Molesey Lock

Molesey Lock
The lock after the release of 160,000 Rubber ducks at the start of the Great British Duck Race in September 2007
Map
51°24′17″N 0°20′45″W / 51.40472°N 0.34583°W / 51.40472; -0.34583 (Molesey Lock)
WaterwayRiver Thames
CountySurrey
Maintained byEnvironment Agency
OperationHydraulic
First built1815
Latest built1906
Length81.78 m (268 ft 4 in) [1]
Width7.56 m (24 ft 10 in)[1]
Fall1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Above sea level20 ft (6.1 m)
Distance to
Teddington Lock
4.8 miles
Power is available out of hours
Molesey Lock
Tumbling Bay weir
River Ash (distributary of Colne)
storm weir
River Thames above Sunbury Lock
Sunbury Weir
Sunbury Lock Ait or Island
boat rollers
Sunbury locks
(manual lock)
Rivermead Island
Sunbury Court Island
Grand Junction Isle
Portlane Brook
Platts Eyot
Benn's Ait and St Mary's Church, Hampton
Garrick's Ait and main channel
Tagg's Island
Ash Island
weir
Molesey Lock
River Thames: Kingston Reach

Molesey Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England at East Molesey, Surrey on the right bank.

The lock was built by the City of London Corporation in 1815 and was rebuilt by the Thames Conservancy in 1906. It is the second longest on the river at 81.78 m (268 ft 4 in); it is the second lowest of the non-tidal river and third-lowest including Richmond Lock on the Tideway. Upstream of the lock are moorings for small boats, specifically skiff, paddleboard, small speedboat and open kayak hire, a tour boat pier, a kiosk and van parking space for ice cream and soft drinks. A few metres upstream is a combined side weir and front weir followed by an attached ait, Ash Island. A low backwater against the opposite bank which forms the waterside to homes sometimes called the Hampton Riviera continues to a small upper weir.

Molesey Lock is within sight of the walls of Hampton Court Palace in southwest London on the opposite bank through the arches of Hampton Court Bridge, designed by Edwin Lutyens (220 m away).

  1. ^ a b c "A User's Guide to the River Thames" (PDF). PDF file. Environmental Agency. 2009. pp. 29–30. Retrieved 7 November 2012. Dimensions given in metres