Thames Conservancy
Encyclopedia
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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. 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
Cricklade
Cricklade is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in north Wiltshire in England, midway between Swindon and Cirencester.On 25 September 2011 Cricklade was awarded The Royal Horticultural Society's 'Champion of Champions' award in the Britain in Bloom competition.Cricklade is twinned with...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
to the sea at Yantlet Creek on the Isle of Grain
Isle of Grain
The Isle of Grain, in the north of Kent, England, is the easternmost point of the Hoo Peninsula. No longer an island, the Isle is almost all marshland and the Grain Marshes are an important habitat for birdlife...
. Responsibilities were reduced when the Tideway
Tideway
The Tideway is a name given to the part of the River Thames in England that is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock and is just under long...
was transferred to the Port of London Authority
Port of London Authority
The Port of London Authority is a self-funding public trust established in 1908 by the Port of London Act to govern the Port of London. Its responsibility extends over the Tideway of the River Thames and the authority is responsible for the public right of navigation and for conservancy of the...
in 1909 and in 1972 the Conservancy was taken into the Thames Water Authority
Thames Water
Thames Water Utilities Ltd, known as Thames Water, is the private utility company responsible for the public water supply and waste water treatment in large parts of Greater London, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Kent, and some other areas of in the United Kingdom...
.
Background
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
, just to the west of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and Yantlet Creek had been claimed by the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
since 1197 under a charter of Richard the Lionheart
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
. In 1771 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 :...
was established from a body created twenty years earlier to handle navigation on the river. Although the Commissioners were active in establishing locks and weirs above Staines, they did not interfere with the jurisdiction of the City of London.
The City of London built a series of locks from Teddington
Teddington Lock
Teddington Lock is a complex of three locks and a weir on the River Thames in England at Ham in the western suburbs of London. The lock is on the southern Surrey side of the river....
to Penton Hook
Penton Hook Lock
Penton Hook Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England situated on the northern "Middlesex" bank near Laleham, Surrey.The lock cuts across a large loop or hook in the river, creating Penton Hook Island There is a large marina in the disused gravel pits connected to this loop...
at the beginning of the nineteenth century. They also used material from the demolished Old London Bridge to support the embankments between Sunbury
Sunbury Lock
Sunbury Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England near Walton-on-Thames in north-west Surrey. The lock adjoins the southern bank about half a mile downstream of the Weir Hotel....
and Shepperton
Shepperton Lock
Shepperton Lock is a lock on the River Thames, in England adjoining the northern bank near Shepperton, Surrey . It is across the river from Weybridge, but not directly accessible from there....
.
However trouble arose around 1840 when the government proposed building the Victoria Embankment
Victoria Embankment
The Victoria Embankment is part of the Thames Embankment, a road and river walk along the north bank of the River Thames in London. Victoria Embankment extends from the City of Westminster into the City of London.-Construction:...
and The Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
claimed title to the river bed. The dispute simmered on for 17 years.
Meanwhile, as a result of competition from the railways, the volume of traffic on the river had been drastically reduced. Income from tolls fell from £16,000 in 1839 to less than £8,000 in 1849, while maintenance charges for 1850 were estimated at nearly £7000. The City authority's unwillingness to pay for necessary expenditure led to complaints. By Act of Parliament in 1857 the Crown reclaimed its rights and transferred it to the new Conservancy.
First Conservancy (1857)
The City of London handed its inventory to the Thames Conservancy in October 1857. In June 1857 the first stone of a new lock at Teddington had been laid at the present position, being the central of the three locks. The Conservancy opened it in 1858 together with the narrow skiffThames 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:...
lock, (known as "the coffin"). and the Conservancy soon imposed regulations. In 1858 a toll of 15 shillings was imposed on every steam vessel passing Teddington Lock, and a speed limit set to five miles per hour. This was amended to 5 mph with the stream and 4 mph against it. Netting from Richmond to Staines was prohibited for ever. The new authority reaffirmed the rights of anglers against interference from landowners and received a notice from the water-bailiff drawing attention to the " improper practice of letting boats for hire to inexperienced persons". At this time the management of the bulk of the upstream river was the responsibility of the Thames Navigation Commissioners, but this changed in 1866.
