Molesey Lock

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Molesey Lock
The lock after the release of 160,000 Rubber ducks at the start of the Great British Duck Race in September 2007
Waterway	River Thames
County	Surrey
Maintained by	Environment Agency
Operation	Hydraulic
First built	1815
Length	268' 4" (81.78m)
Width	24' 10" (7.56m)
Fall	6' 1" (1.85m)
Above Sea Level	20'
Distance to Teddington Lock	4.8 miles
Power is available out of hours

Molesey Lock
legend River Thames boat rollers Sunbury Locks (manual lock) Rivermead Island Sunbury Court Island Platts Eyot Garrick's Ait Tagg's Island Ash Island weir Molesey Lock River Thames

Molesey Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England at East Molesey, Surrey. It is near Hampton Court Palace to the west of London.

The bill for the construction of Molesey Lock was passed by Parliament in 1812. The lock is one of the longest on the river at over 268 ft (81.78 metres). Beside the lock there are rollers for the portage of small boats. There is a small lock island on which is a plaque commemorating Michael J Bulleid whose work for salmon conservancy has allowed these fish to travel up the river. On the other side of the large weir sits Ash Island, with a backwater behind it continuing to a smaller weir upstream.

The lock's proximity to Hampton Court and easy access made it a popular venue for spectators in the Victorian era, and the tree-lined lock still attracts large numbers of visitors.

Contents 1 Access to the lock 2 Reach above the lock 2.1 Sports clubs on the reach 3 Literature and the Media 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] Access to the lock

The lock is about 100 yards upstream of Hampton Court Bridge on the South side. It is immediately accessible from the main Hurst Road/Riverbank (A3050) and is only a short way from Hampton Court railway station.

[edit] Reach above the lock

After the lock cut are Tagg's Island which provides mooring for some large houseboats and Garrick's Ait which is also residential. On the Surrey bank here is the "Eights Tree" an original sculpture outside Molesey Boat Club. The Middlesex bank has interesting features like the Swiss Cottage and the Astoria Houseboat and then presents an array of period buildings at Hampton. Hampton Ferry runs in the summer between Hampton and Moulsey Hurst on the Surrey bank just below the island of Platts Eyot. At Platts Eyot, Motor Torpedo Boats were built during World War II. Starting at this point on the Middlesex bank are the Hampton Water Treatment Works and reservoirs in front of which is the Hampton School Boat Club Millennium boat house. Then there is uninhabited Grand Junction Isle and riverside houses at Sunbury and Sunbury Court Island. Upstream of these is Rivermead Island an expanse of open space, before the weir pool and Creek backwater. This area is used for kayaking from the weir and the River Ash joins the Thames here. On the Surrey bank is the large stretch of open ground at Moulsey Hurst, which has an interesting heritage marker opposite Platt's Eyot. Beyond the Eyot are the Molesey Reservoirs behind trees and high brick walls and then a patch of meadowland before Sunbury Lock. The stretch is home to several sailing and rowing clubs. Molesey Regatta takes place from Platts Eyot in July and Sunbury Amateur Regatta is held alongside Rivermead Island in August.

The Thames Path stays on the Surrey bank all the way to Sunbury Lock. There are no bridges that cross the full width of the river on this reach.

[edit] Sports clubs on the reach

• Molesey Boat Club
• Hampton School Boat Club
• Lady Eleanor Holles School Boat Club
• Hampton Sailing Club
• Aquarius Sailing Club
• 1st Molesey Sea Scouts
• Hampton Hill Sea Scouts

[edit] Literature and the Media

• Jerome K. Jerome wrote in the 1880's "I have stood and watched it sometimes when you could not see any water at all, but only a brilliant tringle of bright blazers and gay caps, and saucy hats, and many-coloured parasols, and silken rugs and cloaks and streaming ribbons..."

• The lock featured in an edition of the gardening make-over programme Ground Force

[edit] See also

• Locks on the River Thames
• Rowing on the River Thames
• Sailing on the River Thames

[edit] External links

• Photographs of Molesey Lock from the Francis Frith Collection
• Memoryscape — Drifting: Molesey Lock
• 1st Molesey Sea Scouts

Next lock upstream	River Thames	Next lock downstream
Sunbury Lock 2.98 miles	Molesey Lock Grid reference: ?	Teddington Lock 4.81 miles