Sunbury Lock
The Sunbury Lock is a lock in the River Thames at Walton-on-Thames in Surrey , England . It is on the south bank across from Sunbury .
There are basically two locks that are further downstream than the first lock, built in 1812. The older hand-operated lock was built in 1856 and is rarely used today. The newer lock was opened by Lord Desborough in 1927 . There is also a boat tow for smaller boats. The lock connects to Sunbury Lock Ait .
There are several weirs in the area of the lock. The main weir lies between Sunbury Lock Ait and Wheatley's Ait , which creates a strong current in the section beyond. Another weir is at the upstream end of Wheatley's Ait. A footbridge connects the islands, but it is not open to the public.
history
The first weir was built in 1789 to create a deeper navigation channel. There were various other weirs in this area due to numerous shoals when the river was still influenced by the tides . The first plan for a lock from 1805 was for a major canal breakthrough. The revised plan from 1809 led to the construction of the first lock a few hundred meters upstream from today's lock near the original lock keeper's house built at the same time. The hole for the lock was created from an existing watercourse on the island and the lock was opened in 1812. In 1852 the lock had fallen into disrepair and the plan to draw large amounts of drinking water from the river below spurred rebuilding. The lock was moved to its current location and a new lock keeper's house was added. The lock was opened in 1856. In 1927, the second lock was opened by Lord Desborough, then President of the Thames Conservancy .
The river above the lock
The lock canal is followed by Wheatley's Ait and then the Walton Bridge . After the bridge, the river divides into the old course that winds past Shepperton and the straight Desborough Cut on Desborough Island . Both arms meet again in front of the Shepperton Lock . This is where the Wey , Wey Navigation and River Bourne all flow into the Thames. There are also D'Oyly Carte Island and Hamhaugh Island . The Shepperton – Weybridge ferry service operates just below the Shepperton Lock.
The Thames Path follows the south bank almost to Shepperton Lock, where it crosses over to the ferry.
Kayak use of the weir
The Sunbury Weir is the place with the largest and fastest water flow to Playboating over the Thames. It is very difficult to use for inexperienced boaters.
At the weir at Sunbury Lock, at least one gate must be fully open and another half open, and at the Hurley Lock above, at least three gates must be open at the weir in order to have sufficient water available.
The conditions at the weir are also crucially dependent on the water level below the weir, so the condition at the Molesey Lock is of crucial importance. Exact information on the conditions is not published, but is based solely on informal disclosure information.
See also
Web links
- Thames Valley Freestylers homepage of kayakers on the Thames
Individual evidence
- ^ Fred S. Thacker: The Thames Highway. Volume II: Locks and Weirs. 1920 - 1968 reissued , David & Charles, Newton Abbot, ISBN 0-7153-4233-9 .
Coordinates: 51 ° 24 ′ 25.2 " N , 0 ° 24 ′ 26.9" W.