Whitchurch Lock
Telephone: +44 (0)118 984 2448
Postcode: RG8 7DJ
Click the link below for a map and a list of facilities at the lock.
Location and facilities for Whitchurch Lock
Whitchurch Lock began life as a flash weir in 1580 and was converted to a wooden pound lock in 1787. The manual beams were removed in 1966 when the lock was converted to electro-hydraulic operation.
The Lock House is the only surviving one of its type - the arched window design is the same as when the house was built in 1829.
Lock Keeper
Brian Butcher, the Lock Keeper, lives in the Lock House with his wife, Iris. Brian started his river career way back in 1967 as a marine engineer with a hire boat operator in Maidenhead.
He says of his life as a lock keeper: 'This is something I've wanted to do for many years. Whitchurch Lock is a lovely location, and we have two important things as lock keepers - responsibility and independence. For me, this is the ideal career move.'
Did you know?
Nearby Pangbourne is famous as the last home of Kenneth Grahame who wrote Wind in the Willows.