110-795: The Thames Path is a National Trail following the River Thames from one of its sources near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel , south east London. It is about 185 miles (298 km) long. A path was first proposed in 1948 but it only opened in 1996. In theory, the Thames Path's entire length can be walked, and a few parts can be cycled, but certain sections are closed for an indefinite period, including Temple Bridge at Hurley and Marsh Lock in Henley. Some parts of
220-604: A low-tide barrage (rather than a weir) was built by the Thames Conservancy in 1894 downstream at Richmond Lock to improve the navigation by maintaining water level upstream to at least half-tide level. Today, the Port of London Authority is the navigation authority that manages the tidal river, including Richmond Lock and barrage. Wharfs and jetties are generally confined to the northern ( Middlesex ) bank between Richmond and Putney. This stretch of tideway (known as
330-471: A depth of between 30 feet (9 m) and 49 feet (15 m) and provide a retaining wall which is 35 feet (11 m) tall at its highest point. As the project neared completion, open days to allow the public to walk along the bottom of the new canal section were held on 10 and 11 May 2013, and were attended by over 1,800 people. Where domestic rubbish had to be removed, it was relocated on the site, covered with 2 feet (60 cm) of crushed recycled concrete and
440-584: A feasibility study for restoration of the eastern end of the canal. Funding was provided by the National Rivers Authority , local authorities, and other interested parties. The report demonstrated that there was a good case for the provision of a navigable culvert beneath the proposed Latton Bypass. Despite initially saying that a culvert would not be built, negotiation continued, and – helped by grants of £250,000 from Gloucestershire County Council and £125,000 from North Wilts District Council –
550-442: A further 1.5 miles (2.4 km). The first 2.5 miles (4 km) from Wallbridge to Brimscombe, where there was a transhipment basin , was built with locks 69 by 16 feet (21.0 by 4.9 m), enabling Severn trows to use it. Beyond that, the locks were 90 by 12.7 feet (27.4 by 3.9 m) and the boats used were Thames barges. The canal's summit, which is 362 feet (110 m) above sea level and 8.1 miles (13.0 km) long, includes
660-496: A layer of Bentomat geotextile, which was topped by subsoil and topsoil obtained from elsewhere on the site. Tubular vents allow any methane produced by the disturbed rubbish to escape safely. The new section was filled with water and officially completed on 2 June 2013. An evaluation cruise was held on 10 November 2017, when the maintenance boat Wookey Hole carried three assessors from the Heritage Lottery Fund,
770-581: A much cheaper low-level causeway, which would have severed the route. Two years later, County Council support was required when the project benefited from 20 workers and a £17,000 budget for materials under the Job Creation Scheme set up by the Manpower Services Commission , as the council had to manage the scheme. In 1991, the trust commissioned the engineering consultancy Sir William Halcrow and Partners to conduct
880-583: A pool and small weir, before reaching the A429 bridge near Kemble. On the stretch between Ewen and Somerford Keynes the bourne passes through fields and there are a number of watermills . The path then follows the watercourse through the Cotswold Water Park to Ashton Keynes , where the water divides into a number of streams; the Thames Path partly follows one of these and rejoins the river by Waterhay Bridge. Downstream from this point canoeing in
990-478: A proposal for a canal from Lechlade to Abingdon in 1784, and for a cut from Inglesham to Buscot in 1788, but neither had been built. Some improvements were made to the river after 1786, but the canal company encouraged the building of bypasses. The Wilts & Berks Canal was one Thames bypass, providing a link to the river at Abingdon, but did not initially connect to the Thames & Severn Canal. Although it
1100-619: A ribbon to celebrate the reconnection of the Thames and Severn Canal with the Stroudwater Navigation, and unveiled a commemorative plaque. During the execution of the phase 1a project, it became obvious that there would be a shortfall in funding, caused in part by the development of Brimscombe Port being deferred. Thus the Heritage Lottery funded works ended at Bowbridge Lock, and work up to Hope Mill Lock has been undertaken largely by volunteers. Some work to prepare
1210-527: A short time. The railway company was then taken over by the Great Western Railway , who built a new tunnel at Sapperton , and opened the railway to Gloucester in 1845. Canal tolls were cut in an attempt to retain traffic, but toll revenue fell from £11,000 to £2,874 between 1841 and 1855. The Thames Commissioners were also in financial difficulties, and the Thames was almost unnavigable from Oxford to Lechlade after 1855. In 1866, plans to convert
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#17327660794631320-413: A warehouse and coalyard. The tunnel was constructed from many workfaces, with 25 shafts sunk along its course to provide access. After completion there were problems, and the tunnel was shut for two and a half months during 1790 for further work to be carried out. The summit level and the branch to Cirencester were completed in 1787, and became operational as soon as the tunnel opened. The final section to
1430-511: Is a meander cutoff formed when Penton Hook Lock was built. Any public footpaths that cross or go along any of the other small islands formed by construction of the Thames locks only allow access to the path alone. Lock building by the Thames Commissioners had improved the whole river navigation from Inglesham to the upper limit of the tidal reach at Staines by 1789. On the tidal Thames below Staines, six new locks were built by
1540-493: Is a short section of path on the north bank opposite Purley-on-Thames; this is still shown on Ordnance Survey maps but is inaccessible except by boat, caused by the lack of two ferries formerly diverting around Purley Hall. The second and furthest downstream is a particularly picturesque section of towpath (again shown on OS maps) within the National Trust grounds of Cliveden ; here the lack of three ferries accounts for
