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Benson to Day's, Benson to Cleeve, Environment Agency 'Out and About' Guides
Maps
Right bank, tel: 01491 835255, length: 133'1", width: 17'11"
Benson Pleasurecraft slipway left bank above lock, marina
Camping left bank above lock. 01491 838304 Benson
Waterfront, Benson, Oxon, OX10 6SJ.
22 pitches, April to October, WC, showers, wash basins, shop, restaurant.
1396: John James and his
wife Christina held the watermill (and therefore weir) at Bensington
1610: Camden -
From Dorchester, Tamis goeth to Benson, in old time Bensington, which Marian calleth Villam Regiam,
that is, The Kings towne, and reporteth that Ceaulin tooke it from the Britans in the yeere of our Lord 572,
and that the West-Saxons kept the possession of it 200 yeeres after.
For then Offa the King of the Mercians, thinking it would be for his commoditie and honor both that
they should have nothing on this side the river, wonne it and subjected it to him.
But at this day it goeth for a village onely, and hath a house of the Kings hard by,
sometime a faire place, but now running exceedingly to ruine, as being not very wholsome
by reason of the foggy aire and mists arising from a standing water adjoining.
This house of certaine Elmes called Ewelme, but commonly New-elme, was built by William de la Pole
Duke of Suffolke, who having taken to wife Alice the only daughter of Thomas Chaucer, had by her faire
lands heereabout as elsewhere, and beside this house he erected also a faire Church,
wherein the said Alice lieth buried, and a proper hospitall.
But John Earle of Lincolne his Grand child,
who by King Richard the Third had beene declard heire apparent to the Crowne,
overthrew in some sort the happie estate of this familie.
For whiles he plotted and projected seditiously to rebell against King Henry the Seventh he was attained
and slaine in the battaile of Stoke, and Edmund his brother being for like cause attainted,
the possessions became Crown-land.
Then King Henrie the Eighth made this house an Honour,
by laying unto it certaine Manours, and Wallingford among others, which before had a long time
belonged unto the Dukes of Cornewall.
1683: Field name “Barge Path Furlong”
1746: Benson flashlock
1783: Benson weir collapsed
1788: Benson Poundlock constructed
1790s: Mylne –
Of course the lock was full, and there was no one to attend it. The miller Ashby taking charge of it (at 28 shillings per month) was absent at a distant market; and his man Hughes, who is deputy, was not to be found, but gone on a Frivolous Domestick Errand. On making his appearance he shewed signs that no controul would have any effect even if the Officers of the navigation were present.
1846: The Lord Mayor’s View –
The only incident of regret was the loss of time at Benson Lock occasioned by both Towing Horses falling into the river, from which they were extricated with immense difficulty.
1865: A Times correspondent –
Benson-lock house was deserted and shut up; the handle hid away, and a great rent all down the upper gates, so that this lock detained us more than forty minutes.
1870: Benson Lock rebuilt.
1870: Benson Lock, Henry Taunt -
Benson Lock, Henry Taunt, 1870
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT1512
1881: George Leslie –
There is a short cut to Benson for foot
passengers from Wallingford along the tow-path,
crossing over at the pretty little ferry just below the weir.
Near this ferry there is a sheep-wash; the sheep-washing
generally takes place about the end of May, before the summer shearing.
It is great fun to look on at this performance; there
are generally two pens above the wash, two divisions in the wash, and a large
dripping-pen for the sheep as they come out.
At the wash at Ewelme the men seize the sheep by the wool, and raising
them up in the air, drop them on their backs into the water, where they float
at first like huge corks; very soon,
however, nothing but their heads remains above.
They are progged along with sheep-hooks to a narrow place, on each side
of which a man seizes them and ransacks their wool;
he then slips their heads underneath a
bar, when they are allowed to swim away to the dripping ground.
On their first landing they stagger and fall
with the immense weight of water carried in their wool;
but they soon get all right, and dry
up beautifully white and clean. The
whole scene, with the dogs and men, is very lively and amusing.
Sheep washing in the Thames
from "In Thamesland" by Henry Wellington Wack, 1906
1891: The Stream of Pleasure, Joseph & Elizabeth Robins Pennell -
... the hot summer sun had come at last ... warm and fresh on the river ...
In riverside gardens children practised what Mr Ashby-Sterry calls "hamockuity".
Anglers dozed in the sun.
The only living creature who seemed awake was a vulgar little boy who, when we passed
a sheepwash in a pretty backwater and asked him when the sheep were washed, told us,
"Why when it's toime, of coorse."
