Carpenter's Road Lock
Encyclopedia
Carpenter's Road Lock is a rising radial lock
in the London Borough of Newham
, near Marshgate Lane in Stratford
. This tidal lock was installed c. 1931, to allow navigation of the Bow Back Rivers
between the Waterworks River and Old River Lea
, as part of extensive flood prevention works. The lock supports an integral footbridge.
The 2012 Olympic stadium
is sited about 100 metres (109 yd) south of the lock, on an island site between the Old River Lea and the City Mill River
which branches just to the south of the lock. For the Olympic games, the lock has been restored and a wide bridge will has been constructed above the lock from Stratford City
to the stadium.
The lock is unusual in being a pair of rising radial gates; this is where a section of a cylindrical surface forms the lock gate. The section is rotated into the lock bed to open the lock. This is used because the lock is tidal, and traditional gates would need to be of the bi-directional type – that is mounted in two pairs. It is not thought that another lock of this type exists within the British Waterways system.
The lock controlled access to the northern section of the City Mill River
, the southern approach being controlled by the bottom lock. Two locks were needed as, when tidally controlled, there was insufficient headroom for barges passing beneath the Northern Outfall Sewer
, which passes over the City Mill River.
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...
in the London Borough of Newham
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...
, near Marshgate Lane in Stratford
Stratford, London
Stratford is a place in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an agrarian settlement in the ancient parish of West Ham, which transformed into an industrial suburb...
. This tidal lock was installed c. 1931, to allow navigation of the Bow Back Rivers
Bow Back Rivers
The Bow Back Rivers are part of the River Lea in the London Borough of Newham, east London, England, and form a complex system of waterways. The River Lea was originally tidal as far as Hackney Wick; man-made changes to the river had changed this dramatically in the 9th century, and in 1110 a...
between the Waterworks River and Old River Lea
Old River Lea
The Old River Lea is the former natural channel of the River Lea below Lea Bridge, in the London Borough of Hackney. The Old River forms a large meander from the Middlesex Filter Beds Weir to rejoin the main channel of the River Lee Navigation below Old Ford Lock, just west of the 2012 Olympic...
, as part of extensive flood prevention works. The lock supports an integral footbridge.
The 2012 Olympic stadium
Olympic Stadium (London)
The London Olympic Stadium will be the centrepiece of the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The stadium is located at Marshgate Lane in Stratford in the Lower Lea Valley and has capacity for the Games of approximately 80,000 making it temporarily the third largest stadium in Britain behind...
is sited about 100 metres (109 yd) south of the lock, on an island site between the Old River Lea and the City Mill River
City Mill River
City Mill River is part of the Bow Back Rivers in London. The lock, City Mill Lock is currently disused but, in conjunction with new homes built alongside, work is underway to re-open it, with an official ceremony due in July 2010...
which branches just to the south of the lock. For the Olympic games, the lock has been restored and a wide bridge will has been constructed above the lock from Stratford City
Stratford City
Westfield Stratford City is a shopping centre in Stratford, London, owned by the Westfield Group. The centre opened on 13 September 2011. With a total retail floor area of , it is one of the largest urban shopping centres in Europe. It is the 3rd largest shopping centre in the United Kingdom by...
to the stadium.
The lock is unusual in being a pair of rising radial gates; this is where a section of a cylindrical surface forms the lock gate. The section is rotated into the lock bed to open the lock. This is used because the lock is tidal, and traditional gates would need to be of the bi-directional type – that is mounted in two pairs. It is not thought that another lock of this type exists within the British Waterways system.
The lock controlled access to the northern section of the City Mill River
City Mill River
City Mill River is part of the Bow Back Rivers in London. The lock, City Mill Lock is currently disused but, in conjunction with new homes built alongside, work is underway to re-open it, with an official ceremony due in July 2010...
, the southern approach being controlled by the bottom lock. Two locks were needed as, when tidally controlled, there was insufficient headroom for barges passing beneath the Northern Outfall Sewer
Northern Outfall Sewer
The Northern Outfall Sewer is a major gravity sewer which runs from Wick Lane in Hackney to Beckton Sewage Works in east London ; most of it was designed by Joseph Bazalgette after an outbreak of cholera in 1853 and "The Big Stink" of 1858.Prior to this work, central London's drains were built...
, which passes over the City Mill River.
External links
- The Bow Back Rivers and Three Mills (Mike Stevens' UK Inland Waterways Pages)
- Control Structures within the Olympic and Legacy Facilities (Olympic Delivery Authority)