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Penton Hook Lock
Penton Hook Lock with the lock-keeper's house
Waterway	River Thames
County	Middlesex
Maintained by	Environment Agency
Operation	Hydraulic
First built	1815
Latest built	1909
Length	266 ft 8 in (81.28 m)
Width	24 ft 10 in (7.57 m)
Fall	4 ft 0 in (1.22 m)
Above sea level	41 feet (12 m)
Distance to Teddington Lock	14 miles (23 km)
Power is available out of hours

v t e Penton Hook Lock the Staines reach of the Thames
Legend
River Thames Bell Weir Lock Colne Brook  M25  +  A30  -- (Runnymede Bridge) Holm Island Hollyhock Island Church Island  A308  Staines Bridge Wraysbury River River Colne Staines Railway Bridge marina: Thorpe weir Penton Hook Lock Abbey River River Thames above Chertsey Lock

Penton Hook Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England situated on the northern "Middlesex" bank near Laleham, Surrey.

The lock cuts across a large loop or hook in the river, creating Penton Hook Island There is a large marina (Penton Hook Marina) in the disused gravel pits connected to this loop. At over 266 ft (81 m) it is the third longest lock on the river.

There are two weirs, which were built some time after the lock. One weir links across to Penton Hook Island, and the other from the island across the old course of the river. The former weir has a wide footpath to the island, but the footpath across the other weir is closed.

History

There was a history of problems to navigation caused by floodwaters bursting across the neck of the island. A lock was suggested here in 1809, and an enabling act passed in 1814. The lock was completed in 1815, two years after Chertsey Lock, to become the lock farthest upstream on the Thames which was controlled by the City of London. This is why the City's arms appear on the Lock Cottage built in 1814. The first weir was not built until 1846, positioned below the outfall of the Abbey River for the benefit of the miller. This caused problems of too strong a stream and it was relocated above the outfall. The lock was rebuilt in 1909.

Access to the lock

The lock is accessible on foot along the towpath from Staines Road coming out of Laleham or from the bottom of Penton Hook Road in Staines-upon-Thames.

Reach above the lock

The river is built up on both sides after the lock and passes through Staines-upon-Thames. Between Staines Railway Bridge and Staines Bridge there is an open riverside area with pubs on both sides and the River Colne joins the Thames here. After the bridge on the northern side is a replica of the London Stone placed near here in 1285 to mark the upper limit of the tidal Thames and the jurisdiction of the City of London. Beside it is Church Island and a recreation area and beyond it Hollyhock Island and the wooded Holm Island. The Surrey side was formerly an industrial area with the gas works and water works, but this is being redeveloped into business parks. The M25 Runnymede Bridge crosses the river carrying the M25 motorway and the old A30 road just short of Bell Weir lock. There is a rowing club and Staines Regatta takes place on this stretch in July.

Thames Path

The Thames Path continues on the Middlesex bank as far as Staines Bridge, where it crosses over to the Surrey side until the lock.

See also

• Locks on the River Thames
• Rowing on the River Thames

References

1. A User's Guide to the River Thames Part 2 p29
2. Fred. S. Thacker The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs 1920 - republished 1968 David & Charles

External links

• Penton Hook Lock at the River Thames Guide

51°24′53″N 0°30′01″W / 51.41472°N 0.50028°W / 51.41472; -0.50028

• Locks on the River Thames