Romney 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 Windsor

Windsor, Berkshire

Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....

 and Eton

Eton, Berkshire

Eton is a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor and connected to it by Windsor Bridge. The parish also includes the large village of Eton Wick, 2 miles west of the town, and has a population of 4,980. Eton was in Buckinghamshire until...

. It is on the Windsor side of the river next to a boatyard and adjoins Romney Island

Romney Island

Romney Island is an island in the River Thames in England connected to Romney Lock, at Windsor, Berkshire. It is a long thin island with trees and scrub, with the upstream end in Windsor and the downstream end almost at Black Potts....

, a long strip of land in the middle of the river. The first lock was built 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 1798.

The weir is some distance upstream at the end of Romney Island and runs across the river to Cutlers Ait

Cutlers Ait

Cutlers Ait is an island in the River Thames in England adjacent to Romney Island and Romney Lock, near Windsor, Berkshire.The island is a tree-covered strip adjacent to the opposite bank of the river from the Lock, near Eton. Romney weir sits between the two islands.-See also:*Islands in the River...

. There are plans to install a small hydro electric generation station here to supply electricity to Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...

, with latest proposals as of May 2008.

History

The first proposal for a pound lock was in 1774 which was to be further upstream at Firework Ait

Firework Ait

Firework Ait is an island in the River Thames in England on the reach above Romney Lock, near Windsor, Berkshire.The island is small and tree-covered and is closer to the Windsor bank, just above Windsor Bridge....

 by Windsor Bridge

Windsor Bridge

Windsor Bridge or Windsor Town Bridge, is a road bridge over the River Thames between the towns of Windsor and Eton in the English county of Berkshire. It now only carries pedestrian and cycle traffic, and crosses the Thames just above Romney Lock....

. However nothing happened until the lock was opened on the present site in 1797, built of oak. There was no weir at the site previously and because of protests, none was built at that time. Barges were still liable to pay the lock fee even if they used the other channel. By the following year a weir was found to be indispensable, and so it was built. The lock was rebuilt 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 1869 and the wier was rebuilt further upstream at the beginning of the 20th century. The lock was rebuilt again in 1979/80

Access to the lock

The lock can be reached from Windsor down a long single track road which starts behind Windsor and Eton Riverside railway station

Windsor and Eton Riverside railway station

Windsor & Eton Riverside station is a station in Windsor in Berkshire, England. The station, close to the River Thames and Windsor Castle, is a grade II listed building....

.

Reach above the lock

Eton College

Eton College

Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....

 is on the opposite bank from the lock, beyond Cutler's Ait. Upstream of it is the town of Eton

Eton, Berkshire

Eton is a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor and connected to it by Windsor Bridge. The parish also includes the large village of Eton Wick, 2 miles west of the town, and has a population of 4,980. Eton was in Buckinghamshire until...

 itself where Windsor Bridge

Windsor Bridge

Windsor Bridge or Windsor Town Bridge, is a road bridge over the River Thames between the towns of Windsor and Eton in the English county of Berkshire. It now only carries pedestrian and cycle traffic, and crosses the Thames just above Romney Lock....

 crosses. On the Windsor side, the river skirts the town and after Windsor Bridge is the small island called Firework Ait

Firework Ait

Firework Ait is an island in the River Thames in England on the reach above Romney Lock, near Windsor, Berkshire.The island is small and tree-covered and is closer to the Windsor bank, just above Windsor Bridge....

 and a little further on, Deadwater Ait

Deadwater Ait

Deadwater Ait is an island in the River Thames in England on the reach above Romney Lock, near Windsor, Berkshire.The island is an uninhabited tree-covered strip adjacent to the Windsor bank of the river between Windsor Bridge and Windsor Railway Bridge....

 is close to the bank. The opposite side of the river is an extent of open fields and after them, set back a bit, is the village of Eton Wick

Eton Wick

Eton Wick is a village in the English county of Berkshire on the western outskirts of London, immediately north of the River Thames. It is located very close to both the historic towns of Windsor and Eton, as well as Slough and Dorney Lake, the planned rowing venue for the 2012 Olympics...

. Upstream of Windsor Bridge are Brunel's Windsor Railway Bridge

Windsor Railway Bridge

Windsor Railway Bridge is a wrought iron 'bow and string' bridge in Windsor, Berkshire, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It carries the ex-GWR branch line from Slough to Windsor into Windsor and Eton Central station...

 which crosses Baths Island

Baths Island

Baths Island is an island in the River Thames in England on the reach above Romney Lock, between Eton Wick and Windsor, Berkshire.The island is unpopulated and contains public open space. It carries the central part of Windsor Railway Bridge across the river.-See also:*Islands in the River Thames...

 and the more modern road bridge Queen Elizabeth Bridge. Cuckoo Weir Stream is a backwater that runs under Queen Elizabeth Bridge, while on the other side at Clewer

Clewer

Clewer is an ecclesiastical parish and region of Windsor making up three wards of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the English county of Berkshire.-History:...

 is the confluence of the Clewer Mill Stream

Clewer Mill Stream

Clewer Mill Stream is a narrow twisting backwater of the River Thames near Windsor, Berkshire which leaves the river at Bush Ait and rejoins just above Queen Elizabeth Bridge...

. The main river then doubles back on itself very sharply at Windsor Racecourse

Windsor Racecourse

Windsor Racecourse, also known as Royal Windsor Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Windsor, Berkshire, England. It is one of only two figure-of-eight courses in the United Kingdom, the other being at Fontwell Park. It abandoned National Hunt jump racing in December 1998,...

 before the run in to Boveney lock. The amount of rowing

Rowing (sport)

Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

 activity on the reach has been reduced by the recent creation of Dorney Lake

Dorney Lake

Dorney Lake is a purpose-built rowing lake in the United Kingdom. It is located at grid reference near the village of Dorney, Buckinghamshire, and near the towns of Windsor and Eton, close to the River Thames. The lake is privately owned and financed by Eton College, who have spent £17 million...

 near Dorney

Dorney

Dorney is a village and civil parish within South Bucks district in the English county of Buckinghamshire, near Slough and about two and a half miles west of Eton.The village name is Old English and means "island frequented by bumble bees"...

.

Thames Path

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 track on the Windsor side to Windsor and then crosses Windsor Bridge to the Eton side, where it continues to Boveney Lock.