Second Conservancy (1866)
In 1866 it was considered expedient to put the navigation of the whole of the River under one management It was said that the Thames Commissioners were too numerous, the locks and weirs were in a bad condition and income was insufficient to pay for maintenance. It was believed that under single management with the upper river maintained properly and with lower tolls overall the traffic would increase. Under an Act of 6 August 1866, the Thames Conservancy took over management of the river from Cricklade to Yantlet Creek, a distance of 177 miles (285 km).
Buscot Park
Buscot Park is a country house at Buscot near the town of Faringdon in Oxfordshire. It was built in an austere neoclassical style between 1780 and 1783 for Edward Loveden Townsend. It remained in the Loveden Townsend family until sold in 1859 to Robert Tertius Campbell, an Australian...
. Most weirs belonged to the twenty eight water-mills still operating between Oxford and Staines and the entitlement to water of the mills, many of which dated back to Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, was recognised. No new flow of sewage into the river or its tributaries was allowed and existing sewage works were to be removed. New revenue was raised by a £1000 per annum charge on each of the five water companies
London water supply infrastructure
London's water supply infrastructure has developed over the centuries in line with the expansion of London and now represents a sizeable infrastructure investment. For much of London's history, private companies supplied fresh water to various parts of London from the River Thames and the River Lea...
. The Southwark and Vauxhall
Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company
The Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company was a utility company supplying water to parts of south London in England. The company was formed by the merger of the Southwark and Vauxhall Water Companies in 1845 and became part of the publicly-owned Metropolitan Water Board in 1903.-Southwark Water...
, Grand Junction
Grand Junction Waterworks Company
The Grand Junction Waterworks Company was a utility company supplying water to parts of west London in England. The company was formed as an off-shoot of the Grand Junction Canal Company in 1811 and became part of the publicly-owned Metropolitan Water Board in 1903.-Origins:The company was created...
and West Middlesex
West Middlesex Waterworks Company
The West Middlesex Waterworks Company was a utility company supplying water to parts of west London in England. The company was established in 1806 with works at Hammersmith and became part of the publicly-owned Metropolitan Water Board in 1903.-Origins:...
water companies had set up their works at Hampton
Hampton, London
Hampton is a suburban area, centred on an old village on the north bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in England. Formerly it was in the county of Middlesex, which was formerly also its postal county. The population is about 9,500...
in the 1850s after it became illegal to take water from the Tideway
Tideway
The Tideway is a name given to the part of the River Thames in England that is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock and is just under long...
. The Lambeth
Lambeth Waterworks Company
The Lambeth Waterworks Company was a utility company supplying water to parts of south London in England. The company was established in 1785 with works in north Lambeth and became part of the publicly-owned Metropolitan Water Board in 1903.-Origins:...
and Chelsea
Chelsea Waterworks Company
The Chelsea Waterworks Company was a London waterworks company founded in 1723 which supplied water to many central London locations throughout the 18th and 19th centuries until its functions were taken over by the Metropolitan Water Board in 1902....
water companies had moved initially to Seething Wells
Seething Wells
Seething Wells is a locality of Surbiton in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. It is the site of a former water treatment works on the south bank of the River Thames. Part of it was redeveloped in the early 21st century. The filter beds remain the property of Thames Water, via their...
but later relocated to East Molesey
East Molesey
Molesey is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England. Situated on the outskirts of Greater London, approximately from Charing Cross, it is a typical suburban area. There are two distinct areas in the town: West and East Molesey...
. Whereas the City of London owned the river bed for its part of the river, the Thames Commissioners did not and hence Thames Conservancy did not acquire the ownership of the river bed for the section above Staines which remained (and remains) the property of the riparian owners.