1650-477: Is in downstream order. The letter in brackets indicates whether the path downstream of that point takes the northern or southern bank (using north or south in reference to the river as a whole, rather than at that specific point). Bridges and ferries are listed in full under Crossings of the River Thames . The river can be crossed at about a third of the locks, although some of these crossings are not part of
1760-534: Is much of interest. The Thames Path is one of the Mayor of London 's strategic walking routes . The Thames Path Cycle Route is a black-signposted route that follows the river between Putney Bridge in the west and Greenwich in the east. It mostly follows the Thames Path, but diverges in various sections, especially where the path follows a footpath-only route. It also links National Cycle Route 1 (east of London) with National Cycle Route 4 (west of London). The route of
1870-651: Is often shallow, weedy and swift but after heavy rain flooding of the riverside paths is common. Today the Environment Agency (the current successor to the Thames Conservancy) is the navigation authority responsible for the Thames between Cricklade and Teddington. The navigation towpath starts from Inglesham (just upstream of Lechlade), as does the ability to navigate the river for all but very small boats, although there were once weirs with flash locks to enable passage as far as Cricklade, and there
1980-480: Is still a right of navigation up to Cricklade. The navigation above Lechlade clearly must have been neglected after the Thames and Severn Canal provided an easier route by canal for barge traffic and not all of the river downstream from Cricklade has a footpath alongside. The Thames Path uses the existing Thames towpath between Inglesham and Putney Bridge wherever possible. The former Thames and Severn Canal entrance
2090-505: Is the present-day limit of navigation for powered craft, and is one and a half miles upstream of the highest lock ( St John's Lock ), near Lechlade . Today, between the canal entrance and Putney Bridge, the towpath still allows access by foot to at least one side of the river for almost the whole length of the main navigation of the river, but not mill streams , backwaters or a few meanders cut off by lock cuttings , since towpaths were originally only intended to enable towing of barges on
2200-586: The Midlands to London , linking England's two largest rivers for better trade. The route climbs the steep Cotswold escarpment through the Golden Valley , tunnels underneath the summit of the Cotswold Edge, and emerges near the source of the Thames . At its eastern end, it connects to the top of the navigable Thames at Inglesham Lock near Lechlade , while at its western end, it connects to
2310-523: The River Coln , together with springs at Boxwell and a well near the source of the River Thames at Thames Head , would be sufficient. The original horse pump at Thames Head was replaced by a windmill, but Clowes found that he could not stop the summit pound from leaking. The flow on the River Churn was 1.7 million imperial gallons per day (7,700,000 L/d), whereas the calculated flow at
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#17327660794632420-825: The Sharpness New Docks & Gloucester & Birmingham Company, the Stroudwater Canal , the Staffs & Worcs Canal , the Severn Commissioners, Berkshire , Gloucestershire and Wiltshire county councils, and Stroud and Cirencester district councils. At the same time as the trust refurbished the canal, the upper Thames was upgraded by the Thames Conservancy . Although the canal was re-opened in March 1899, lack of water on
2530-604: The Stroudwater Navigation at Wallbridge near Stroud , and thence to the River Severn . It had one short arm (branch), from Siddington to the town of Cirencester . It includes Sapperton Tunnel , which when built was the longest canal tunnel in Britain, and remains the second-longest complete tunnel. There were always problems with water supply, as no reservoirs were built, while the summit section near
2640-557: The Windsor Castle Act 1848 , also involving the building of Victoria and Albert bridges and the removal of Datchet Bridge . This accounts for the Thames Path's diversion from the river at Datchet . There are two other short lengths of navigation which have no towpath: one between Marlow bridge and lock (which never had a towpath), and one past Whitchurch lock either side of The Swan public house in Pangbourne (where
2750-581: The "missing mile", the new route of the canal to replace the section obliterated by road construction and infilling. Phase 1b, which became known as Cotswold Canals Connected in 2018, is expected to be completed by 2025. Stroud District Council decided that the infrastructure costs for the development of Brimscombe Port were too high to entice developers to the scheme, and made a bid to Homes England in 2015 for public funding. They received £2 million from this source, to which they added another £2 million as match funding. They also received £776,000 from
2860-613: The 1790s for use by lock-keepers and lengthsmen , but were not particularly popular due to the limited amount of space and problems with finding suitable furniture for a circular room. In 1953, C. S. Forester published Hornblower and the Atropos , a historical novel set during the Napoleonic Wars , in which Horatio Hornblower , a captain in the Royal Navy, travels along the canal to London. He assists with legging
2970-403: The 19th century, Thames sailing barges being typical. Moderately straight lengths of the tideway are often called reaches , as they can be sailed without tacking . Crossing the river was more of a priority, as evidenced by the many watermen's stairs giving watermen and passengers access to the tidal river. Thames steamers became more common for transport on the tidal Thames from 1815 until
