Hambleden Lock

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Hambledon Lock is a lock with a long weir on the River Thames in England. It is about two miles downstream of Henley Bridge and sits in the parish of Remenham on the Berkshire bank, between Aston and Remenham. The lock takes its name from the village of Hambleden, about a mile to the north. A wide weir and walkways cross the river from the lock to Mill End on the Buckinghamshire side, where Hambleden Mill and the site of a Roman villa are nearby.

History in brief
- The lock was first built in 1773 by the Thames Navigation Commission.
- The weir and an older flash lock with a winch are mentioned as far back as 1338.
- Caleb Gould became keeper in 1777 and served for 59 years; he is a noted local character.
- Downstream, the channel was dug out in 1825 to improve navigation.
- In 1829, the lock was the starting point for the first boat race between Oxford and Cambridge universities, watched by about 20,000 people.
- The lock was rebuilt in 1870, new weirs were built in 1884, and a walkway was added to reopen the old right of way.
- The lock was rebuilt again in 1994.

How to visit and what to see
- The lock can be reached from Aston on the Berkshire side, and from Mill End on the Buckinghamshire side via the walkways across the weirs.
- Just upstream is Temple Island, the start of the Henley Royal Regatta course, which runs about 1 mile and 550 yards to Henley Bridge.
- The regatta lawns extend along the reach to Hambleden, and the Henley Festival is held nearby.
- The Berkshire bank has open fields and Remenham Farm; across the river you’ll find Greenlands, now the home of Henley Management College. The Thames Path runs along the Berkshire bank to Henley Bridge and then crosses to Marsh Lock on the Oxfordshire side.

Recreation and culture
- Since the 1940s, kayakers and canoeists have used the weir area for recreation.
- The lock is mentioned in Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat.
- Caleb Gould’s grave in Remenham is a local point of interest.