Boulter's Lock

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Boulter's Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames at the eastern side of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. It is owned and managed by the Environment Agency.

1 Name
2 History
3 Construction
4 Weir
5 Other facts
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Name

A "bolter" was a miller and hence means "miller's lock."

[edit] History

The first pound lock was constructed in order to make the higher reaches of the River Thames on the site in 1772, although there had been other types of lock, including a flash lock on the site previously. The lock itself was built just two years after the Thames Act which gave the Thames Navigation Commission the power of compulsory purchase in order to make the river more accessible.

The lock was moved to the opposite bank of the river and enlarged in 1829 and 1912. The lock is situated between the main Maidenhead to Cookham road and Ray Mill Island. This area of the river became popular for boating parties in the late 19th century and early 20th century.

The mill on the island was constructed in 1726 on the site of a previous mill, and continued to produce flour until the 1920s. The island has subsequently been the location of a hotel, as well as pleasure gardens managed by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. There are a small number of private residences on the island.

[edit] Construction

The lock is a pound lock which is 60.81 metres in length and 6.48 metres in width, and has a depth of 5.25m at its highest. It is a manned lock.

[edit] Weir

Main article: Boulter's Weir

Like most other locks, Boulter's Lock has a weir to maintain the level of the river while still flowing water downstream. Boulter's Weir is special in that it has special modifications made to it, to allow kayakers to play on it without causing disruption to other river users.

[edit] Other facts

The lock has been the subject of a number of pictures since it is very picturesque. For example, Boulter's Lock, Sunday Afternoon (1882–97) by Edward John Gregory (1850–1909) is probably his most well-known painting.