Cookham Lock
Encyclopedia
Cookham Lock is a lock
with weir
s situated on the River Thames
near Cookham
, Berkshire
. The lock is set in a lock cut which is one of four streams here and it is surrounded by woods. On one side is Sashes Island
and on the other is Mill Island connected to Formosa Island
, the largest on the non-tidal Thames.
There are several weirs here. Hedsor weir was placed across the old navigation channel in 1837, seven years after the lock was opened. There is a lower weir, and Odney weir is on the channel next to Formosa Island.
and the only weir was associated with the mill. After the building of Marlow Lock
in 1773 there were problems with shallow water upstream, and the earliest suggestions were for a stop at Cookham to hold the water back. In 1794 it was considered one of the most dangerous parts on the river, mainly on account of chalk boulders falling into the Thames. However nothing happened until 1829 when a cut and lock were agreed upon, the cut going through the northernmost island called The Sashes. Part of the cut was formed from an existing Sashes Stream, and an Ait was removed at the lower end of the cut. The lock opened in 1830, but no weir was built at this time.
In 1832 Lord Boston
of Hedsor House
claimed compensation for loss of towpath rights along Hedsor Water which he was granted. In 1837 a weir was found necessary and built, leading to further litigation from Lord Boston for loss of trade to the wharf he owned there. This time the only compensation he received was the building of a flash lock
in the weir. This was removed when the lock was rebuilt in 1869, as Lord Boston had built eel buck
s in the stream in the meantime.
The lock was rebuilt in 1957.
. Along the reach on the Buckinghamshire
bank is Bourne End
where the River Wye
joins the Thames. Bourne End Railway Bridge
, which includes a footbridge, crosses the river here. Along the Berkshire bank there are water meadows. There are navigation transit markers
just downstream of Bourne End Railway Bridge, to allow river users to check their speed.
Further upstream towards the Berkshire bank are the Gibraltar Islands
which lie in front of Quarry Wood. There are then steep hills overhanging the river at Cookham Dean
where the house called "The Mount", where Kenneth Grahame
lived as a child is situated. He based much of his book on this part of the Thames which is described as Wind in the Willows country.
As the ground levels, the Marlow By-pass Bridge
crosses the river a little way downstream of Marlow Lock.
, which has passed through Cookham rather than by the lock, runs from Cookham Bridge along the southern bank until Bourne End Railway Bridge, where there is a footbridge. The path crosses this footbridge and then goes along the northern bank to Marlow.
whose works include Swan Upping
at Cookham.
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...
with weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
s situated 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,...
near Cookham
Cookham
Cookham is a village and civil parish in the north-easternmost corner of Berkshire in England, on the River Thames, notable as the home of the artist Stanley Spencer. It lies north of Maidenhead close to the border with Buckinghamshire...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. The lock is set in a lock cut which is one of four streams here and it is surrounded by woods. On one side is Sashes Island
Sashes Island
Sashes Island is an island in the River Thames in England at Cookham Lock near Cookham, Berkshire. It is now open farmland, but has Roman and Anglo-Saxon connections....
and on the other is Mill Island connected to Formosa Island
Formosa Island
Formosa Island is an island in the River Thames in England at Cookham Lock near Cookham, Berkshire, with two smaller adjacent islands.The island is one of the largest on the non-tidal river Thames with of woodland. It can be reached by footbridge from Cookham...
, the largest on the non-tidal Thames.
There are several weirs here. Hedsor weir was placed across the old navigation channel in 1837, seven years after the lock was opened. There is a lower weir, and Odney weir is on the channel next to Formosa Island.
History
The navigation route was formerly down Hedsor WaterHedsor Water
Hedsor Water is a backwater of the River Thames near Cookham, Berkshire which leaves the river above Cookham Lock and rejoins at the tail of the lock cut, running alongside Sashes Island. Hedsor Water was once the main course of the Thames but was by-passed for navigation by the construction of...
and the only weir was associated with the mill. After the building of Marlow Lock
Marlow Lock
Marlow Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames in the town of Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England. The first pound lock was built by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1773.The weir stretches a long way upstream above the lock.-History:...
in 1773 there were problems with shallow water upstream, and the earliest suggestions were for a stop at Cookham to hold the water back. In 1794 it was considered one of the most dangerous parts on the river, mainly on account of chalk boulders falling into the Thames. However nothing happened until 1829 when a cut and lock were agreed upon, the cut going through the northernmost island called The Sashes. Part of the cut was formed from an existing Sashes Stream, and an Ait was removed at the lower end of the cut. The lock opened in 1830, but no weir was built at this time.