3080-704: The 3,817-yard (3,490 m) Sapperton Tunnel, at the time, the longest in England. Its length has only been exceeded by two other canal tunnels, at Standedge in the Pennines and at Strood in Kent. Until the summit level was completed, little thought seems to have been given to water supply. It was assumed that the River Frome , to the west of the tunnel, the River Churn which flows through Cirencester , and
3190-605: The Brimscombe Port site for development was funded by a £2 million grant from the Homes & Communities Agency given in October 2015. Volunteers completed restoration of Griffin's Mill Lock in 2017, but dredging of the intervening channel took rather longer, and the lock was opened on 9 July 2018. Work had already begun on the restoration of Ham Mill Lock, the next one upstream. In a separate development, water supply to
3300-463: The Cheltenham and Great Western Railway proposed a line between Swindon and Cheltenham , via Gloucester . The canal company opposed the scheme, and received compensation of £7,500 from the railway company over the next four and a half years. The line opened to Kemble in 1841, and the tolls on the carriage of materials for the railway's construction improved the financial position of the canal for
3410-581: The City of London Corporation to improve the navigation between 1811 and 1815. The Thames Conservancy was established in 1857 to take over duties from the City of London because of falling revenue from boat traffic; it also took on the duties of the Thames Commissioners in 1866. Provision for pleasure boating was now the main purpose, and although the Thames Conservancy rebuilt many locks, upgrading some from flash locks to pound locks, and made navigation and towpath improvements, it only built one completely new lock on
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3520-531: The Coates end, or Inferior Oolite towards the Daneway end. However, a length of 0.63 miles (1.01 km) near the middle of the tunnel and 0.28 miles (0.45 km) at the Daneway end are cut through fuller's earth , and although lined with brick, the fuller's earth expands when wet, and this has resulted in heave of the bottom of the tunnel, causing wall and roof falls. A number of the buildings associated with
3630-646: The Cotswold Canals Trust offered financial assistance and volunteer labour. A development grant of £0.8 million was received from the Heritage Lottery Fund in April 2018, which led to the award of £8.9 million in October 2020. A further boost was the granting of £4 million from Highways England in May 2019, to cover the cost of tunnelling under the A38 roundabout and other environmental projects along
3740-520: The Cotswold Canals Trust, councils at district and county level, and a number of other interested parties. In 2002, the waterway was identified as being of high priority in the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities report entitled Vision for Strategic Enhancement of Britain's Inland Navigation Network , and was one of several new projects highlighted at British Waterways ' Unlocked and Unlimited conference held in March. The estimated cost of
3850-677: The Department of the Environment decided in 1997 that a culvert would be provided under the road. The completed underpass now lies buried, awaiting the arrival of restoration work on either side. In order to provide a suitable structure to drive the restoration forwards, the Cotswold Canals Partnership was established in 2001, drawing together people representing the Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation,
3960-752: The Environment Agency. The second phase of the restoration programme covers the length of the Stroudwater Navigation between the Ocean Railway Bridge, Stonehouse, and Saul Junction on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal , a distance of about 4 miles (6.4 km). The simpler work includes construction of two new locks, restoration of a further six locks, construction of several minor road bridges, and reinstatement of about 1 mile (1.6 km) of in-filled canal. This section poses some significant engineering problems. A new railway bridge
4070-515: The One Public Estate Land Release Fund, which is given for the development of brownfield sites. Planning permission was obtained on 24 March 2021 for the development of the port, including reinstatement of the canal, basin and various bridge works. The initial work includes demolition of modern additions to Port Mill, so that a new canal channel and river bed can be constructed further to the south than formerly, with
4180-414: The River Thames thought that it would have to be built for narrow boats, since the cost of a larger tunnel would be prohibitive. It was also going to be longer than any tunnel yet built. However, a decision was made that it would be built as a broad tunnel, 15 feet (4.6 m) wide and high, and so the company advertised for tunnellers. The tunnel was expected to take four years to complete when work began at
4290-713: The Severn, limiting income from cargo. Ultimately, most of the Bristol to London trade used the Kennet and Avon Canal after it opened in 1810, as it provided a much shorter route than the Thames and Severn Canal. Similarly, the Midlands-London traffic that the proprietors had hoped to attract via the Severn found newer routes further east, such as the Grand Junction Canal , considerably more direct. Thus,
4400-435: The Severn. A number of the structures have been restored, and some sections are now in water. A major step forward occurred in 2003, when a bid was made to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £82 million to restore both canals. The bid and the project had to be split into smaller sections, but £11.9 million was awarded in 2006 for Phase 1A, which with matched funding has restored from The Ocean at Stonehouse to Wallbridge on
4510-469: The Stroudwater Navigation presented particular problems for restoration, as the channel had been used as part of a flood relief scheme by the Environment Agency . Water from Slad Brook , which is culverted beneath Stroud, joins the canal a short distance above Lower Wallbridge Lock. Painswick Stream and Ruscombe Brook join the channel below the junction and flow through the Dudbridge locks, after which
