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The Great Britain Guide

Canal locks · West Midlands

King's Lock

ModernFree admission

King's Lock — lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England.

King's Lock, canal locks in Oxfordshire

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
Parish
Wytham
Postcode
OX2 8PY
Parliamentary constituency
Oxford West and Abingdon
Established
1928
Nearest railway station
Oxford Parkway2.7 km

Sources

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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.