In August 1866 the Conservancy inspected works between Oxford and Windsor and in October settled a table of tolls. Bell Weir Lock
Bell Weir Lock
Bell Weir Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England situated on the Surrey bank near Egham. It is just upstream of the M25 Runnymede Bridge which carries the M25 and A30 road across the river...
had collapsed in June and was rebuilt the following year. In 1868 tolls were placed on three of the four locks then above Oxford - St John's
St John's Lock
St John's Lock is a lock on the upper reaches of the River Thames in England, near the town of Lechlade, Gloucestershire. It is the highest lock on the river. It is named after a priory that was established nearby in 1250, which no longer exists. The lock was built of stone in 1790 by the Thames...
, Buscot
Buscot Lock
Buscot Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England, near the village of Buscot, Oxfordshire.The lock was built of stone by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1790 and is the smallest on the River Thames...
and Pinkhill Lock
Pinkhill Lock
Pinkhill Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is close to Farmoor, Oxfordshire.The first lock was built of stone by Daniel Harris for the Thames Navigation Commission in 1791....
s. Rushey Lock
Rushey Lock
Rushey Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is on the northern bank of the river in Oxfordshire, a considerable distance from any village, the nearest being Buckland Marsh, a hamlet on the road to Buckland to the south of the river....
was omitted and there were no tolls on the weirs. This reflects the poor state of navigation above Oxford. Some of the old locks on the rest of the river were still wooden pens and these were gradually renewed or replaced. Works completed in 1869 included the rebuilding of Romney Lock
Romney Lock
Romney Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England near Windsor and Eton. It is on the Windsor side of the river next to a boatyard and adjoins Romney Island, a long strip of land in the middle of the river. The first lock was built by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1798.The weir is some...
and the addition of a boat slide at Teddington. In 1870 Hambleden Lock
Hambleden Lock
Hambleden Lock is a lock with a long weir situated on the River Thames in England. The lock is on the Berkshire bank between Aston and Remenham...
and Benson Lock
Benson Lock
Benson Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England, close to Benson, Oxfordshire but on the opposite bank of the river. The first pound lock here was built by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1788 and it was replaced by the present masonry lock in 1870...
were rebuilt, followed by Day's Lock
Day's Lock
Day's Lock is a lock on the River Thames near Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England on the Dorchester side of the river.The pound lock was built in 1789 by the Thames Navigation Commissioner...
in 1871 and Godstow Lock
Godstow Lock
Godstow Lock is a lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. It is between the villages of Wolvercote and Wytham on the outskirts of Oxford. The first lock was built of stone by Daniel Harris for the Thames Navigation Commission in 1790...
in 1872. In the 1870s it is recorded that Teddington weir collapsed twice causing enormous damage.
In 1872 Conservance promised to reopen navigation between Radcot and Newbridge
Newbridge, Oxfordshire
Newbridge is a 13th century bridge carrying the A415 road over the River Thames in Oxfordshire, between Abingdon and Witney, close to the Thames' confluence with the River Windrush...
by repairing Rushey Lock but in 1874 recognised that they lacked the funds to meet promise. There were regular complaints at this time about the poor state of river particularly in upper reaches and the persistence of sewage.
Shiplake Lock
Shiplake Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames in England near the village of Shiplake, Oxfordshire. It is just above the points where the River Loddon joins the Thames and Shiplake Railway Bridge crosses the river...
and Cleeve
Cleeve Lock
Cleeve Lock is a lock on the River Thames, in Oxfordshire, England. It is located just upstream of Streatley on the same side of the river. The village of Cleeve is on the opposite bank near Goring ....
in 1874, Caversham
Caversham Lock
Caversham Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames in England at Reading, Berkshire. The lock is connected to De Bohun Island, a somewhat larger than normal lock island...
in 1875, Whitchurch
Whitchurch Lock
Whitchurch Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames in England. It is a pound lock, built by the Thames Navigation Commissioners in 1787...
in 1876 and Bell Weir
Bell Weir Lock
Bell Weir Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England situated on the Surrey bank near Egham. It is just upstream of the M25 Runnymede Bridge which carries the M25 and A30 road across the river...