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4620-695: The Stroudwater Navigation, and from there to Stroud Brewery on the Thames and Severn Canal. The Phase 1B reconnection to the national waterways network at Saul Junction is expected to be completed by 2025, connecting the Severn with the Golden Valley for the first time in a century. In 2010, British Waterways gave Inglesham Lock to the Trust, and the Inland Waterways Association mounted a national campaign to fund its restoration (and 420 yards (380 m) of canal above). To re-open
4730-466: The Thames Path can be divided into these sections: The list below gives the points where the Thames Path crosses the river between Cricklade and Teddington . Above Cricklade, the Thames is a stream and in some places there may be no water except after rain. Below Teddington there are paths on both sides of the river until the Greenwich foot tunnel , after which the path is only on the south. The list
4840-410: The Thames Path must divert away from the river and the towpath to cross the river elsewhere, leaving some sections of towpath not on the Thames path. Many walkers visit the locks on the River Thames and in summer some have facilities open for visitors. A few have small campsites . The locks at Cookham and Whitchurch are not on the Thames Path and require some effort to visit. Whitchurch Lock cutting
4950-516: The Thames Path, particularly west of Oxford , are subject to flooding during the winter. The river is tidal downstream from Teddington Lock and the lower parts of these paths may be underwater if there is a particularly high tide, although the Thames Barrier protects London from catastrophic flooding. The Thames Path uses the river towpath between Inglesham and Putney and available paths elsewhere. Historically, towpath traffic crossed
5060-534: The Thames Path. 51°40′N 1°15′W / 51.667°N 1.250°W / 51.667; -1.250 National Trail National Trails are long distance footpaths and bridleways in England and Wales . They are administered by Natural England , an agency of the UK government , and Natural Resources Wales , a Welsh government -sponsored body. National Trails are marked with an acorn symbol along
5170-595: The Thames below Staines from a point marked by the London Stone , had similarly bought out the towpath tolls of riparian land owners as enabled by an earlier Thames Navigation Act in 1776. From the 1840s, the development of the railways and steam power gradually made redundant the need for horse-drawn barges on the non-tidal Thames, although people were still using the towpath to tow small pleasure boats in 1889. The towpath route has not changed since then, apart from now following Shifford lock cut; however, over time
5280-652: The Thames path's diversion from the river at Cookham . When Cookham Lock was built in 1830, Hedsor Water became a backwater and lost its towpath. Around 1822, Clifton and Old Windsor locks were built, with lock cuttings which cut across river meanders; here the towpath was rerouted along the lock cuttings and there is no public riverside access to these river meanders. However, some stretches of river bypassed by navigation cuttings still retain public footpath access: firstly at Desborough Island (formed by Desborough Cut ); secondly, parts of older towpath accessible at Duxford (towpath now follows Shifford Lock cut); and lastly,
5390-517: The Upper Rowing Code Area) has special navigation rules to accommodate the activities of a number of rowing clubs , and includes the course used for The Boat Race . Chiswick Eyot is on this section and is notable as being the only tidal island on the river . Since August 2020, the towpaths on both banks have been closed under Hammersmith Bridge because of cracks in the structure; walkers and cyclists must therefore divert from
5500-543: The Waterways Trust. A Heritage Survey, which cost £60,000 and was funded by the Inland Waterways Association , was carried out, as was a Community Development Plan and a Visitor Management Strategy, costing another £30,000, all of which were pre-requisites for the main HLF bid. By the time the bid was ready for submission, the HLF were under pressure for the funds they had, and asked British Waterways, who were managing
5610-633: The Wilts & Berks Canal, the Oxford Canal and the Thames and Severn Canal connected to the non-tidal Thames. It was not until a little after the Thames Navigation Commission were enabled by a 1795 Act of Parliament to purchase land for a continuous horse path that the non-tidal navigation (and hence the towpath) was consolidated as a complete route under a single (toll charging) authority, upstream to Inglesham. This improved
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#17327660794635720-413: The abandonment of the canal from Chalford to Inglesham in 1927. The Stroudwater Navigation managed to keep the remaining section open until 1933, when it was abandoned, and their own canal closed in 1941. Following the publication of Ronald Russell's influential book Lost Canals of England and Wales in 1972, a number of canal restoration schemes sprang up. Among the organisations established that year
5830-562: The ability of horse-drawn barge traffic to travel upstream to the Thames and Severn Canal, which had opened in 1789 and provided an alternative route (also using the Wilts & Berks Canal) for boat traffic to Cricklade. The commissioners had to create horse ferries to join up sections of towpath (for example at Purley Hall ), as the Act did not allow them to compulsorily purchase land near an existing house, garden or orchard. The City of London Corporation , who had rights and responsibilities for
5940-505: The application, to split the bid and the project into smaller phases. At the end of 2003, a provisional grant of £11.3 million was awarded by the HLF, to enable the restoration of the Stroudwater Navigation between Stonehouse and Wallbridge, and the Thames and Severn Canal between Wallbridge and Brimscombe Port. An additional £2.9 million was received from the European Inter-Regional budget for this first phase. By
