The River Thames and it's Locks and Weirs.

The following show some of the River Thames' beautiful locks, weirs and barrages as the river continues into London.

For photos and so on showing the various locks and weirs from Lechlade across to Clifton Cut in Oxfordshire please see our River Thames Weirs and Thames Locks - Lechlade to Clifton Lock topic. Some of the Thames Weirs are accessible by the public - for instance where a Public Right of Way Footpath or National Trail crosses and so on. Where it is usually possible to at least get onto a weir the name of it is marked in green - (however even access to these weirs may be stopped temporarily for safety or other various "waterways" reasons)
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Hambleden Lock and Weir - South Buckinghamshire in England.

This area is one of our favourite places to visit along The River Thames - the lock is particularly large and has been furnished with half a dozen bench seats along it's edge. The weir is one of the largest we have been on and doglegs it's way across the Thames from right next to the lock - the weir has 13 sluices as well as a fairly long water race - and yes it can be walked across. The couple of miles or so stretch of the Thames Path along from Hambleden to Henley is very popular with walkers and also for cycling along as the area is edged with lots of grass areas and pretty safe for families with young children including being quite safe for them to cycle along. Additionally there are a scattering of bench seats along the route where you can crash out for a while and watch the boats and feed the ever present ducks, swans and geese.

Boveney Lock and Weir - Dorney Common, near Windsor in England.

Located on the opposite side of the River Thames to Windsor Race Course, Boveney Lock was first constructed in 1838 and may have replaced a pound lock in the area. The timber built lock was eventually converted into a boat slide in 1898 and a new lock constructed next to it - Boveney's weir was subsequently re-built in 1913. Boveney Lock is medium sized by River Thames standards with a length of just under 150 feet, 17 feet wide and the lock has a fall of 4 feet. In comparison the huge Romney lock is one of the longest on The River Thames at just under 258 feet long, nearly 7.5 feet wide and has a fall of 6 feet 7 inches.

Penton Hook Lock and Weirs and also Penton Hook Island - River Thames, England.

Penton Hook Lock is located along the Thames a mile or so south of Staines and is situated in a pleasant grassy area. Having crossed over the lock then access to Penton Hook Island is via Penton Hook Weir - the small island has quite a few paths and is completely unspoilt therefore well worth having a wander around for half an hour. Once over the weir there is another large weir on the right which connects to the "mainland" i.e. far bank of The Thames however this cannot be crossed by the public as the land the other side is private.

The series of River Thames Locks and impressive Weirs at Teddington, England.

Teddington Barge Lock is 650 feet long by 24 feet 9 inches wide and is easily the largest lock on the River Thames. The Launch Lock is the most frequently used at Teddington and is 177 feet long and 24 feet 4 inches wide. The third lock at Teddington is the Skiff Lock - this is just 49 feet 6 inches long and 5 feet 10 inches wide - it is said it's like being in a coffin when the water is dropped. All three locks of course enjoy the same Fall which is 8 feet 10 inches. The Barge Lock is situated alongside the Thames Path - it is possible to cross the lock gates and take a look at the adjacent Launch Lock however the Skiff Lock is not usually available to take a look at by the public. Unlike other locks on The River Thames the Teddington Locks are manned 24 hours a day all year round.

Richmond Footbridge, Lock, Barrage and Weir controlling the tidal flow of The River Thames at Richmond, England.

Situated a little way downstream from Teddington Locks the three huge sluice gates at Richmond form a barrage and are designed to maintain water depth at least at half-tide levels. Each weighing nearly 33 tonnes the sluice gates are usually raised either side of high tide for around two hours during which time river craft can pass through free of charge. Out of these times boats can either moor up and wait or can use Richmond Lock - however there is a charge if using this half-tide lock. The Grade II listed structures were constructed in the early 1890s, officially opened in 1894 by the Duke and Duchess of York and this is the final lock on the Western (London end) section of The River Thames.