Sandford Lock
Encyclopedia
Sandford Lock is a lock
on the River Thames
in England, situated at Sandford-on-Thames
which is just South of Oxford
. The first pound lock was built in 1631 by the Oxford-Burcot Commission
although this has since been rebuilt. The lock has the deepest fall of all locks on the Thames at 8ft 9in (2.69) metres and is connected to a large island which is one of three at this point.
The main weir connects the second island to the opposite bank on the Kennington, Oxfordshire
side. This is the location of the infamous Sandford Lasher, a treacherous weirpool where many have drowned. Another weir
links the two lower islands.
in around 1294. There are also records of a ferry and a fish weir in mediaeval times. In the reign of Edward III
there is an account of the immemorial conflict between millers and bargemen when "the men of Oxon broke down the locks of Sandford". This was probably at the navigation weir or flash lock
on the old river channel behind the second island. This was described in 1624 as ‘Great Lockes’. It was replaced in 1631 when the Oxford-Burcot Commission
built one of the first pound locks in England here. The lock was passed on to the Thames Navigation Commission
in 1790 and lengthened in 1795, under the direction of Daniel Harris
, the Oxford gaoler, at a cost of nearly £1,800. In 1836 a new lock was built on the current site alongside the old one and a lock house was ordered in 1839. The old lock has since been filled in after an incident when a miller opened the sluices and caused damage to the embankments. Its position is still visible (the position of the upper gates can be seen in the stonework above the present upper gates). An iron bridge above the lock was built between 1866 and 1877. The latest rebuild of the lock was in 1972.
At the weir, a 19th century obelisk
records the deaths of five Christ Church
students who drowned here - Richard Philmore and William Gaisford in 1843; George Dasent in 1872 and Michael Llewelyn Davies and Rupert Buxton in 1921.
William Gaisford was the son of Thomas Gaisford
, the dean of Christ Church. He got into difficulties while swimming on 23rd June 1843. His friend, Richard Philmore, entered the water to save him, but both young men drowned.
They are buried in Christ Church Cathedral
and also commemorated by two memorial tablets in the north walk of the Cathedral cloisters.
Michael Llewelyn Davies was the foster son of writer J. M. Barrie
, and one of the main inspirations for the character of Peter Pan
. He and Rupert Buxton, the son of Sir Thomas Buxton, 4th Baronet
, both drowned on 19 May 1921 in the Sandford Lasher in reportedly calm water. Buxton was 21, Llewelyn Davies was just short of his 21st birthday.
Other deaths in the lasher pool include two students of Balliol College, Oxford
. John Richardson Currer, brother of Charles Savile Roundell
drowned in 1840 and Clarence Sinclair Collier in 1879. A pupil of the Cowley Diocesan School, Edward John, the son of the Vicar of Great Coxwell
, drowned on 21 May 1864 after diving into the water and saving the life of another boy, a non-swimmer who had accidentally fallen into the weirpool.
the river makes a sharp turn at Rose Isle
. On the west bank is the town of Kennington, Oxfordshire
. Further upstream are Kennington Railway Bridge
where the Hinksey Stream
joins the Thames again and Isis Bridge
carrying the Oxford southern by-pass.
The Thames Path
follows the western bank to Iffley Lock crossing the Hinksey Stream on the Kennington Towpath bridge.
(1889).
Jerome was a close personal friend of J.M. Barrie, and so probably knew Michael Llewelyn Davies.
In Tom Brown at Oxford
, by Thomas Hughes
, first published in 1861, the eponymous, principal character has a narrow escape after accidentally rowing a skiff
over the weir and into the lasher.
Sandford lock is briefly mentioned in the The Four Feathers
by A.E.W. Mason (1902). It is also briefly mentioned in the poem The Burden of Itys by Oscar Wilde
.
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...
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,...
in England, situated at Sandford-on-Thames
Sandford-on-Thames
Sandford-on-Thames is a village and Parish Council beside the River Thames in Oxfordshire just south of Oxford. The village is just west of the A4074 road between Oxford and Henley.-Early history:...
which is just South of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. The first pound lock was built in 1631 by the Oxford-Burcot Commission
Oxford-Burcot Commission
The Oxford-Burcot Commission was the first Commission concerned with the management of the River Thames, appointed by an Act of Parliament of 1605 by James I to make the stretch of river from Burcot to Oxford navigable. The Commission took responsibility for the management of the River Thames...
although this has since been rebuilt. The lock has the deepest fall of all locks on the Thames at 8ft 9in (2.69) metres and is connected to a large island which is one of three at this point.