6050-573: The canal between Chalford and Inglesham would close two days later. Negotiations with a number of interested parties took place, and having given an assurance to the Great Western Railway that it would not be converted into a railway, an act of Parliament was obtained in 1895, the Thames and Severn Canal Trust Act 1895 ( 58 & 59 Vict. c. cxlix), which formed a trust with powers to raise £15,000. The trust included representatives from
6160-434: The canal have survived and appear on the listed building register, including five circular cottages, built with three floors. The lower floor was intended to be used as a store and has access to the outside. A set of outside steps leads up to the first floor, which is around 16 feet 10 inches (5.13 m) in diameter. It was designed as a living area and was equipped with a cooking range . A staircase, built between
6270-409: The canal in 1783 to assist Whitworth. Clowes became resident engineer and was paid £300 per year. His work on the canal gave him a reputation that made him highly sought after in the last five years of his life. He left the construction of the canal shortly before its completion, to work on Dudley Tunnel . There was great debate about the gauge of the tunnel required at Sapperton . Commissioners from
6380-440: The canal passed through Parliament relatively easily, and became an the Thames and Severn Canal Act 1783 ( 23 Geo. 3 . c. 38) on 17 April 1783. The company could raise an initial £130,000, with an additional £60,000 if required. The canal was to be suitable for boats 12 feet (3.7 m) wide, and so could accommodate Thames barges , but not Severn trows . Josiah Clowes was appointed head engineer, surveyor and carpenter to
6490-435: The canal to a railway were rejected by Parliament, but the Thames Commissioners were replaced by the Thames Conservancy , and most of the river was soon returned to a navigable state. The condition of the canal continued to decline. Complaints were made about its state in 1874 and 1885, which resulted in surveys being undertaken, but little was done to remedy the situation. In 1893, the Thames and Severn company announced that
6600-688: The chief executive from Stroud District Council and their canal project manager, the Mayor of Stroud, and the Cotswold Canal Trust chief executive and vice-chair. It travelled from The Ocean at Stonebridge eastwards to Bowbridge Lock, with a stop for lunch at Upper Wallbridge Lock. The cruise enabled the HLF assessors to view the work done and to sign off the Phase 1a project, bringing it to a conclusion. An official opening of Wallbridge Lower Lock took place on 2 February 2018, when Prince Charles cut
6710-481: The compromise alignment of the Thames & Severn found itself bypassed, with income mainly generated by carriage of Forest of Dean coal to places along the canal rather than the balanced trade of long-distance traffic between Thames and Severn that had been anticipated. Pleasure cruising, meanwhile, was firmly discouraged, with the proprietors setting a punitive toll of £1 per lock for such boats (equivalent to over £120 today). Railway competition began in 1836, when
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#17327660794636820-545: The eastern end of the canal, between Gateway Bridge in the Cotswold Water Park (Cerney Wick), and Inglesham Lock, the junction with the Thames. It will form a link between the upper Thames, the North Wilts Canal and the Wilts & Berks Canal . Phase 3 completes the project, connecting Brimscombe Port in the west with Gateway Bridge in the east, via Sapperton Tunnel . Phase 1a of the restoration programme covered
6930-471: The first as suggested by Priddy, and the second direct from the Severn to the Thames following the valley of the River Coln . The first route was chosen, based on excellent water supplies at Cirencester , although the estimates of the amount of water available proved to be wildly optimistic. The estimated cost of the project was £127,916, most of which was promised within three weeks. The bill to authorise
7040-526: The inner and outer wall, leads up to a circular bedroom on the second floor. The round houses are situated at Lechlade (the Round House, Inglesham ), by the entrance lock from the Thames; at Marston Meysey; at Cerney Wick near Latton, next to lock 39; at Coates, close to the eastern portal of the tunnel; and at Chalford, next to lock 13. Some had a pointed slate roof, while others had a lead cone, which collected rainwater for drinking. They were built in
7150-554: The junction with the Thames at Inglesham , which descends through 16 locks, was finished in November 1789. The canal was completed at a cost of £250,000. With the Stroudwater Navigation, which had been completed in 1779, it completed a link between the River Severn in the west and the River Thames in the east. As built, the main line was just under 28.7 miles (46.2 km) long and had 44 locks. The branch to Cirencester added
7260-419: The length of canal from The Ocean at Stonehouse, on the Stroudwater Navigation, to Brimscombe Port, east of Stroud, on the Thames and Severn Canal – a length of about 6 miles (10 km). The work included restoration of 10 locks, reconstruction of 10 bridges, and reinstatement of about 2,300 yards (2,100 m) of in-filled canal; plus the major reconstruction of Brimscombe Port. Funding was in place for all of
7370-407: The major engineering challenges faced elsewhere, but land ownership is an issue, and there are several miles of infilled canal around Kempsford. Funding is only in place for minor projects, but several locks have been substantially restored, lengths of towpath reconstructed, and dredging completed. In 2002, British Waterways bought the lock at Inglesham and the adjacent round house , to safeguard
7480-408: The most difficult section to restore, centred on Stroud, comprising the lengths of the Stroudwater Navigation between Stonehouse and Wallbridge, and the Thames and Severn Canal between Wallbridge and Brimscombe Port. Phase 1b connects the completed Phase 1a section, westwards, to the rest of the inland waterways network, at Saul Junction on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal . Phase 2 covers work at
