Marsh Lock

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Marsh Lock
Marsh Lock from the tail gates
Waterway	River Thames
County	Berkshire
Maintained by	Environment Agency
Operation	Hydraulic
First built	1773
Latest built	1914
Length	135’ 2” (41.19m)
Width	21’ 1” (6.42m)
Fall	4’ 4” (1.33m)
Above Sea Level	105'
Distance to Teddington Lock	46 miles

Marsh Lock
legend River Thames Shiplake Lock Site of mill River Loddon Shiplake Railway Bridge moorings moorings island Poplar Eyot island Hennerton Backwater Marsh Lock and weir Site of mill River Thames

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 near Mill Meadows. It was built by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1773, originally of fir and replaced by oak in 1787. The lock was rebuilt of more solid material in 1886 and again in 1914.

The lock, original weir and footbridge were designed by Humphrey Gainsborough, a local non-conformist minister, inventor and the brother of the artist Thomas Gainsborough.

The weir was reconstructed in 2004 by Mowlem PLC to a design by Halcrow Group.

[edit] Access to the lock

Because the lock is unusually situated on the opposite side of the river to the towpath, a long wooden bridge was built from the Oxfordshire bank to carry the path out to the lock island below the weir, and then back again to the riverbank above the weir. This feature is unique on the River Thames.

[edit] Reach above the lock

Soon after the lock is the entrance to the Hennerton Backwater and then there is a series of islands including Poplar Eyot. The river passes between Wargrave, Berkshire and Shiplake, Oxfordshire but with open farmland on the Shiplake bank. It is joined by the River Loddon on the Berkshire side and crossed by Shiplake Railway Bridge just below Shiplake Lock. The Wargrave & Shiplake Regatta takes place on the reach in August.

The Thames Path follows the river on the western bank and then takes a diversion through Shiplake.

[edit] See also

• Locks on the River Thames
• Rowing on the River Thames
• River and Rowing Museum

Next lock upstream	River Thames	Next lock downstream
Shiplake Lock	Marsh Lock Grid reference: SU773816	Hambledon Lock

Coordinates: 51.52803° N 0.88710° W