Right bank. (Above lock left bank cut to Oxford Canal) tel: 01865 53 403, length: 113'1", width 16'4"
No Camping
Maps
King's to Eynsham, Environment Agency 'Out and About' Guide [NB delete reference to camping at Kings Lock]
King's to Osney, Environment Agency 'Out and About' Guide
This section in The Stripling Thames by Fred Thacker
Map: Duke's Cut to the Oxford Canal
Duke's Cut is reached above the lock via the left bank mill stream going north west from above the weir at King's Lock. The actual cut which goes under the bypass is then a turn to the north east on this weir stream. See Oxford Canal for the route from Oxford via the Canal.
Map: The Junction of Duke's Cut and the Oxford Canal
1920: Fred Thacker's Map -
Fred Thacker’s Map, 1920.
1541: Grant of the
Manor of Wolvercote including Kings weir, to Dr. George Owen.
1802: Mylne – Kings weir in ruins and all the tackle open.
1813: Yarnton Church Book -
On 14th June water rose to high
water mark. Hart, the keeper of the
weir, was called upon to draw up the sluices and let off the water, which he
did not do, and thereby made the owner of the mill, his employer, liable to a
penalty of £10.
Proceedings taken against him by Williams of Wolvercote.
Hart said Williams had come down to the weir
and pelted him with stones; that he
suspected what he had come for and could swear that the water was only up to
the crease and not above it.
Fine proved. £5 given to the Navigation
Company & Mr. Williams means to give £5 to the parish of Wolvercote.
Mr. Williams observed respecting the alleged
throwing of stones that he had recourse to this mode of getting Hart to come
out of his house to him, because he could not make him hear or at least make
him attend to him by calling over the water.
Hart saw him but would not pay any attention,
and it was not till he saw him retire to his basket-work in the house that he
tried this way of making him attend to his call.
1817: It was decided to
construct a new pound lock as soon as funds were available.
1842: Weir closed for
repairs – the miller tried to raise the weir 8 inches (to give more head
of water for his wheel).
1845: “Extra power is generally required to get boats up the weir”.
1850: Wood’s Oarsman’s
Guide – “when the sluice is up the gate flies over”.
1861: Ravenstein –
“open with a lever obtained at the adjoining cottage”.
1872: Ravenstein –
“boatslide lately put up”.
1873: University Paper
Mills offered to share the expense of a modern lock – the Conservancy
declined the offer.
1885: The Royal River -
King's Weir ... serves as much the purpose of a lock as a weir,
its gates opening when necessary to admit the passage of larger craft
than those which can be conveyed over the rollers supplied for pleasure-boats.
The river from the pool for some distance is almost choked with weeds, very narrow,
and of hardly sufficient depth at low water to admit the passage of an ordinary pleasure-boat.
1893: Ravenstein The Oarsman’s and Angler’s map“King’s
Weir: Falls 2ft 6in. A difficult
weir to manage. An inclined plane
with rollers for light boats.”
1910: Kings Weir, Henry Taunt -
Kings Weir, Henry Taunt, 1910
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT165
1928: Modern Pound Lock finally constructed (111 years after it was first decided upon!)
Kings Lock.
2008: Environment Agency -
The lock office has been extended with an experimental building.
Designed to test carbon saving construction techniques it has car tyre foundations and straw bale walls.
We intend to use some or all of these techniques and materials elsewhere on the Thames
once we have evaluated the success of this project.
The building has been funded by the Environment Agency's Carbon Reduction Fund
to offset some of the carbon we produce when carrying out our functions.
Dukes Cut
Above Kings Lock there is a left bank (right hand as you go upstream) turning onto
the Duke’s Cut to the Oxford Canal.
This is the normal route for canal traffic
rather than taking the turning at Four Rivers.
1920: Fred Thatcher –
The lock connecting the River with the Oxford canal is interesting, being so constructed as to give a fall either way, according to whichever navigation has for the time being the higher level.
Map: Hagley Pool
1885: The Royal River -
The picture from here is exceptionally interesting.
A rustic bridge spans a backwater trending towards Witham Mill,
and in the direction of Oxford.
The thickset woods stand out in prominent relief,
and another farmhouse of the higher class, surrounded by ricks,
appears to the left.
Hagley Pool, which is merely a lake-like widening of the water at the bend,
is covered with yellow water-lilies.
StreetMap: Seacourt Stream
Weir Stream leaving on Right Bank.
[ It is more clearly seen in StreetMap than in Virtual Earth ]
The Seacourt Stream is probably an old course of the river
which entirely bypasses Oxford, going through
Hinksey and rejoining below Iffley Lock.
I think this can be canoed.
1610: Camden -
Isis, having now entertained Evenlode, divideth his chanell, and severing it selfe, maketh many and those most delectable Islands.
1794: Oxford from near King’s Weir, Boydell’s History of the Thames -
Oxford. June 1, 1793. J. Farington R.A. delt. J.C. Stadler sculpt.
(Published) by J. & J.Boydell, Shakespeare Gally. Pall Mall & (No. 90)
Cheapside (London).
Site of Clay Weir
1796: Charged “1s. per boat for shutting” (i.e. it was normally open – but when the depth above it was insufficient it could be shut to give more water above it).
Site of University Paper Mills
1859: Mr & Mrs Hall –
On the left bank of the river a building has been recently erected, which may be accepted as evidence of the progress of the age, in the midst of so much that is evidence of ‘hoar antiquitie’;
It is the new PAPER-MILL of the University.
All makers of books are well aware that of
late years the manufacture of paper has not been what it was a century since,
or, rather, three centuries ago; while the leaves of our
great-great-grandfathers are as fresh and fair as on the day they issued from
press, modern books, and illustrated books especially, are often full of
unsightly and diseased marks, that mar the beauty of the volumes.
The University, having experienced this evil,
resolved to make its own paper; it is a boon which claims public
gratitude. The manufactory has a picturesque
character seen from the Thames – not the less
valuable because of the purposes to which it is dedicated.
1885: The Royal River -
It is unfortunate, but true, that [coming downstream] the first glimpse we get of the spires of Oxford are in conjunction with the tall red-brick chimney and not elegant University paper mills.
(Upstream to River Evenlode)
Introduction
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