7590-475: The navigation. The Thames has been used for navigation for a long time, although owners of weirs, locks and towpath often charged tolls . The towpath owes its existence, in its current form, to the Industrial Revolution and the Canal Mania of the 1790s to 1810s, and so is related to the history of the British canal system . The Thames already allowed for passage onto the River Kennet Navigation and River Wey Navigation , but this period in history also saw
7700-469: The necessary funding becoming available. Bids for Heritage Lottery funding were rejected in May 2012 and November 2015. A revised bid was submitted in November 2017, and following criticism of the lack of investment by partners in the project, was backed by a promise of £3 million from Stroud District Council , £700,000 from Gloucestershire County Council and £675,000 from the Canal & River Trust , who also pledged practical support. In addition,
7810-447: The new river channel replacing the previous culvert under the modern parts of Port Mill. In July 2022, the council selected St. Modwen Homes as the developer to work on the project. Restoration programme phase 2 covers work at the eastern end of the canal, between Gateway Bridge in the Cotswold Water Park (Cerney Wick), and the junction with the Thames at Inglesham Lock, a distance of about 10 miles (16 km). The section does not pose
7920-430: The non-tidal Thames, at Shifford in 1898. There is a Thames Path on both sides of the river downstream of Teddington Lock, the southern path including the original towpath as far as Putney Bridge. Because of the locks built by the City of London, the river is now tidal only downstream from Teddington Lock, although during spring tides flood warnings are sometimes issued upstream towards Molesey Lock . A further lock with
8030-500: The partnership in 2008 because of financial difficulties. The role of project leader was taken over by Stroud District Council, and a new body, the Stroud Valleys Canal Company, was created in March 2009 to act as a holding company for the assets of the waterway, with a responsibility to manage and maintain it once it is reopened. They now own most of the canal bed between Wallbridge and Brimscombe. The cost of
8140-526: The path across the weir at Benson Lock (the towpath ferry was upstream). In recent times, crossings have been created for the Thames Path; the Shepperton to Weybridge Ferry was restarted in 1986, Temple Footbridge near Hurley was built in 1989, a footpath was attached to Bourne End Railway Bridge in 1992 (the ferry was upstream), and Bloomers Hole Footbridge was built in 2000. No other replacement river crossings have been created for lapsed ferries, so
8250-527: The project was £82 million. Having raised £100,000, the Cotswold Canals Trust lodged the money with the Waterways Trust , in the hope that it could be used as match funding for any grants that might be received. Andy Stumpf became the full-time Regeneration Programme Manager, working on a major bid application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to finance the restoration, and the canal was visited by Charles, Prince of Wales , in his capacity as patron of
8360-524: The railways dominated public transport. Falling income from river traffic and disputes over the construction of Victoria Embankment because of Crown Estate ownership of the tidal riverbed led to the City of London's seceding management of their part of the river to the Thames Conservancy in 1857; and the section below Teddington was further passed on to the Port of London Authority in 1908. Construction of riverside buildings and structures often meant embanking
8470-415: The refurbishment of the lock structure began in 2016 and was completed in May 2019, with some tidying up of the site continuing until September. The completion of the project is outlined in phase 3, to connect Brimscombe Port in the west with Gateway Bridge in the east, a distance of about 16 miles (26 km). Restoring this central section poses several major engineering difficulties: firstly to overcome
8580-481: The restoration exceeded estimates, and as a result, the Heritage Lottery Fund agreed to supply an additional £800,000 in December 2012, to allow full restoration between Stonehouse and Bowbridge, and the upgrading of the towpath onwards to Brimscombe Port. Work on the canal beyond Bowbridge would be handled by volunteers. The restoration programme is divided into several phases. Phase 1a covers 6 miles (10 km) of
8690-485: The restored section was improved by building a feeder siphon at Gough's Orchard Lock, which takes water from a millpond supplied by the River Frome and feeds it into the lock. The pipeline runs over the top of the canal bank, and a solar-powered pump creates a vacuum within the pipe to allow the siphoning to begin. The volume of water taken is regulated by a gate valve, and is governed by an abstraction licence issued by
8800-413: The river at the bridge until they reach the adjacent road (Castelnau on the south bank, Hammersmith Bridge Road on the north) and then cross the road at the nearest safe point before returning to the river. Historical records state that the towpath started at Putney. Downstream of here sailing , sculling and rowing , and following the current (or rising and falling tide) were the means of movement until
8910-429: The river east of the town, and now follows the river all the way downstream to Castle Eaton . The path next follows country lanes , a short stretch along a backwater to Hannington Bridge then goes across fields to Inglesham. In 2018 the path incorporated a section of permissive path alongside the river at Upper Inglesham. Above Inglesham the river is not dredged and being without weirs to control water levels, it
9020-483: The river is practical. The path wanders to and from the river amongst more gravel pits until Hailstone Hill, where a riverside path starts by the old railway line. A little further, the North Wilts canal from Latton formerly crossed the river on an aqueduct and ran alongside and south of the river to West Mill Lane. Here the path leaves the river to go through Cricklade , past Cricklade Town Bridge , rejoining
