Caversham Lock

Caversham Lock
Caversham lock in 2012
Map
51°27′39″N 0°57′51″W / 51.4607°N 0.9641°W / 51.4607; -0.9641
WaterwayRiver Thames
CountyBerkshire
Maintained byEnvironment Agency
OperationHydraulic
First built1778
Latest built1875
Length40.03 m (131 ft 4 in)[1]
Width5.46 m (17 ft 11 in)[1]
Fall1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Above sea level120'
Distance to
Teddington Lock
55 miles
Caversham Lock
River Thames
Mapledurham Lock + weir
Mapledurham Mill
island
marina
island
Poplar Island
Appletree Eyot
St Mary's Island
Caversham Bridge
Pipers Island
Fry's Island
Christchurch Bridge
Reading Bridge
Reading railway station
Caversham Lock & weir
moorings
weir
Heron Island bridge
River Thames

Caversham Lock is a lock and main weir on the River Thames in England at Reading, Berkshire. Both the lock and main weir are connected to De Bohun Island (colloquially known as Lock Island). The Thames Navigation Commissioners built the original lock in 1778. Additional sluices north of View Island and Heron Island form the whole weir complex. A footbridge, known as The Clappers, passes over the weir and all three islands to connect Lower Caversham to Reading.

The weir is upstream of the lock and in the mid-channel. Kings Meadow, Reading, and buildings comprising homes and office blocks adjoin to the south of the lock itself. The island contains a typical lock-keeper's house, a crane depot, small boatyard, and large boathouse owned by the Environment Agency for occasional use by that authority and police in river patrol and maintenance of boats.

The head of water provided by the weir is used by Reading Hydro to generate up to 46 kW of electricity.[2]

  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
  2. ^ "Discover our hydro-electric plant". Reading Hydro CBS. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2022.