Rushey Lock is a
lock on the River Thames in England. It is on the northern bank of the river in
Oxfordshire, at a considerable distance from any village, the nearest being
Buckland Marsh Buckland may refer to:
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* Buckland (surname)
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* Buckland, Queensland, a rural locality in the Central Highlands Region
* Buckland, Tasmania, a rural locality
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* Buckland River (Victoria ...
, a hamlet on the road to
Buckland to the south of the river.
The lock was built in stone in 1790 by the
Thames Navigation Commission.
The weir is adjacent to the lock on the other side of the lock island.
History
There was originally a weir and
flash lock
A flash lock is a type of lock for river or canal transport.
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.
Develop ...
about a mile upstream called Old Nan's Weir. A survey made in 1790 concluded that the site was unsuitable for a pound lock, and it was built at Rushey instead. There is no record of an earlier weir or lock at Rushey. Keepers at Rushey had oversight of Old Nan's Weir which was finally removed in 1868. Rushey lock was reported as in a bad state of deterioration in 1857 and the weir also in 1871, repairs being needed on both occasions. The lock keeper's house with a pyramidical roof was built in 1894, replacing an older one, and the lock was rebuilt in 1898.
[Fred. S. Thacker ''The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs'' 1920 - republished 1968 David & Charles]
Access to the lock
There is a road to the lock from
Tadpole Bridge
Tadpole Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, carrying a road between Bampton to the north and Buckland to the south. It crosses the Thames on the reach above Shifford Lock. It is a Grade II listed building. ...
downstream.
Reach above the lock
The river is very twisty along this reach. A short way before Radcot Lock is
Old Man's Bridge which is on the site of a former weir.
The
Thames Path
The Thames Path is a National Trail following the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel, south east London. It is about long. A path was first proposed in 1948 but it only opened in 1996.
The ...
follows the southern bank to Radcot Lock.
See also
*
Locks on the River Thames
The English River Thames is navigable from Cricklade (for very small, shallow boats) or Lechlade (for larger boats) to the sea, and this part of the river falls 71 meters (234 feet). There are 45 locks on the river, each with one or mor ...
*
Crossings of the River Thames
The River Thames is the second-longest river in the United Kingdom, passes through the capital city, and has many crossings.
Counting every channel – such as by its islands linked to only one bank – it is crossed by over 300 brid ...
External links
The Thames Path: Tadpole Bridge to Lechlade-- Rushey Lock is about halfway down this article, with several pictures
References
Locks on the River Thames
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