9130-503: The river meander at Culham. The Culham meander is accessible, even though only parts are designated as public footpath (towpath now follows Culham Lock cut) and there is also riverside public footpath along the ancient causeway past Sutton Pools . Certain sections are closed indefinitely for reasons such as bridge failures. Details are shown on the trail's interactive map. Historically, there have been replacements for towpath ferry crossings with bridges at Goring and Clifton Hampden and
9240-434: The river using many ferries , but few of these crossings exist now and some diversion from the towpath is necessary. The general aim of the path is to provide walkers with a pleasant route alongside the river. The way this is achieved naturally falls into three distinct areas, depending on the nature of the river in the area. In the absence of a tow path, the Thames Path uses all available riverside rights of way between
9350-412: The route of the canal. After they pulled out of the restoration scheme, they sold the house, which was bought by a member of the Cotswold Canals Trust, and transferred the ownership of the lock to the trust. In June 2010 the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) mounted a national campaign for £125,000 to enable Inglesham Lock and around 420 yards (380 m) of the pound above it to be restored. Work on
9460-472: The route. In Scotland , the equivalent trails are called Scotland's Great Trails and are administered by NatureScot . Together these are over 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi) long. Thames and Severn Canal The Thames and Severn Canal is a canal in Gloucestershire in the south-west of England, which was completed in 1789. It was conceived as part of a cargo route from Bristol and
9570-416: The scheduled work, but increasing costs curtailed the programme. A revised plan – with increased support from volunteer labour – aimed to have restoration completed to Bowbridge by the end of 2015, with all major work eastwards put on hold. Phase 1a also included the provision of a multi-user trail between Stonehouse and Saul, but this was held over to Phase 1b. The final section of the canal before it joins
9680-609: The shareholders commissioned a survey for a canal from Dudbridge to Cricklade , which would complete the link. It is likely that John Priddy – previously the engineer for the Stroudwater scheme – carried out the survey, but others were soon involved including Sir Edward Littleton , who was connected with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal . Priddy suggested that there were better terminal points at Wallbridge and Lechlade . Robert Whitworth then surveyed two routes,
9790-491: The sites of 15 former ferries and one former lock, so the Thames Path makes 11 other diversions from the remaining towpath because of the lack of a river crossing at their original locations. There is also a twelfth temporary diversion at Hammersmith Bridge, described below. Walkers can visit the lengths of river navigation not on the Thames Path using the current towpath, except for two isolated sections of towpath not connected by any public path (or ferry) at either end. The first
9900-448: The springs receded, water was lost through these holes at a rate greater than the available supply. In one of the attempts to conserve water, the length of the locks was reduced by 20 feet (6.1 m), giving them an unusual double-headed appearance. In a further attempt to prevent water loss, at King's Reach, the section immediately east of Sapperton Tunnel, the canal was lined with concrete rather than puddle clay . The concrete invert
10010-462: The start of 1784, but it was not completed until April 1789. The canal opened in stages as it was completed. The first 4 miles (6.4 km) from Wallbridge to Chalford opened in January 1785, and by mid-1786, the navigable section had reached the western portal of the tunnel, 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (12.1 km) and 28 locks from Wallbridge. A wharf was built at Daneway Bridge, equipped with
10120-424: The start of the project had been more than ten times this value. The summit level was losing around 1.1 million imperial gallons per day (5,000,000 L/d), largely because the underlying rock was porous limestone , and it was estimated that around half of the daily requirement could actually be supplied. The wells at Thames Head were extended and a Boulton & Watt steam engine was installed in 1792 to pump
10230-405: The summit level soon closed it again, after which Gloucestershire County Council suggested that they take it over, which was the first instance of a public body taking over a waterway in the public interest. They did so on 2 July 1901, by the Thames and Severn Canal Order Confirmation Act 1901 ( 1 Edw. 7 . c. iii). In 1925 they began negotiations with interested parties which ultimately led to
10340-497: The tidal Thames and acquiring riverbed ownership. The historical progression of so many construction works, is why there is not continuous foreshore access for a riverside path within the Port of London . Today, downstream of Putney, there are jetties and wharfs on both banks of the river, and sections of the Thames Path often have to divert away from the river around riverside buildings. There are also many docks , most of them downstream of Tower Bridge . In central London , there
10450-499: The time the grant was awarded in January 2006, it had risen to £11.9 million, and a further £6 million of match funding was received from the South West of England Regional Development Agency. Alongside these major developments, the Cotswold Canals Trust has rebuilt a number of locks and bridges and some small sections of the rest of the route are now in water. With the restoration underway, British Waterways pulled out of
10560-561: The towpath does not connect up without ferries; access to this lock requires a 10-minute walk across Odney Common on Formosa Island and the Lock Island (incorporating the former Mill Eyot) to Sashes Island . Marlow Lock access requires a short walk through town back streets. All the other locks have obvious access from the Thames Path. The lock islands at Pinkhill Lock , Eynsham Lock , King's Lock , Boulters Lock and Shepperton Lock can be visited, as can Penton Hook Island which
