of Henley-on-Thames, Oxford and London. The parish includes the villages and hamlets of Cockpole Green, Warren Row, Knowl Hill, Burchett's...
on the south bank of the river.
Reach above the lock
A short way upstream on the Buckinghamshire bank is Medmenham Abbey home of the notorious Hell Fire Club. The river winds through open country with the paired Frog Mill AitFrog Mill Ait
Frog Mill Ait is an island in the River Thames in England between the villages of Medmenham, Buckinghamshire and Hurley, Berkshire. It is situated on the reach above Hurley Lock.The island is named after a mill on the bank here...
and Black Boy Island
Black Boy Island
Black Boy Island is an island in the River Thames in England between the villages of Medmenham, Buckinghamshire and Hurley, Berkshire. It is situated on the reach above Hurley Lock....
on a sharp bend in the river. Magpie Island
Magpie Island
Magpie Island is an island in the River Thames in England near the villages of Aston, Berkshire and Medmenham, Buckinghamshire. It is situated on the reach above Hurley Lock....
is close to Culham Court on the way to Hambleden
Hambleden
Hambleden is a small village and civil parish within Wycombe district in the south of Buckinghamshire, England. It is about four miles west of Marlow, and about three miles north east of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire....
and Hambleden Lock.
Thames Path
The Thames PathThames 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....
remains on the Berkshire side and deviates away from the river to the village of Aston, Berkshire
Aston, Berkshire
Aston is a hamlet near the Berkshire bank of the River Thames to the east of Remenham and Henley-on-Thames.There is a charming old fashioned pub called 'The Flower Pot Hotel' in Ferry Lane, Aston. which has a slightly unnerving collection of stuffed & mounted prize freshwater fish caught locally in...
, before returning and continuing to Hambledon Lock.
Kayaking
Playboating
Playboating is a discipline of whitewater kayaking or canoeing where the paddler performs various technical moves in one place , as opposed to downriver whitewater canoeing or kayaking where the objective is to travel the length of a section of river...
centre because of the favourable size and shape of the wave. The gates - those which are open - generate a standing wave
Standing wave
In physics, a standing wave – also known as a stationary wave – is a wave that remains in a constant position.This phenomenon can occur because the medium is moving in the opposite direction to the wave, or it can arise in a stationary medium as a result of interference between two waves traveling...
. Hurley also hosts an annual rodeo competition, the Hurley Classic.
Access
Two paths, one on either side of the car park, lead to the river and kayakers can put-in on a flat stretch immediately as they arrive at the river, from the car park side. To reach the wave they must paddle upstream (left) and the weir will appear on the right. The first weir should be ignored, as it is un-runable. Hurley Weir's steps can be run, but will wear the hull of a kayak, and so is advisable to get out at the island where the weir steps, start and put in at the shingle "beach" below.Gates
The four main weir gates are opened and closed to control the river levels. The number of opened gates will also determine the nature of the wave/waves, and the suitability/difficulty level for kayakers:
- 1 Gate - Medium sized wave, normally on weir river right. Best for longer, faster boats.
- 2 Gates - Big wave accompanied by a large hole.
- 3 Gates - Optimum level. When the 3 gates opened on river left, classic conditions apply: a big central wave with two holes either side. Doesn't normally stay on 3 for long, and during peak periods there can be queues of 40 or more people.
- 4 Gates - A powerful set of linked holes. The farthest hole away from the eddy sometimes referred to as "The Dark Side", as it is the farthest away from the only eddy. Still relatively safe, but retentive at certain levels. Capsizing results in a flush the vast majority of the time.
Note: at certain levels, the wave train often "goes left" and turns the eddy in a large spinning mass. This has the effect of constantly pushing people who are queuing in the eddy into the main current.
Water levels
Usually more rainfall means more gates will be open, but this also depends upon the levels at weirs upstream, and as such it can be difficult to predict.For the weir to form a good wave for kayakers, it generally needs to be late autumn, winter or early spring. Hurley is known to work during the summer, but for short periods of time. 9 months is the average consistent period of use. During the winter, a vague rule of thumb is 10 mm of rain is needed to open a gate. In the summer 15 mm may be required, and persistent rain is needed to keep levels up, due to ground levels of water being lower.