In 1832 Lord Boston
Baron Boston
Baron Boston, of Boston in the County of Lincoln, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1761 for the court official and former Member of Parliament, Sir William Irby, 2nd Baronet. He had earlier represented Launceston and Bodmin in the House of Commons...
of Hedsor House
Hedsor House
Hedsor House is a Georgian style mansion in England in the southern most point of Buckinghamshire in the village of Hedsor, Taplow. Perched overlooking the River Thames, a Manor house at Hedsor can be dated back to 1166 when the estate was owned by the de Hedsor Family...
claimed compensation for loss of towpath rights along Hedsor Water which he was granted. In 1837 a weir was found necessary and built, leading to further litigation from Lord Boston for loss of trade to the wharf he owned there. This time the only compensation he received was the building of a flash lock
Flash lock
Early locks were designed with a single gate, known as a flash lock or staunch lock. The earliest European references to what were clearly flash locks were in Roman times....
in the weir. This was removed when the lock was rebuilt in 1869, as Lord Boston had built eel buck
Eel buck
Eel bucks are a type of fish trap that was prevalent in the River Thames in England up to the 20th century. It was used particularly to catch eels which were a staple part of the London diet....
s in the stream in the meantime.
The lock was rebuilt in 1957.
Reach above the lock
After the streams rejoin above the lock, the river is crossed by Cookham BridgeCookham Bridge
Cookham Bridge is a road bridge in Cookham, Berkshire, carrying the A4094 road across the River Thames in England. It is situated on the reach above Cookham Lock and links Cookham on the Berkshire bank with Bourne End in Buckinghamshire....
. Along the reach on the Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
bank is Bourne End
Bourne End, Buckinghamshire
Bourne End is a village predominantly in the parish of Wooburn and Bourne End, but also in the parish of Little Marlow, in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated close to the border with Berkshire, near where the River Wye meets the River Thames...
where the River Wye
River Wye, Buckinghamshire
The River Wye in Buckinghamshire is a river in England that rises in the Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire. It flows for around , through High Wycombe on its way down to Bourne End, where it meets the River Thames on the reach above Cookham Lock....
joins the Thames. Bourne End Railway Bridge
Bourne End Railway Bridge
Bourne End Railway Bridge is a railway bridge carrying the Marlow Branch Line, and a footpath over the River Thames in Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, England. It crosses the Thames on the reach between Cookham Lock and Marlow Lock....
, which includes a footbridge, crosses the river here. Along the Berkshire bank there are water meadows. There are navigation transit markers
Navigation transit markers
Navigation Transit Markers are posts placed alongside a navigation to allow powered craft to check their speed. There are examples along the River Thames in England....
just downstream of Bourne End Railway Bridge, to allow river users to check their speed.
Further upstream towards the Berkshire bank are the Gibraltar Islands
Gibraltar Islands
Gibraltar Islands are a pair of islands in the River Thames in England above Bourne End Railway Bridge on the reach above Cookham Lock, near Cookham Dean, Berkshire....
which lie in front of Quarry Wood. There are then steep hills overhanging the river at Cookham Dean
Cookham Dean
Cookham Dean is a settlement to the west of the village of Cookham in Berkshire, England. It is the highest point of all the Cookhams -Commerce:...
where the house called "The Mount", where Kenneth Grahame
Kenneth Grahame
Kenneth Grahame was a Scottish writer, most famous for The Wind in the Willows , one of the classics of children's literature. He also wrote The Reluctant Dragon; both books were later adapted into Disney films....
lived as a child is situated. He based much of his book on this part of the Thames which is described as Wind in the Willows country.
As the ground levels, the Marlow By-pass Bridge
Marlow By-pass Bridge
Marlow By-pass Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames in England. It carries the A404 road between Maidenhead, Berkshire and High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. and crosses the Thames on the reach between Cookham Lock and Marlow Lock....
crosses the river a little way downstream of Marlow Lock.
Thames Path
The Thames PathThames 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....
, which has passed through Cookham rather than by the lock, runs from Cookham Bridge along the southern bank until Bourne End Railway Bridge, where there is a footbridge. The path crosses this footbridge and then goes along the northern bank to Marlow.
Literature and the media
Cookham was home to the artist Stanley SpencerStanley Spencer
Sir Stanley Spencer was an English painter. Much of his work depicts Biblical scenes, from miracles to Crucifixion, happening not in the Holy Land but in the small Thames-side village where he was born and spent most of his life...
whose works include Swan Upping
Swan Upping
Swan Upping is an annual ceremonial and practical activity in Britain in which mute swans on the River Thames are rounded up, caught, marked, and then released....
at Cookham.