Sunbury Lock
Encyclopedia
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 near Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames is a town in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey in South East England. The town is located south west of Charing Cross and is between the towns of Weybridge and Molesey. It is situated on the River Thames between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock.- History :The name "Walton" is...
in north-west Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. The lock adjoins the southern bank about half a mile downstream of the Weir Hotel.
There are in fact two locks, which are some distance downstream of the original lock built in 1812. The older hand-operated one was originally built in 1856, but is now seldom used. The newer one was opened in 1927 by Lord Desborough. There is also a slide for the portage of small boats. The lock adjoins Sunbury Lock Ait
Sunbury Lock Ait
Sunbury Lock Ait is an ait in the River Thames in England adjacent to Sunbury Lock, near Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. It is unpopulated, but accessible by a footbridge over the lock cut from the southern bank as well as by a connection to the lock. There is a footbridge across the weir to Wheatley's...
.
There is more than one weir at Sunbury lock and these are some distance from the lock. The main weir is between Sunbury Lock Ait and Wheatley's Ait
Wheatley's Ait
Wheatley's Ait or Wheatley Eyot is an ait in the River Thames on the reach above Sunbury Lock, on the northern side close to Sunbury on Thames, Surrey, England. The island is in two parts. The downstream part contains workings and moorings for the Environment Agency and is accessed by a road...
, which causes a strong stream in the backwater behind. There is a further weir at the upstream end of Wheatley's Ait. There is a footbridge linking the islands, but this is not open to the public.
History
The earliest weir was built in 1789 specifically to divert water to create a deeper channel for navigation. There were several other such weirs locally because of many shoals and flats in the Sunbury area while the river was still tidal here. The first plan for a lock was in 1805 with an ambitious lock cut. A modified scheme in 1809 resulted in the first lock, which was built several hundred yards upstream of the present locks close to the bridge and the original lock house of the same year. The lock cut was created out of an existing channel beside the island and the lock was opened in 1812 The lock had become dilapidated by 1852 and the arrival of water companies planning major water extraction from the section of the river below the lock added an incentive for rebuilding it. It was relocated to its present position with a new lock house and opened in 1856. In 1927 a second lock was added at Sunbury, which was opened by Lord Desborough, then president of the Thames ConservancyThames Conservancy
The Thames Conservancy was a historical body responsible for the management of the River Thames in England. It was founded in 1857, initially replacing the jurisdiction of the City of London up to Staines and later taking responsibility for the whole river from Cricklade in Wiltshire to the sea at...
.
Access to the lock
The lock is inaccessible from the road and can be reached along the towpath from The Weir Hotel or ElmbridgeElmbridge
Elmbridge is a local government district and borough in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Esher. The district has only one civil parish, which is Claygate...
Leisure Centre on the Walton on Thames side. The weir for Kayaking purposes can be reached by water from the northern bank, between Shepperton
Shepperton
Shepperton is a town in the borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, England. To the south it is bounded by the river Thames at Desborough Island and is bisected by the M3 motorway...
and Sunbury-on-Thames
Sunbury-on-Thames
Sunbury-on-Thames, also known as Sunbury, is a town in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne, England, and part of the London commuter belt. It is located 16 miles southwest of central London and bordered by Feltham and Hampton, flanked on the south by the River Thames.-History:The earliest evidence of...
.
Reach above the lock
Walton Bridge
Walton Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames in England, carrying the A244 road between Walton-on-Thames and Shepperton. It crosses the Thames on the reach between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock. The architecture of the present bridge could at best be described as visually unappealing...
. On the Surrey side there is some open space at Elmbridge Leisure Centre, the river frontage of Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames is a town in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey in South East England. The town is located south west of Charing Cross and is between the towns of Weybridge and Molesey. It is situated on the River Thames between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock.- History :The name "Walton" is...
with a few pubs, and a marina. After Walton Bridge
Walton Bridge
Walton Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames in England, carrying the A244 road between Walton-on-Thames and Shepperton. It crosses the Thames on the reach between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock. The architecture of the present bridge could at best be described as visually unappealing...
the river divides between the old course which meanders through Shepperton
Shepperton
Shepperton is a town in the borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, England. To the south it is bounded by the river Thames at Desborough Island and is bisected by the M3 motorway...
, and the direct Desborough Cut
Desborough Cut
The Desborough Cut is an artificial channel in the River Thames above Sunbury Lock near Walton on Thames in England. It which was completed in 1935 to improve flow and ease navigation on the river....
alongside Desborough Island
Desborough Island
Desborough Island is a large artificially-created island in the River Thames on the reach above Sunbury Lock in Surrey, England. The island was formed in 1930s by the digging of a channel - the Desborough Cut - by the Thames Conservancy...
. Before Shepperton lock the waters rejoin to create further confusion with the River Wey
River Wey
The River Wey in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex is a tributary of the River Thames with two separate branches which join at Tilford. The source of the north branch is at Alton, Hampshire and of the south branch at both Blackdown south of Haslemere, and also close to Gibbet Hill, near Hindhead...
, the Wey navigation
Wey and Godalming Navigations
The Wey and Godalming Navigations is the name given to the navigable parts of the River Wey, in Surrey, UK. The navigation runs for around between the River Thames below Shepperton Lock near Weybridge, to the south-west of London, and the centre of Godalming, in Surrey; it runs through Guildford...
and the River Bourne
River Bourne, Chertsey
There are two rivers named Bourne in Surrey which join together at St George's College, Weybridge. This article refers to the north branch which runs through Chertsey...
joining, interspersed with D'Oyly Carte Island
D'Oyly Carte Island
D'Oyly Carte Island is a small island in the River Thames, England, on the reach above Sunbury Lock and just below Shepperton Lock. It is located between Weybridge and Shepperton....
and Hamhaugh Island
Hamhaugh Island
Hamhaugh Island is an island in the River Thames in England close to Shepperton Lock, near Shepperton, Surrey. The island is mainly residential with a total of 46 houses and a communal green. Access is on foot from Shepperton lock, across Lock Island and then across a weir. A second weir, without...
