King's 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. It is in open country to the north of Oxford

Oxford

The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...

, Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire

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

, on the southern bank of the river. The lock was one of the last pound locks built on the Thames being built by the Thames Conservancy

Thames Conservancy

The Thames Conservancy was a historical body responsible for the management of the River Thames in England. It was founded in 1857, initially replacing the jurisdiction of the City of London up to Staines and later taking responsibility for the whole river from Cricklade in Wiltshire to the sea at...

 in 1928 to replace the former 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....

.

At the lock there is a large island. Behind this is the start of the Wolvercote Mill Stream leading to Dukes Cut

Dukes Cut

Duke's Cut is a short waterway in Oxfordshire, England, which connects the Oxford Canal near Wolvercote Junction with the River Thames at King's Lock....

, which connects the Thames to the Oxford Canal

Oxford Canal

The Oxford Canal is a narrow canal in central England linking Oxford with Coventry via Banbury and Rugby. It connects with the River Thames at Oxford, to the Grand Union Canal at the villages of Braunston and Napton-on-the-Hill, and to the Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury Junction in Bedworth just...

. The Mill Stream rejoins the Thames below Godstow Lock

Godstow Lock

Godstow Lock is a lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. It is between the villages of Wolvercote and Wytham on the outskirts of Oxford. The first lock was built of stone by Daniel Harris for the Thames Navigation Commission in 1790...

). The weir is on the other side of the island. A small visitor information centre has been built at the lock.

History

There was a weir recorded at King's as far back as the 16th century. A pound lock was first proposed in 1817, but never built. A further proposal was made in 1845. The weir had a history of complaints about the water level and lack of attendance for the 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....

. Around 1872 a boatslide was built for the portage of small boats. The weir was rebuilt in 1885 but its replacement by a pound lock did not happen until 1928.

Access to the lock

The lock can be reached down a long track leading from the Godstow road just where it passes under the A34 Oxford by-pass.

Reach above the lock

Just upstream of the lock, the Thames reaches its northernmost point. Above the lock is the connection with Dukes Cut on the northern side and further on on the southern bank the Seacourt Stream separates off to rejoin at Kennington Railway Bridge

Kennington Railway Bridge

Kennington Railway Bridge near the village of Kennington, Oxfordshire crosses the River Thames between Sandford Lock and Iffley Lock. It carries the freight railway branch line that serves the BMW Mini factory at Cowley. The freight railway is part of the former Wycombe Railway that linked and ...

. The river runs through completely open country and, halfway along, the River Evenlode

River Evenlode

The River Evenlode is a river in England which is a tributary of the Thames in Oxfordshire. It rises near Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire in the Cotswold Hills and flows south-east passing near Stow-on-the-Wold, Charlbury, Bladon, and Cassington, and its valley provides the route of the southern...

 joins from the northern side, followed by the Cassington Cut, now a branch of the Evenlode. Wharf Stream also joins on the same side just before Eynsham 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 southern bank to Eynsham Lock.

External links

• King's Lock at fellwalk.co.uk
• Photograph of King's Lock at geograph.org.uk