De Bohun Island
Caversham lock in 2012
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|
| Waterway | River Thames |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire |
| Maintained by | Environment Agency |
| Operation | Hydraulic |
| First built | 1778 |
| Latest built | 1875 |
| Length | 40.03 m (131 ft 4 in) |
| Width | 5.46 m (17 ft 11 in) |
| Fall | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Above sea level | 120' |
| Distance to Teddington Lock |
55 miles |
| Coordinates | 51°27′39″N 0°57′51″W / 51.4607°N 0.9641°WCoordinates: 51°27′39″N 0°57′51″W / 51.4607°N 0.9641°W |
Caversham Lock is a lock and main weir on the River Thames in England at Reading, Berkshire. Both structures connect to De Bohun Island (or colloquially Lock Island), a long island. The original lock was built by the Thames Navigation Commissioners in 1778. Additional sluices north of verdant View Island and multiple home Heron Island form the whole weir complex. A footbridge passes over all three islands to connect Lower Caversham to Reading via an alternative route than George Street and Reading Bridge.
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 boat yard and large boathouse owned by the Environment Agency for occasional use by that authority and police in river patrol and maintenance of boats.
A weir, mill, ferry and flash lock on the site were referenced in 1493 when granted to Notley Abbey. The pound lock opened in 1778, but the lock house, long promised, was not built until after 1819. In 1871 Reading Corporation planned to build a swingbridge over the lock cut upstream of the lock, but this was not implemented. The lock was rebuilt in 1875.
The lock is about 400m east of Reading railway station and well connected to Kings Meadow, the largest park of central Reading.
Access to the north is to part of the Lower Caversham neighbourhood of the former village of Caversham (considered a Reading suburb administratively since it joined the Borough of Reading) and the route is open as a public footpath.
Soon after the lock is Reading Bridge followed by Fry's Island in the middle of the river. The built-up part of Reading stretches 500m (on the southern side) to Caversham Bridge, to the middle of which is attached a gangway leading to Pipers Island, with a restaurant which covers more than 75% of it.
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Wikipedia