Teddington Lock

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Teddington Lock
Teddington Lock undergoing maintenance. From left to right - rollers, skiff lock, launch lock and barge lock
Waterway	River Thames
County	Surrey
Maintained by	Environment Agency
Operation	Launch Hydraulic Skiff Manual Barge Hydraulic
First built	Launch 1811 Skiff 1858 Barge 1904
Length	Launch 178' (54.22m) Skiff 49' 6" (15.08m) Barge 650' (198.12m)
Width	Launch 24' 4" (7.41m) Skiff 5' 10 (1.77m) Barge 24' 9" (7.54m)
Fall	8' 10" (2.68m)
Above Sea Level	14'
Teddington is normally manned 24 hours

Teddington Lock is a lock (or lock complex), footbridge and weir on the River Thames in England between Ham and Teddington in the western suburbs of London.

It is the highest point on the river to which tides penetrate, the river downstream being known as the Tideway. The boundary point between the Port of London Authority, which is the navigation authority downstream, and the Environment Agency, which is the navigation authority upstream is marked by an obelisk on the Surrey bank a few hundred yards below the lock. The lock itself is owned and managed by the Environment Agency.

Construction of the first of the three locks, the "old" lock, started in 1810 and finished with the completion of the weir in 1812. This original timber lock was repaired in 1825 and substantially rebuilt with foundation stones laid in 1856 and project completed in 1858. At this time the narrow skiff lock, (known as "the coffin"), was also added. The boat slide was added in 1869, and finally the barge lock, the largest lock on the river, built in 1904–1905. The two footbridges, the iron girder bridge linking Ham on the Surrey bank to the lock island, and the suspension bridge linking the island to Teddington were built between 1887 and 1889, funded by donations from local residents and businesses.

Early twenty-first century renovation and improvement work in the area around the locks was undertaken as part of the Thames Landscape Strategy Teddington Gateway project.

Contents 1 Access to and across 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 5.1 Location

[edit] Access to and across the lock

The lock is situated on the towpath on the Surrey side in Ham about a mile below Kingston-upon-Thames. It can normally only be reached on foot. The nearest road is Riverside Drive in Ham. Alternatively the lock can be reached from Ferry Road Teddington over the footbridges which cross the river here.

[edit] Reach above the lock

Teddington Lock
legend Molesey Weir Molesey Lock Middlegreen Road A309 Hampton Court Bridge River Ember Thames Ditton Island Ditton marina Raven's Ait Hogsmill River A308 Kingston Bridge Kingston Railway Bridge Steven's Eyot Teddington Weir foot bridges moorings rollers Skiff Lock Launch Lock Barge Lock River Thames

About half a mile above the lock is Trowlock Island close to the Middlesex bank, followed by Steven's Eyot in the centre of the river. There are then the bridges - Kingston Railway Bridge and Kingston Bridge. Raven's Ait is upstream of the bridges in the centre of the river which then curves sharply round to the right with Thames Ditton Island on the Surrey bank. Finally before Molesey Lock is Hampton Court Bridge.

On the Middlesex side, the bank is built up to Hampton Wick at Kingston Bridge, with Teddington Studios, Lensbury Club and Trowlock Island on the way. Above the bridge is Hampton Court Park, as far as Hampton Court Palace. The Longford River, which feeds the water features at the Palace, runs out of gratings opposite Raven's Ait and below the Water Gallery. On the Surrey side there is open space until Kingston is reached and the Hogsmill flows in here. The bank is then built up until the walls of the reservoirs and a marina just above Ravens Ait at Surbiton. Thames Ditton follows until beyond the end of Thames Ditton Island. There is a then patch of open space either side of the confluence of the River Mole, and River Ember which continues up to Hampton Court Bridge. Hampton Court railway station is behind this and just above it is Molesey lock.

There are navigation transit markers between Kingston Bridge and Raven's Ait on the Hampton Court bank, to allow river users to check their speed. A powered boat should not pass between the markers in less than one minute.

The reach is home to at least five Sailing clubs, four rowing clubs, two skiffing and punting clubs, the Royal Canoe Club and two Sea cadet centres. In addition there is a heavy traffic of pleasure boats between Kingston and Hampton Court.

The Thames Path follows the Surrey side to Kingston Bridge where it crosses to go alongside Hampton Court Park, before returning to the Surrey side at Hampton Court Bridge. The river makes a large loop on this reach and the two locks are half the distance apart by land.

[edit] Sports clubs on the reach

• Royal Canoe Club
• Kingston Rowing Club
• Walbrook Rowing Club
• Tiffin School Boat Club
• Kingston Grammar School Boat Club
• The Skiff Club
• Dittons Skiff and Punting Club
• Thames Sailing Club
• Tamesis Sailing Club
• Minima Yacht Club

[edit] Literature and the media

The lock was the location of the Monty Python Fish-Slapping Dance sketch.

[edit] See also

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

[edit] External links

• Teddington Lock Website.
• Teddington Lock (Tour UK)
• Thames Landscape Strategy Teddington Gateway project website.

[edit] Location

• Wikimapia

Next lock upstream	River Thames	Next lock downstream
Molesey Lock 4.81 miles	Teddington Lock Grid reference: TQ165716	Richmond Lock
Next crossing upstream	River Thames	Next crossing downstream
Kingston Railway Bridge	Teddington Lock Grid reference: TQ165716	Hammerton's Ferry

Coordinates: 51°25′53″N 0°19′26″W / 51.4315, -0.3239