Blake's Lock

Blake's Lock is a lock situated on the River Kennet in Reading, Berkshire, England. It is on the short reach of the River Kennet which is administered as if it were part of the River Thames and is hence owned and managed by the Environment Agency.

Blake's Lock

Waterway	River Kennet
County	Berkshire
Maintained by	Environment Agency
Operation	Manual
First built	1802
Length	37.39 m (122 ft 8 in) [1]
Width	5.75 m (18 ft 10 in)[1]
Fall	1.07 m (3 ft 6 in)[1]
Above sea level	about 54 m (177 ft)[2]
Distance to Teddington Lock	55 miles (89 km)
Distance to Bristol Harbour	87 miles (140 km)

Blakes Lock
Kennet and Avon Canal Kings Road bridge Forbury Road bridge Kings Road bridge Gas Works Road bridge weir Blake's Lock Reading River Thames Great Western Main Line Waterloo–Reading line

History

The first mile of the Kennet from its junction with the River Thames has been navigable since the 13th century. Blake's Lock was originally a flash lock known as Brokenburglok. In 1404 the Abbot of Reading Abbey, who had control of the River Kennet, made an agreement with the town's guild to allow craft to pass through the lock between sunrise and sunset on payment of a one penny toll. By 1794, not much had changed, with John Rennie, the engineer of the Kennet and Avon Canal describing it as "a very bad and inconvenient staunch lock".[3][4]

The lock was converted to a timber-constructed pound lock in 1802 to improve navigation from the Thames into the River Kennet enabling boats to travel all the way to the Bristol area. The lock retains its manual beams (not the originals, new beams were fitted in 2006), so far avoiding the progress towards hydraulic power.[4][5][6] The lock was closed during winter 2017-18 for work that included repairing and re-sheeting the lock gates and refurbishing the chamber walls.[7]

Riverside Museum at Blake's Lock

Next to the lock is the Riverside Museum at Blake's Lock which tells the story of Reading's two rivers — the Kennet and the Thames. The museum occupies two former industrial buildings, the Screen House and the Turbine House.[8] Exhibits include a gypsy caravan and information about the Romani people, a medieval mill wheel, preserved turbine machinery, and seasonal art exhibits.

See also

• Locks on the River Thames
• Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal

References

1. "A User's Guide to the River Thames" (PDF). PDF file. Environmental Agency. 2009. pp. 29–30. Retrieved 12 November 2012. Dimensions given in metres
2. "Blake's Lock Museum Profile". web page. UK Local Business. 2011. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
3. Clew, Kenneth R (1978). Wessex Waterway - A Guide to the Kennet & Avon Canal. Moonraker Press. p. 9.
4. Clew, Kenneth R (1978). Wessex Waterway - A Guide to the Kennet & Avon Canal. Moonraker Press. p. 14.
5. "Blake's Lock". River Thames Guide. Archived from the original on 26 September 2006. Retrieved 17 September 2006.
6. Pearson, Michael (2003). Kennet & Avon Middle Thames: Pearson's Canal Companion. Central Waterways Supplies.
7. "Notices: Blakes Lock 107, River Kennet at Reading". Canal & River Trust. 16 March 2018. Archived from the original on 26 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
8. "Riverside Museum". Reading Library Service. Archived from the original on 24 August 2006. Retrieved 17 September 2006.

Bibliography

• Clew, Kenneth R (1978). Wessex Waterway - A Guide to the Kennet & Avon Canal. Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire: Moonraker Press. ISBN 0-239-00181-8.
• Pearson, Michael (2003). Kennet & Avon Middle Thames: Pearson's Canal Companion. Rugby: Central Waterways Supplies. ISBN 0-907864-97-X.

External links

• Riverside Museum at Blake's Lock