10670-409: The towpath ferries became obsolete and the last towpath ferry to stop running was the rope ferry at Bablock Hythe in the 1960s. The main exception to towpath access to the navigation between Inglesham and Putney is a stretch of river where the former towpath was removed past Windsor Castle . The castle's private grounds of Home Park, Windsor were extended to include the riverbank and its towpath by
10780-461: The towpath has been lost). At both these weirs, lengthy rope winches were required for barges to pass Marlow and Whitchurch in the days before steam power. It is also required to divert around Oxford Cruisers downstream of Pinkhill Lock , even though the towpath is still shown as a public right of way on Ordnance Survey maps. The remainder of the navigation between Inglesham and Putney has an existing towpath; however, river crossings are now missing at
10890-572: The traditional source of the river in Trewsbury Mead and Inglesham , but is unable to run alongside the river in several places. The Thames Path starts beside the monument for the traditional river source and follows the water down the hill towards the Fosse Way . In the fields either side of the A433 are some springs ; and south of this road, a small water channel can be found and then
11000-478: The tunnel ran through porous limestone, and there were constant difficulties with leakage. Competition from the railways took much of the canal's traffic by the end of the 19th century, and most of the canal was abandoned in 1927, the remainder in 1941. Since 1972, the Cotswold Canals Trust has been working to restore both the canal and the Stroudwater Navigation to navigably re-link the Thames and
11110-417: The water into the canal. An extra, shallow lock was built at Boxwell, which allowed the level of the canal to be dropped beyond it, and more water to be taken from Boxwell springs. The new arrangements were adequate, although some of the reason was the failure of traffic to develop to the levels anticipated. Leakage was affected by springs breaking through the clay lining of the canal bed. In summer, when
11220-477: The water is discharged into the River Frome below the A419 Dudbridge Road bridge. As a consequence of its flood relief function, the channel here is classified as a " main river ". Designs for reinstatement of the canal had to accommodate large flows on this section, and include underground bywash culverts, capable of carrying the full flood flow of the streams. At Capels Mill, the bed of the canal
11330-477: The water supply that was always inadequate, and secondly because the 2.2-mile-long (3.5 km) Sapperton Tunnel is blocked by two rock falls. In addition, there are two missing railway bridges, an aqueduct, and 31 locks to rebuild. As of May 2015, there was no significant funding in place for any restoration projects on this section of the canal. Parts of the tunnel are in good condition, where it has been cut through stable rock, either Great Oolite limestone at
11440-416: The whole canal some major engineering obstacles will need to be overcome. Since the 1730s, when the first act of Parliament to authorize a canal from the River Severn to Stroud had been passed, the Stroudwater Navigation had been seen as part of a larger plan to link London and Bristol by waterway. No work took place immediately, but the Stroudwater was eventually opened in 1779, and within two years
11550-399: Was 18 inches (46 cm) thick, and A. Brome Wilson, the canal's engineer, used pipes to feed water from the underlying springs into the canal, but at a level above the waterline. Neither of the river navigations to which the canal connected were satisfactory. In the west, the situation was remedied in 1827, on completion of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal . On the Thames, there had been
11660-457: Was built through an island in the river and public access to the lock over the weir from Pangbourne or across the millstream at Whitchurch-on-Thames was closed in 1888 to avoid the loss of tolls on Whitchurch Bridge ; as a consequence, Whitchurch is the only Thames lock that is inaccessible by foot – it is only accessible by boat. Cookham Lock is still accessible although it is not on the Thames Path. The Thames divides into several streams here and
11770-536: Was proposed in 1793, it was not opened until 1810, and the North Wilts Canal , which eventually provided the connecting link from Latton to Swindon for Thames & Severn traffic to bypass the upper river, was not completed until 1819. Even after this, vessels were restricted by the narrow 7ft width of the North Wilts, which was considerably smaller than the rest of the link between the Thames and
11880-660: Was required at Stonehouse, where the canal had been culverted underneath the Bristol–Birmingham line . Since the canal was abandoned, the River Frome and the Oldbury Brook have both been diverted to use part of the canal bed. Most significantly, the original route has been divided by both the construction of the M5 motorway and development of the A38 trunk road. Plans to overcome these obstacles were produced, in anticipation of
11990-584: Was the Stroudwater Canal Society, which soon became the Stroudwater, Thames and Severn Canal Trust, and from 1975, the Cotswold Canals Trust . Volunteers for the trust have since been working to restore both the Stroudwater Navigation and the Thames and Severn Canal. Extensive lobbying in 1979 resulted in Gloucestershire County Council deciding to rebuild a damaged bridge at Daneway, rather than replace it with
12100-476: Was used as the route for the Stroud Bypass in the 1980s, and so a diversion had to be built at this point. It passes through an area that was used as a landfill site in the 1960s and 1970s. Some 355 yards (325 m) of new channel was constructed, some of it edged with sheet piling. After passing through a railway viaduct, the bank is supported by a series of contiguous concrete piles, which were drilled to
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