Thames Navigation Commission

The Thames Navigation Commission used to manage the River Thames in southern England. In particular, they were responsible for installing or renovating many of the locks on the river in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

History

The first Commission concerned with the River Thames was the Oxford-Burcot Commission, appointed in an Act of 1605 by James I. It took responsibility for the river between Oxford and Burcot.

The Oxford-Burcot Commission was reasonably successful. Thus, the permanent Thames Navigation Commissioners were appointed through a further Act under King George II in 1751. This Commission had similar powers covering the whole of the river down to Staines. Earlier commissions had been created by acts as early as 1695, although these had limited terms.^[1]

Later, the Thames Conservancy was founded in 1857. Not long after, in 1866, it was considered best to have the navigation of the whole river under a single management, so the Thames Navigation Commission was subsumed by the Thames Conservancy.

Locks built by the Thames Navigation Commission

• Boulter's Lock (1772)
• Hambleden Lock (1773)
• Hurley Lock (1773)
• Marlow Lock (1773)
• Marsh Lock (1773)
• Shiplake Lock (1773)
• Sonning Lock (1773)
• Temple Lock (1773)
• Caversham Lock (1778)
• Mapledurham Lock (1778)
• Cleeve Lock (1787)
• Goring Lock (1787)
• Whitchurch Lock (1787)
• Benson Lock (1788)
• Day's Lock (1789)
• Abingdon Lock (1790)
• Buscot Lock (1790)
• Godstow Lock (1790)
• Osney Lock (1790)
• Rushey Lock (1790)
• St John's Lock (1790)
• Pinkhill Lock (1791)
• Romney Lock (1798)
• Culham Lock (1809)
• Bell Weir Lock (1817)
• Clifton Lock (1822)
• Old Windsor Lock (1822)
• Cookham Lock (1830)
• Bray Lock (1845)
• Boveney Lock (1838)

References

• The River Thames — Its management past and present