Osney Lock
Telephone: 01865 247050
Postcode: OX2 0AX
There was a flash weir at Osney (or Oseney), recorded as far back as 1227 when Henry III was King of England.
The neat, efficient lock you see at Osney today was built in 1790 by the inmates of Oxford Prison. It cost the mere sum of £750.
The lock was originally built as a manual beam pound lock and following a number of renovations, refits and changes, was converted to hydraulic operation in 1970. The lock was built on a secondary channel of the Thames – the natural main channel flows under the site of Oxford Castle.
Lock keeper
The Lock Keeper here, Ray Riches, has been resident since May 2005. He started life on the river as a District Relief covering the locks between Lechlade and Cleeve. He says, ‘It was my ambition from a very early age to work on the river. My childhood was spent at Shifford and Duxford and when I saw an ad for a relief lockkeeper, I decided to go for it. It is a decision that I do not regret’.
An interesting fact
The Oxford Castle referred to is the site of William the Conqueror's castle built in 1071 soon after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
Location and facilities
For a map and a list of all the facilities at the lock visit...
> Location and facilities at Osney Lock