St Johns Lock
Telephone: 01367 252309
Postcode: GL7 3HA
The first pound lock on this site was built in 1790 and it is the highest lock on the River Thames. The lock and its adjoining bridge are named after a priory dedicated to St John the Baptist, which has long since disappeared. With a fall of less than a metre (2 foot 10 inches), this is one of the shallowest locks on the river. The current lock house was built in 1974 and at the same time the paddle and rhymer weir was replaced with a modern radial structure.
Lock keeper
The Lockkeeper here is Peter Payne who is a waterways and gardening enthusiast. He came to lock keeping after many years as a bank manager in Northampton.
An interesting fact
St John's Lock is home to 'Father Thames', the famous statue made in 1854 for the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace. After the palace burnt down the statue was moved near the river's source at Trewsbury Meads in Gloucestershire. Unfortunately, the statue was vandalised there so was moved to its current location in 1974.
Location and facilities
For a map and a list of all the facilities at the lock visit...
> Location and facilities at St John's Lock