in 1877. In 1883 the Conservancy removed the lock at Chalmore Hole
Chalmore Lock
Chalmore Lock was a lock and weir which operated between 1838 and 1883 on the River Thames in England near Wallingford, Oxfordshire.-History:Chalmore Lock was built in 1838 by the Thames Navigation Commissioners at a place called Chalmore Hole between Cleeve Lock and Benson Lock. It was built as a...
at Wallingford, after many years petitioning by residents of Wallingford for its retention. The weirs at Hambleden were built in 1884 and the public right of way across the river sustained by building the walkway. Bray Lock
Bray Lock
Bray Lock is a lock and weir on the River Thames in England near Bray and Dorney and is just above the M4 Bridge across the Thames. The lock is on the Buckinghamshire side of the river on the opposite bank from Bray itself and Maidenhead which are in Berkshire...
was rebuilt in 1885.
The Thames Preservation Act was passed in 1885 to enshrine the preservation of river for public recreation. It prohibited shooting on the river which had become a cause of concern. The act noted "It is lawful for all persons for pleasure or profit to travel or to loiter upon any and every part or the river" (apart from private cuts). The river had become exceedingly popular for sport and leisure. Many regattas or "aquatic fetes" had been instigated and Jerome K Jerome's 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...
published in 1889 described a typical boating journey.
Marsh Lock
Marsh Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames in England near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. The lock is close to the Berkshire bank, but accessed from the Oxfordshire side via two long walkways, the downstream one being near Mill Meadows...
in 1888, Temple
Temple Lock
Temple Lock is a lock and weir situated on the Buckinghamshire bank of the River Thames near Temple Mill Island opposite Temple Meadows and not far from Hurley, Berkshire...
in 1890 and Cookham
Cookham Lock
Cookham Lock is a lock with weirs 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...
in 1892 The first new lock was built at Radcot Lock
Radcot Lock
Radcot Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England just downstream of Radcot, Oxfordshire, on the southern bank.The lock was built by the Thames Conservancy in 1892 on the site of an old weir and flash lock....
in 1892, and Chertsey Lock
Chertsey Lock
Chertsey Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England, on the northern Middlesex bank near Chertsey in north-west Surrey. The lock is about 200 yards upstream of the picturesque Chertsey Bridge...
was lengthened in 1893. A major work in 1894 was the Richmond Lock and weir complex built to ensure that there is always at least a 5 in 8 in (1.73 m) depth of water in the River between Richmond and Teddington.
Another act was passed in 1894 which consisted mainly of tidying up legislation. The Conservancy finally addressed navigation above Oxford replacing the existing weirs with locks and footbridges where the was a right of way. New locks were Grafton Lock
Grafton Lock
Grafton Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England on the northern bank between Kelmscott and Radcot Oxfordshire. The lock was built by the Thames Conservancy in 1896.The weir is on the other side of the lock island at the upstream end....
and Northmoor Lock
Northmoor Lock
Northmoor Lock is a lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, on the northern bank about a mile from Northmoor.The lock was built in 1896 by the Thames Conservancy to replace a flash lock at Hart's Weir, also known as Ridge's Weir, about a mile upstream and another at Ark Weir downstream...
in 1896 and Shifford Lock
Shifford Lock
Shifford Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is in the centre of a triangle formed by the small villages of Shifford, Duxford and Chimney in Oxfordshire. It is at the start of a navigation cut built with the lock by the Thames Conservancy in 1898...
in 1898. Also in 1898 the conservancy rebuilt Pinkhill and Rushey. Downstream, Boveney was rebuilt in 1898, with the old lock replaced by a boat slide and Shepperton was also rebuilt on a different alignment in 1899.
By the end of the 19th century the advance in the size of ships and the growth of the Port of London raised questions of management and a Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
reported in 1900 recommending that a single body take responsibility for the Port.