The main weir connects the second island to the opposite bank on the Kennington, Oxfordshire
Kennington, Oxfordshire
Kennington is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire, just south of Oxford. The village occupies a narrow stretch of land between the River Thames and the A34 dual carriageway...
side. This is the location of the infamous Sandford Lasher, a treacherous weirpool where many have drowned. Another 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...
links the two lower islands.
History
There was a mill here built by the Knights TemplarKnights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
in around 1294. There are also records of a ferry and a fish weir in mediaeval times. In the reign of Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
there is an account of the immemorial conflict between millers and bargemen when "the men of Oxon broke down the locks of Sandford". This was probably at the navigation weir or 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....
on the old river channel behind the second island. This was described in 1624 as ‘Great Lockes’. It was replaced in 1631 when the Oxford-Burcot Commission
Oxford-Burcot Commission
The Oxford-Burcot Commission was the first Commission concerned with the management of the River Thames, appointed by an Act of Parliament of 1605 by James I to make the stretch of river from Burcot to Oxford navigable. The Commission took responsibility for the management of the River Thames...
built one of the first pound locks in England here. The lock was passed on to the Thames Navigation Commission
Thames Navigation Commission
The Thames Navigation Commission used to manage the River Thames in southern England. In particular, they were responsible for installing or renovating many of the locks on the river in the 18th and early 19th centuries.- History :...
in 1790 and lengthened in 1795, under the direction of Daniel Harris
Daniel Harris (Oxford)
Daniel Harris was a builder, prison governor, civil engineer and architect who lived and practised in Oxford.-Family:Harris's birthplace is obscure but he was born about 1761, as the entry in St-Peter-le-Bailey's register for his death in 1840 records his age as 79. He married Elizabeth Tomkins of...
, the Oxford gaoler, at a cost of nearly £1,800. In 1836 a new lock was built on the current site alongside the old one and a lock house was ordered in 1839. The old lock has since been filled in after an incident when a miller opened the sluices and caused damage to the embankments. Its position is still visible (the position of the upper gates can be seen in the stonework above the present upper gates). An iron bridge above the lock was built between 1866 and 1877. The latest rebuild of the lock was in 1972.
At the weir, a 19th century obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
records the deaths of five Christ Church
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
students who drowned here - Richard Philmore and William Gaisford in 1843; George Dasent in 1872 and Michael Llewelyn Davies and Rupert Buxton in 1921.
William Gaisford was the son of Thomas Gaisford
Thomas Gaisford
Thomas Gaisford was an English classical scholar.He was born at Iford Manor, Wiltshire, and entered the University of Oxford in 1797, becoming successively student and tutor of Christ Church. In 1811, he was appointed Regius Professor of Greek in the University...
, the dean of Christ Church. He got into difficulties while swimming on 23rd June 1843. His friend, Richard Philmore, entered the water to save him, but both young men drowned.
They are buried in Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the diocese of Oxford, which consists of the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It is also, uniquely, the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford.-History:...
and also commemorated by two memorial tablets in the north walk of the Cathedral cloisters.
J. M. Barrie
Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan. The child of a family of small-town weavers, he was educated in Scotland. He moved to London, where he developed a career as a novelist and playwright...
, and one of the main inspirations for the character of Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
. He and Rupert Buxton, the son of Sir Thomas Buxton, 4th Baronet
Sir Thomas Buxton, 4th Baronet
Sir Thomas Fowell Victor Buxton, 4th Baronet, – who went by the name Victor Buxton – was the great-grandson of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, a British MP and social reformer; the grandson of Sir Edward North Buxton, also an MP; and the son of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, a Governor of South...
, both drowned on 19 May 1921 in the Sandford Lasher in reportedly calm water. Buxton was 21, Llewelyn Davies was just short of his 21st birthday.
