Canal locks · West Midlands
King's Lock
King's Lock — lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England.

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 20 min–45 min
- Nearest railway station
- Oxford Parkway · 2.7 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
About
King's Lock is a canal lock in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1928. Wikidata describes it as: "lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England". Coordinates: 51.7891°, -1.3069°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Pixey and Yarnton Meads SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
King's Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is in open country about 1 km north of Godstow, to the north of Oxford, Oxfordshire, at grid reference SP478102, on the southern bank of the river. The lock was one of the last pound locks built on the Thames, built by the Thames Conservancy in 1928 to replace the former flash lock. It has the smallest fall of any lock on the river, 0.77 m (2 ft 6 in). The lock is on the southern side of a large island. On the opposite side of the river is the start of the Wolvercote Mill Stream leading to Duke's Cut, which connects the Thames to the Oxford Canal. The Mill Stream rejoins the Thames below Godstow Lock. King's Weir is on the other side of the island below Duke's Cut. There is a small visitor information centre at the lock.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
There was a weir recorded at King's as far back as the 16th century. A pound lock was first proposed in 1817, but never built. A further proposal was made in 1845. The weir had a history of complaints about the water level and lack of attendance for the flash lock. Around 1872 a boatslide was built for the portage of small boats. The weir was rebuilt in 1885 but its replacement by a pound lock did not happen until 1928.
Visiting
The lock can be reached down a long track along the right bank of the river from the Godstow road just where it passes under the A34 Oxford by-pass. There is a public footpath across the lock and weir.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.7891, -1.3069
- County
- Oxfordshire
- District
- Vale of White Horse
- Parish
- Wytham
- Postcode
- OX2 8PY
- Parliamentary constituency
- Oxford West and Abingdon
- Established
- 1928
- Nearest railway station
- Oxford Parkway — 2.7 km
- Official site
- www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q6410991 (CC0)
- wikipedia: King's Lock (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: King's Lock - geograph.org.uk - 909039.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is King's Lock?
- King's Lock is in Oxfordshire, the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode OX2 8PY), in the parish of Wytham.
- When was King's Lock built?
- Built or established in 1928.
- Is King's Lock a protected site?
- Yes — King's Lock is part of the Pixey and Yarnton Meads SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- How do I get to King's Lock?
- The nearest railway station is Oxford Parkway, about 2.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode OX2 8PY.