Meanwhile at Teddington, the barge lock, the largest lock on the river at 650 feet (198.1 m), was built in 1904–1905. Locks rebuilt in 1905 included Abingdon
Abingdon Lock
Abingdon Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England, less than 1 mile east and upstream of Abingdon, Oxfordshire on the opposite bank of the river...
, St Johns, Sonning
Sonning Lock
Sonning Lock is a lock and associated weir situated on the River Thames at the village of Sonning near Reading, Berkshire, England. The first lock was built by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1773 and it has been rebuilt three times since then....
and Osney
Osney Lock
Osney Lock is a lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. It is close to Oxford where the village or island of Osney is next to the river.The first lock was built of stone by Daniel Harris for the Thames Navigation Commission in 1790....
. 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...
was replaced in 1906 and Mapledurham Lock
Mapledurham Lock
Mapledurham Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames in England. The lock was first built in 1777 by the Thames Navigation Commissioners and the present lock dates from 1908....
in 1908.
After separation of the Port of London
Tideway
The Tideway is a name given to the part of the River Thames in England that is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock and is just under long...
including Richmond Lock to the Port of London Authority
Port of London Authority
The Port of London Authority is a self-funding public trust established in 1908 by the Port of London Act to govern the Port of London. Its responsibility extends over the Tideway of the River Thames and the authority is responsible for the public right of navigation and for conservancy of the...
, which began its duties on 31 March 1909. The demarkation point boundary was set at the boundary between the parishes of Teddington
Teddington
Teddington is a suburban area in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London, on the north bank of the River Thames, between Hampton Wick and Twickenham. It stretches inland from the River Thames to Bushy Park...
and Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
at a point marked by an obelisk 350 yards (320 m) below Teddington Lock . The Thames Conservancy remained responsible for the non-tidal river between Cricklade and Teddington.
Lock rebuilds took place at Penton Hook
Penton Hook Lock
Penton Hook Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England situated on the northern "Middlesex" bank near Laleham, Surrey.The lock cuts across a large loop or hook in the river, creating Penton Hook Island There is a large marina in the disused gravel pits connected to this loop...
in 1909 and Hurley
Hurley Lock
Hurley Lock is a lock and weir on the River Thames in England, situated in a clump of wooded islands close to the village of Hurley, Berkshire. The lock was first built by the Thames Navigation Commissioners in 1773....
in 1910. In 1912 the Conservancy undertook major works at Boulter's Lock
Boulter's Lock
Boulter's Lock is a lock and weir on the River Thames in England on the eastern side of Maidenhead, Berkshire. A lock was first built here by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1772. The lock is on the western side of the river between the main Maidenhead to Cookham road and Ray Mill Island...
, which inolved the purchase of Ray Mill Island
Ray Mill Island
Ray Mill Island is an island in the River Thames in England at Boulter's Lock near Maidenhead, Berkshire.The island is now a park administered by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. It is named after the Ray family who once had a flour mill here...
. Chertsey Lock
Chertsey Lock
Chertsey Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England, on the northern Middlesex bank near Chertsey in north-west Surrey. The lock is about 200 yards upstream of the picturesque Chertsey Bridge...
was lengthened in 1913 and Marsh Lock
Marsh Lock
Marsh Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames in England near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. The lock is close to the Berkshire bank, but accessed from the Oxfordshire side via two long walkways, the downstream one being near Mill Meadows...
rebuilt in 1914. Goring Lock was rebuilt in 1921 with a third central set of gates and Godstow Lock rebuilt in 1924. In 1927 a new lock was built at Sunbury, the old one being retained. Marlow Lock and Iffley Lock were redeveloped in the same years. In 1928 the improvement to navigation above Oxford was finally completed with the building of Eynsham Lock
Eynsham Lock
Eynsham Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is on the southern bank near Swinford Oxfordshire. The large village of Eynsham is a little distance away on the northern bank....
and King's Lock
King's Lock
King's Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is in open country to the north of Oxford, Oxfordshire, on the southern bank of the river. The lock was one of the last pound locks built on the Thames being built by the Thames Conservancy in 1928 to replace the former flash lock.At the lock...
