Osney Lock
Osney Lock is a lock on the River Thames in Oxford, beside the Osney village/island. The first stone lock was built in 1790 by Daniel Harris for the Thames Navigation Commission, and it was last rebuilt in 1905. The lock helps boats move up and down the river. Upstream is a weir that feeds the Osney pool, and a small hydroelectric plant sits beside the weir. An Environment Agency complex is opposite the lock, with Osney Mill Marina and Osney Cemetery nearby.
The river here was shaped in medieval times by the monks of Osney Abbey to serve Osney Mill, and the present navigation channel became the main route when the lock was built. The lock can be reached along the towpath from Osney Bridge on Botley Road, close to Oxford city center and the railway station.
To the east is Port Meadow; to the west are allotments and backs of houses. The Four Rivers junction links to the Oxford Canal via the Sheepwash Channel in one direction and to Bulstake Stream in the other. Near Fiddler’s Island is the Medley Footbridge, which crosses the main river channel. The Thames Path crosses here, moving between the Oxford side and the western bank via Osney Bridge, Fiddler’s Island and Medley Footbridge on its way to Godstow Lock. Speed markers upstream of Medley Boat Station help boaters keep to a safe pace.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:50 (CET).