Boulter's Lock
The Boulter's Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is east of Maidenhead in Berkshire . The first lock was here in 1772 by the Thames Navigation Commission . It is located on the west bank between the A4094 Maidenhead to Cookham and Ray Mill Island . The name is also used for the surrounding area.
The weir belonging to the lock is on the north bank of Ray Mill Island. It is a popular playboating area that has been designed accordingly and does not disturb other users of the river.
history
The earliest mention of a water lock comes from the late 16th century. There are reports that a mill has existed on this site since the 14th century. The lock was where the weir is today, with a winch to pull the boats through near Boulter's Island . In 1746 it is reported that there was no lock downstream above this point. The Thames Navigation Commission's regulations of 1770 did not allow locks down the Maidenhead Bridge. As a result, this lock, built in 1772, was the most downstream lock, of the eight that were initially built by the Commission. The lock was covered with wood. The construction work was led by Joseph Nickalls, who had drawn up the plans to improve navigation on the Thames in preparation for the relevant law. Originally, the lock was on the Taplow waterfront near the Taplow Mill . In 1773, a resident complained that the boatmen were illegally walking through his forest and that their language was extremely rude. The lock was also known as the Boltus Lock . Bolter is a paraphrase for a miller . The lock was called Müller's lock , which referred to the Taplow mill. Unusually, a lock keeper's house was built as early as 1774. In 1780 there were complaints about the poor condition of the lock. In 1795 there were complaints about shoals in the river.
In 1825 the City of London complained about the state of the lock and recommended building a new one on the Berkshire waterfront. To do this, a new hole about 550 m long must be dug. To keep the construction site dry during the work, a water wheel was installed in the weir that powered a pump. The contract to build the puncture went to George Gynellf at a cost of £ 1,630 . A separate contract for the supply of stone and wood was given to Clarke and Moss , while all carpentry and other work was done by men employed directly by the Commission. The stone used was Heading Stone limestone from the Headington quarries. As the weir was too far from the construction site, a 4.5 kW steam engine was also used to keep the lock chamber dry. George Treacher was in charge of construction. Work began in December 1827 and was finished in April 1829. The total cost was £ 11,800. When it was completed, the lock was 46 m long and 5.8 m wide and had a height difference of 1.8 m, making it the largest stone lock in an English river. In recognition of his work, Treacher were awarded £ 100 in June 1829. The lock was known as the Ray Mill Lock after the adjacent Ray Mill Island. The puncture created Boulter's Island.
This section of the river became very popular for boat trips in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The lock was a popular spot on the Sunday after Royal Ascot when the rich and famous sailed through on their way to Cliveden . In 1899 an iron grille was put in place to hold back the audience. In 1909 the Thames Conservancy bought Ray Mill Island to make room for the lock upgrade, which took place in 1912.
The congestion at the lock became a serious problem before the First World War . A novel solution was found for this, which consisted of a movable ramp. Boats could simply drive onto the ramp, where blocks prevented them from sliding further, then the mechanism worked like an escalator where the boats and their occupants were lifted to the higher step. The elevator was opened in 1909 and operated by an electric motor. It is unclear how long the plant remained in operation, its location is still clearly visible today on Ray Mill Island.
The salmon ladder , inaugurated on May 19, 2000 at Boulter's Weir by the Duke of Wellington , was the last in a series to be built in the Thames. The last salmon had been caught here by 1923.
The river above the lock
Shortly after the lock has been breached, the Jubilee River begins on the Buckinghamshire side . This is followed by the islands of Bavin's Gulls , Formosa Island and a few other islands before the Cookham Lock is reached.
The Thames Path follows the west bank and bypasses Cookham Lock as it turns into Cookham .
The weir at the lock is often used by kayaks . In summer, a channel and a ramp are always installed permanently at the third of the six culverts in the weir for the boats.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Alec Skempton: Civil Engineers and Engineering in Britain, 1600-1830. Variorum, Brookfield, Vt. 1996, ISBN 0-86078-578-5 , p. 176.
- ^ Alec Skempton: Civil Engineers and Engineering in Britain. P. 153.
- ^ Alec Skempton: Civil Engineers and Engineering in Britain. P. 172.
- ^ Alec Skempton: Civil Engineers and Engineering in Britain. Pp. 153-154.
- ^ Alec Skempton: Civil Engineers and Engineering in Britain. Pp. 170-171.
- ^ Fred S. Thacker: The Thames Highway. Volume II: Locks and Weirs. 1920 - 1968 reissued , David & Charles, Newton Abbot, ISBN 0-7153-4233-9 , pp. 327-328.
- ^ Hugh McKnight: The Shell Book of Inland Waterways. David and Charles, 1981, ISBN 978-0-7153-8239-4 , pp. 45-47.
- ↑ Ray Mill Island ( Memento of the original from February 10, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on: Maidenhead Parks and Open Spaces - Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
- ^ Thames Pollution Control and Fish Life. In: Hansard April 25, 1972.
Coordinates: 51 ° 32 ′ 2 " N , 0 ° 41 ′ 56.8" W.