.
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....
between 1930 and 1935. The 3/4/mile (1 km) cut took the river on a straight course between Weybridge
Weybridge
Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
and Walton on Thames, and avoiding a meandering stretch past 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 Lower Halliford
Lower Halliford
Lower Halliford is a hamlet in the parish of Shepperton in Surrey, formerly Middlesex on the banks of the River Thames. It lies on the road from Kingston upon Thames to Chertsey on a loop of the Thames across the river from Walton on Thames....
. The cut alleviated flooding in Shepperton and halved the distance of travel on that part of the river.
A Thames Conservancy Act of 1932 Act dealt with construction of jetties and landing stages on the river
In the 1960s modernisation of the locks began with the first hydraulic system introduced at Shiplake Lock in 1961. Sandford Lock
Sandford Lock
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...
was rebuilt in 1972
Replacement
On 1 April 1974, the Thames Conservancy was subsumed into the new Thames Water AuthorityThames Water
Thames Water Utilities Ltd, known as Thames Water, is the private utility company responsible for the public water supply and waste water treatment in large parts of Greater London, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Kent, and some other areas of in the United Kingdom...
, although much of the organisation remained intact as the authority's Thames Conservancy Division. However when Thames Water was privatised in 1990 the river management functions passed to the new National Rivers Authority
National Rivers Authority
The National Rivers Authority was one of the forerunners of the Environment Agency of England and Wales, existing between 1989 and 1996. Before 1989 the regulation of the aquatic environment had largely been carried out by the ten Regional Water Authorities...
and in 1996 to the Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
.
Locks built by the Thames Conservancy
- Radcot LockRadcot LockRadcot Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England just downstream of Radcot, Oxfordshire, on the southern bank.The lock was built by the Thames Conservancy in 1892 on the site of an old weir and flash lock....
(1892) - Richmond Lock (1894)
- Grafton LockGrafton LockGrafton Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England on the northern bank between Kelmscott and Radcot Oxfordshire. The lock was built by the Thames Conservancy in 1896.The weir is on the other side of the lock island at the upstream end....
(1896) - Northmoor LockNorthmoor LockNorthmoor Lock is a lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, on the northern bank about a mile from Northmoor.The lock was built in 1896 by the Thames Conservancy to replace a flash lock at Hart's Weir, also known as Ridge's Weir, about a mile upstream and another at Ark Weir downstream...
(1896) - Shifford LockShifford LockShifford Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is in the centre of a triangle formed by the small villages of Shifford, Duxford and Chimney in Oxfordshire. It is at the start of a navigation cut built with the lock by the Thames Conservancy in 1898...
(1898) - Eynsham LockEynsham LockEynsham Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is on the southern bank near Swinford Oxfordshire. The large village of Eynsham is a little distance away on the northern bank....
(1928) - King's LockKing's LockKing's Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is in open country to the north of Oxford, Oxfordshire, on the southern bank of the river. The lock was one of the last pound locks built on the Thames being built by the Thames Conservancy in 1928 to replace the former flash lock.At the lock...
(1928)
Chairmen of Thames Conservancy
- Sir Frederick Dixon-HartlandSir Frederick Dixon-Hartland, 1st BaronetSir Frederick Dixon-Hartland was an antiquary, banker and a Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1881 to 1909....
(1895–1904) - Lord DesboroughWilliam Grenfell, 1st Baron DesboroughWilliam Henry Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough, KG, GCVO, was an athlete, sportsman, public servant and politician. He sat in the House of Commons firstly for the Liberal Party and then for the Conservatives between 1880 and 1905 when he was raised to the peerage...
(1905–1936) - J. D. Gilbert (1937–1938)
- Sir Jocelyn Bray (1938–1960)
- Lord NugentGeorge Nugent, Baron Nugent of GuildfordGeorge Richard Hodges Nugent, Baron Nugent of Guildford PC, JP , known as Sir George Nugent, 1st Baronet between 1960 and 1966, was a British Conservative politician.-Background:...
(1961-c.1970)