GovWire

Guidance: River Thames: locks and facilities for boaters

Environment Agency

August 22
10:45 2023

Using the locks

Lock keepers work at Environment Agency locks to help boaters through the lock during their hours of duty.

To find out whether there will be a lock keeper on duty at the lock you are visiting, check our River Thames lock keeper service page.

When lock keepers are not available you may work the lock yourself, at your own risk. Some locks have power, which makes them easier to operate.

Full details of the service lock keepers offer on the River Thames are in the River Thames customer charter.

Lock keeper hours of duty

Month Morning Afternoon
January 9:15am to 1pm 2pm to 4pm
February 9:15am to 1pm 2pm to 4pm
March 9:15am to 1pm 2pm to 4pm
April 9am to 1pm 2pm to 5pm
May 9am to 1pm 2pm to 6pm
June 9am to 1pm 2pm to 6pm
July 9am to 1pm 2pm to 6:30pm
August 9am to 1pm 2pm to 6:30pm
September 9am to 1pm 2pm to 6pm
October 9am to 1pm 2pm to 5pm
November 9:15am to 1pm 2pm to 4pm
December 9:15am to 1pm 2pm to 4pm

Teddington Lock has a 24 hour service all year.

At all other locks, you need to operate the lock yourself when the blue self service signs are displayed.

Operating the lock yourself

Operating instructions are posted at locks. Read the operating instructions before you operate the lock.

If you are operating the lock yourself:

  • stay close to the sluice controls while the sluices are in operation
  • close the lock gates properly before slowly opening the sluices to fill or empty the lock
  • leave the lock empty and shut the gates after use - there is often a public right of way over the gates

In an emergency you should close all sluices before dealing with the situation. Emergency contact details are displayed at each lock.

Camping at lock sites

We are sorry to have to inform you that we have closed all Environment Agency campsites at our River Thames lock sites for the remainder of this year.

The Environment Agency are reviewing all aspects of our campsite management to ensure we have suitable arrangements in place to meet our statutory obligations and all other legal responsibilities for the sites.

Short stay mooring

Unless signs state otherwise, you are allowed to moor for up to 24 hours at Environment Agency short stay moorings.

You may have to pay a fee at some sites, either for mooring at any time, or after an initial free period.

Signs will usually show any applicable conditions and charges payable. By mooring, you are agreeing to them.

Ask about short stay mooring availability

Call 03708 506 506 if you have any queries, including if you want to pre-book a short stay mooring. You can only pre-book at selected locks.

Find out about call charges.

Additional charges and penalties

You may get a penalty or have to pay additional charges if you do not follow the conditions of use. Penalties could include:

  • suspension of your boat registration
  • removal of your boat under court order (at the owners expense)

If the Environment Agency has issued warnings for the current river conditions that advise you not to navigate, these penalties will not apply. You should plan to move your boat from the mooring when it is safe to do so.

Electric charging point moorings

Electric powered boats have priority at Environment Agency electric charging point moorings.

Any boat using the electric charging point at an Environment Agency mooring for any length of time will be charged for this service.

You should move a fully charged boat away from the charging point if there is another boat waiting to use it.

During the boating season (1 April to 31 October inclusive) you can only book electric charging point moorings for electric powered boats. Book at least 48 hours in advance by emailing waterwaysthames@environment-agency.gov.uk (monitored Monday to Friday) or directly with a lock or weir keeper.

Electric charging point moorings are only available for 24 hours and boats must not return to the same electric charging point for 72 hours.

After 4pm any electric charging point moorings not booked will be available to any boat, whether electric powered or not, on a first come first serve basis.

Outside the boating season, the previous information does not apply. However, you must move any boat moored at an Environment Agency electric charging point mooring within 24 hours if an electric powered boat requests to use the service.

Environment Agency short stay mooring locations

You can find short stay moorings at the following locations. You can pre-book at specific locations (if spaces are available) by emailing your request to waterwaysthames@environment-agency.gov.uk. Please put Short stay lock mooring request in the subject line.

Short stay mooring locations:

  • Lechlade - Riverside Pub
  • St Johns Lock - downstream (can pre-book)
  • Buscot Lock - upstream (can pre-book)
  • Shifford Lock - upstream (can pre-book)
  • Northmoor Lock - upstream (can pre-book)
  • Eynsham Lock - upstream
  • Eynsham Lock - downstream
  • Kings Lock - upstream (can pre-book)
  • Kings Lock - downstream
  • Oxford - East Street
  • Iffley Lock - upstream
  • Iffley Lock - downstream
  • Sandford Lock - upstream (can pre-book)
  • Sandford Lock - downstream (can pre-book)
  • Abingdon Lock - upstream (can pre-book)
  • Culham Lock - upstream (can pre-book)
  • Clifton Lock - upstream (can pre-book)
  • Days Lock - upstream (can pre-book)
  • Benson Lock - upstream (can pre-book)
  • Cleeve Lock - downstream
  • Goring Lock - upstream (can pre-book)
  • Goring Lock - downstream
  • Goring - downstream of Goring Bridge
  • Reading - Scours Lane (moor with care - water depth variable)
  • Sonning - for 950 metres upstream of Sonning Lock (moor with care - water depth variable)
  • Shiplake Lock - upstream (can pre-book)
  • Wargrave - opposite Lashbrook
  • Hurley Lock - downstream (clubs can pre-book)
  • Temple Lock - upstream
  • Marlow - downstream of Marlow Lock (currently closed)
  • Cookham Lock - downstream (clubs can pre-book)
  • Boveney - opposite Maidenhead Road
  • Boveney - downstream of Eton boathouse
  • Boveney Lock Island - downstream (can pre-book)
  • Egham - towpath 620 metres upstream of Bell Weir Lock
  • Bell Weir Lock - downstream
  • Laleham - towpath between Blacksmiths Lane and Vicarage Lane
  • Weybridge - opposite Shepperton Lock Island (Weybridge Point)
  • Desborough - downstream end of Desborough Island on old river
  • Walton - towpath opposite Shepperton Marina
  • Walton - opposite Beasleys Ait (Gridley Miskin)
  • Sunbury - Weir Hotel
  • Molesey - Hurst Park
  • Kingston - Railway Wharf
  • Teddington Lock - upstream

Base mooring at lock sites

If you keep, or mainly use, your boat on the River Thames you must have a proper base mooring. This is somewhere to put your boat when you are not cruising, such as a marina berth.

If you live on your boat as your only place of residence, you need to have an approved residential mooring.

The Environment Agency offers base mooring at some lock sites. None of these sites allow residential mooring.

Where you can find Environment Agency base moorings

You can find base moorings at:

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