. There the Shepperton to Weybridge Ferry
Shepperton to Weybridge Ferry
The Shepperton to Weybridge Ferry is a pedestrian and cycle ferry service across the River Thames in the English county of Surrey. The ferry runs from Ferry Lane, in Shepperton, to a point a short walk from Thames Street, in Weybridge. It is situated just below Shepperton Lock on the reach above...
operates just below the lock.
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....
on the Desborough Cut, to allow river users to check their speed.
The reach is home to several rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
clubs, a skiffing
Skiffing
Skiffing refers to the sporting and leisure activity of rowing a Thames skiff. A Thames skiff is a traditional hand built clinker-built wooden craft of a design which has been seen on the River Thames and other waterways in England and other countries for nearly 200 years...
club, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
and canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
clubs. Walton Regatta, Walton Reach Regatta and Weybridge Ladies Regatta take place on this part of the river.
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....
continues along the Surrey bank until just before Shepperton Lock where the ferry goes across to the other side. To avoid the ferry calls for a long detour over Walton Bridge and via Shepperton.
Sports clubs on the reach
- Elmbridge Canoe Club
- Walton Rowing ClubWalton Rowing ClubWalton Rowing Club is an amateur rowing club, on the River Thames in England. Its club and boat house is situated at on the Surrey bank of the Thames at Walton-on-Thames just above Sunbury Lock...
- St George's School Boat Club
- Weybridge Rowing ClubWeybridge Rowing ClubWeybridge Rowing Club, founded in 1880, is an amateur rowing club, on the River Thames in England. Its club and boat house is situated at on the Surrey bank of the Thames near Weybridge just downstream of Shepperton Lock...
- Weybridge Ladies Rowing Club
- Thames Valley Skiff ClubThames Valley Skiff ClubThames Valley Skiff Club is an English skiff and punting club, which was founded in 1923. It is based on the River Thames in England, on the Surrey bank between Sunbury Lock and Walton on Thames....
- Desborough Sailing Club
Kayaking
Sunbury Weir has the highest volume and fastest freestyle kayakingPlayboating
Playboating is a discipline of whitewater kayaking or canoeing where the paddler performs various technical moves in one place , as opposed to downriver whitewater canoeing or kayaking where the objective is to travel the length of a section of river...
playspot
Playspot
A playspot is a term used by kayakers and canoeists to describe favorable stationary features on rivers, in particular standing waves , 'holes' and 'stoppers', where water flows back on itself creating a retentive feature , or eddy lines A playspot is a term used by kayakers and canoeists to...
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,...
. It is wide, surging and unfriendly to new or inexperienced paddlers. The eddyline is also very unstable and requires considerable effort to cross.
Access
Public car park on Fordbridge Road, between Shepperton and Sunbury, parallel to north side of River Thames. Once parked, walk across the field, and paddle downstream to the main weir.Gates
The weir consists of several gates which are opened according to the river levels.Sunbury appears to work best at a certain pool level, rather than gate configuration. So it is entirely dependent on how many gates are open at the downstream weir (at Molesey Lock
Molesey Lock
Molesey Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England at East Molesey, Surrey. It is near Hampton Court Palace to the west of London.The lock was built by the City of London Corporation in 1815 and is the second longest on the river at over 268 ft . Beside the lock there are rollers for the...
). This information is not normally available, so word-of-mouth reports are essential. See links before for up-to-date websites.
Water levels
- Sunbury Weir will need to be on at least 1 and a 1/2 gates for usable feature, pool level depending.
- Hurley Weir needs to be on at least 3 gates for sufficient water.
Literature and the Media
The lock is mentioned in Jerome K. JeromeJerome K. Jerome
Jerome Klapka Jerome was an English writer and humorist, best known for the humorous travelogue Three Men in a Boat.Jerome was born in Caldmore, Walsall, England, and was brought up in poverty in London...
's book Three Men in a Boat
Three 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...
- "The river is sweetly pretty there just before you come to the gates, and the backwater is charming: but don't attempt to row up it"
See also
- Locks on the River ThamesLocks on the River ThamesThe English River Thames is navigable from Cricklade or Lechlade to the sea, and this part of the river falls 71 metres . There are 45 locks on the river, each with one or more adjacent weirs...
- Rowing on the River ThamesRowing on the River ThamesThe River Thames is one of the main rowing areas in England, with activity taking place on the Tideway and on the 45 separate lock reaches on the non tidal section. The river hosts two major rowing events The Boat Race and Henley Royal Regatta, and a large number of other regattas and long distance...
- Kayaking and Canoeing on the River ThamesKayaking and Canoeing on the River ThamesThe River Thames in England is a very popular river for kayakers and canoeists, and is home to several canoe clubs, including the Royal Canoe Club which is the oldest canoe club in the world.The tidal section is used by sea kayakers and experienced tourers...
- Sailing on the River ThamesSailing on the River ThamesSailing on the River Thames is practised on both the tidal and non-tidal reaches of the river. The highest club upstream is at Oxford. The most popular sailing craft used on the Thames are lasers, GP14s, Wayfarers and Enterprises...
External links
- Shepperton Whitewater Centre for Sunbury Weir Levels
- Thames Valley Freestylers weir levels