Other deaths in the lasher pool include two students of Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
. John Richardson Currer, brother of Charles Savile Roundell
Charles Savile Roundell
Charles Savile Roundell was an English cricketer, lawyer and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1880 and 1895....
drowned in 1840 and Clarence Sinclair Collier in 1879. A pupil of the Cowley Diocesan School, Edward John, the son of the Vicar of Great Coxwell
Great Coxwell
Great Coxwell is a village and civil parish southwest of Faringdon in Oxfordshire, England. It was in Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire....
, drowned on 21 May 1864 after diving into the water and saving the life of another boy, a non-swimmer who had accidentally fallen into the weirpool.
Access to the lock
The lock can easily be reached at the end of Church Lane from Sandford on Thames.Reach above the lock
After the third island which is Fiddler's ElbowFiddler's Elbow
Fiddler's Elbow is the largest of a set of islands in the River Thames in England alongside and upstream of Sandford Lock, near Kennington, Oxfordshire....
the river makes a sharp turn at Rose Isle
Rose Isle
Rose Isle is an island in the River Thames in England just downstream of Kennington Railway Bridge on the reach above Sandford Lock, near Kennington, Oxfordshire....
. On the west bank is the town of Kennington, Oxfordshire
Kennington, Oxfordshire
Kennington is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire, just south of Oxford. The village occupies a narrow stretch of land between the River Thames and the A34 dual carriageway...
. Further upstream are Kennington Railway Bridge
Kennington Railway Bridge
Kennington Railway Bridge near the village of Kennington, Oxfordshire crosses the River Thames between Sandford Lock and Iffley Lock. It carries the freight railway branch line that serves the BMW Mini factory at Cowley. The freight railway is part of the former Wycombe Railway that linked and ...
where the Hinksey Stream
Hinksey Stream
Hinksey Stream is a branch of the River Thames to the west of the city of Oxford, England. It starts as Seacourt Stream , which leaves the Thames at a bifurcation north of the village of Wytham, and rejoins the river south of the city near Kennington.-Seacourt Stream:From the bifurcation Seacourt...
joins the Thames again and Isis Bridge
Isis Bridge
Isis Bridge is a modern road bridge across the River Thames just south of Oxford, England. It carries the Oxford Ring Road, part of the A423 road, across the Thames on the reach between Sandford Lock and Iffley Lock....
carrying the Oxford southern by-pass.
The Thames Path
Thames 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....
follows the western bank to Iffley Lock crossing the Hinksey Stream on the Kennington Towpath bridge.
Literature and the media
Sandford Lasher and its dangers are described in chapter 18 of Jerome K Jerome's Three Men in a BoatThree Men in a Boat
Three Men in a Boat ,The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog! published in 1889, is a humorous account by Jerome K...
(1889).
The pool under Sandford lasher, just behind the lock, is a very good
place to drown yourself in. The undercurrent is terribly strong, and if
you once get down into it you are all right. An obelisk marks the spot
where two men have already been drowned, while bathing there; and the
steps of the obelisk are generally used as a diving-board by young men
now who wish to see if the place really IS dangerous.
Jerome was a close personal friend of J.M. Barrie, and so probably knew Michael Llewelyn Davies.
In Tom Brown at Oxford
Tom Brown at Oxford
Tom Brown at Oxford is a novel by Thomas Hughes, first published in 1861. It is a sequel to the better-known Tom Brown's Schooldays...
, by Thomas Hughes
Thomas Hughes
Thomas Hughes was an English lawyer and author. He is most famous for his novel Tom Brown's Schooldays , a semi-autobiographical work set at Rugby School, which Hughes had attended. It had a lesser-known sequel, Tom Brown at Oxford .- Biography :Hughes was the second son of John Hughes, editor of...
, first published in 1861, the eponymous, principal character has a narrow escape after accidentally rowing a skiff
Thames skiff
A Thames skiff is a traditional River Thames wooden rowing boat used for the activity of Skiffing. These boats evolved from Thames wherries in the Victorian era to meet a passion for river exploration and leisure outings on the water.-Construction of a skiff:...
over the weir and into the lasher.
Sandford lock is briefly mentioned in the The Four Feathers
The Four Feathers
The Four Feathers is a 1902 adventure novel by British writer A.E.W. Mason that has inspired many films of the same title.-Plot summary:...
by A.E.W. Mason (1902). It is also briefly mentioned in the poem The Burden of Itys by Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
.
External links
- River Thames at Sandford Lock at waterscape.com