George Leslie continued -
There is the usual mill at the weir, rather spoilt by the addition of steam power and a huge chimney; and on the edge of the river is a gravel and coal-wharf; but by all means, if time will allow, land at the lock, and find your way up to the villages of Benson and Ewelme. The two miles by the side of the brook afford a shady, pleasant walk, with interesting cottages all along, the almshouses and old church of Ewelme at the end. The country round about being flat, bare of trees, and very uninteresting, it is quite an unexpected treat to come upon this pretty village lane…
1893: Below Bensington Weir, Francis Frith -
1893: Below Bensington Weir, Francis Frith
1913: Lock house rebuilt
1955: Benson Lock, Francis Frith -
1955: Benson Lock, Francis Frith
1999:–
Benson Lock
1955: Benson Swimming Place, Francis Frith -
1955: Benson Swimming Place, Francis Frith
Benson Waterfront Cafe, left bank above lock
1881: George Leslie -
Just above the lock the river is positively ugly, notwithstanding that the sweet little Ewelme brook flows in on the right-hand side. Benson Church stands back some distance
[ Actually I rather like the reach above Benson! ]
(Upstream to Shillingford Bridge)
Estuary
PLA
QEII Br
Barrier
Tower Br
Custom Ho
London Br
; Frost Fairs
Cannon St Rb
The Great Stink
Southwark Br
Millenium Br
Blackfriars Rb
Blackfriars Br
Waterloo Br
Charing Cross Rb
Westminster Br
Lambeth Br
Vauxhall Br
Victoria Rb
Chelsea Br
Albert Br
Battersea Br
Battersea Rb
Wandsworth Br
Fulham Rb
Putney Br
Hammersmith Br
Barnes Rb
Chiswick Br
Kew Rb
Kew Br
RICHMOND
Twickenham Br
Richmond Rb
Richmond Br
TEDDINGTON
Kingston Rb
Kingston Br
Ditton Slip
Hampton Br
MOLESEY
SUNBURY
Walton Br
Desborough Cut
SHEPPERTON
Chertsey Br
CHERTSEY
M3 Br
Laleham Slip
PENTON HOOK
Staines Rb
Staines Br
Runnymede Br
BELL WEIR
Magna Carta Is
OLD WINDSOR
Albert Br
Datchet
Victoria Br
Black Potts Rb
ROMNEY
Eton
Windsor Br
Windsor Rb
Windsor Slip
Elizabeth Br
BOVENEY
Dorney Lake
York Cut
Summerleaze Fb
MonkeyIsland
New Thames Br
BRAY
Bray Slip
Maidenhead Rb
Maidenhead Br
Below Boulters
BOULTERS
Cliveden
Hedsor
COOKHAM
Cookham Slip
Cookham Br
BourneEnd RFb
Quarry Woods
A404 Br
MARLOW
Marlow Br
Bisham
TEMPLE
HURLEY
Medmenham
Culham Ct
Aston Slip
HAMBLEDEN
Temple Is
Fawley Ct
Remenham
Regatta
Phyllis Ct
Henley Slip
Leander
Red Lion
Henley Br
Angel on Br
Landing
Hobbs Boatyard
Hobbs Slipway
MARSH
Hennerton
Bolney
Wargrave
Shiplake Rb
R.Loddon
SHIPLAKE
Sonning Br
SONNING
Dreadnought
K&A Canal
CAVERSHAM
Reading Br
Caversham Br
Reading Slip
Purley
MAPLEDURHAM
Hardwick Ho
Whitchurch Br
WHITCHURCH
Hartswood Reach
Gatehampton Rb
Goring Gap
Goring Br
GORING
Swan
CLEEVE
Moulsford
Moulsford Rb
Papist Way Slip
Winterbrook Br
Wallingford Br
BENSON
Shillingford Br
R.Thame
DAYS
Burcot
Clifton Hampden
Clifton Church
Clifton H Br
Barley Mow
Long Wittenham
CLIFTON
Appleford Rb
Sutton Courtenay
Sutton Br
CULHAM
Culham Cut Fb
Abingdon Slip
Abingdon
Abingdon Br
ABINGDON
Nuneham Rb
Nuneham
Nuneham Park
Radley Boats
SANDFORD
Rose Island
Kennington Rb
Isis Br
Iffley Mill
IFFLEY
Oxford Rowing
Isis
Donnington Br
Riverside Slip
Boathouses
Punting
Lower Cherwell
Upper Cherwell
Islip
Head of River
Salters Steamers
Folly Br
Bacons Folly
Oxford Fb
Osney Fb
Weir stream
Osney Rb
Bullstake Stream
Osney Marina
OSNEY
Osney Br
Four Rivers
OLD RIVER
CANAL
Medley Weir Site
Medley Fb
Bossoms
Perch
Trout
GODSTOW
Godstow Nunnery
Godstow Br
Thames Br
KINGS
River Evenlode
EYNSHAM
Swinford Br
Oxford Cruisers
PINKHILL
Farmoor
Stanton Harcourt
Bablock Slip
Arks Weir Site
NORTHMOOR
Harts Fb
//Rose Revived
Newbridge
//Maybush
River Windrush
below Shifford
SHIFFORD
Shifford Fb
Tenfoot Fb
Trout Inn
Tadpole Br
RUSHEY
Old Mans Fb
RADCOT
Radcot Cradle Fb
Swan Inn
Radcot New Br
Radcot Old Br
GRAFTON
Eaton Hastings
Kelmscott
Eaton Fb
BUSCOT
Bloomers Hole Fb
Trout Inn
St Johns Br
ST JOHNS
Halfpenny Br
Marina Slip
LIMIT
Inglesham
Hannington Br
Kempsford
Castle Eaton Br
Marston Meysey
A419 Br
Cricklade
SOURCE?
THAMES HEAD
SEVEN SPRINGS