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Circular Walks around Goring and Streatley, Chilterns Conservation Board Leaflet.
Maps
Left bank, length: 179'5", width: 21'0", 01491 872687
Goring on the left bank and Streatley on the right bank.
At Goring the Ridgeway crosses the Thames. There is high ground to the North East and high ground to the South west and between the two the river forces its way through the Goring Gap.
The Ridgeway Path
1538: When the Goring Priory was suppressed, at the
dissolution of the monasteries, John Stoner was granted the house and site and
“weir called Goring”, a windmill and the ferry.
1787: The Pound Lock built (by workmen working 14
hours a day, seven days a week for One and a half pence per hour)
1791: Mylne -
Here is another instance of the impropriety of the miller having care of the pound lock. The millers of Goreing and Streatly Mills, having a spurt of Business to do, were using all the water as fast as possible, to the great detriment of the navigation, shutting down 2 hours in the night only. A small boat, drawing eighteen inches of water only, could not move off a shoal at the tail of the lock; and the miller refused to give a flash for that purpose, (altho’ official keeper of the Pound Lock) unless a flash was first let off from Clieve(sic) above.
[ We somehow assume that the state of the
river in our time is normal, but then, the river levels were generally lower
and it was customary to start a flash three times a week from Lechlade which
went right down the length of the river at about 1 mile an hour.
The miller was unwilling to lose his head of
water for the mill unless it could be replaced immediately from upriver.
Miss Mitton in 1906 even says weirs stop running in the summer! Not the British
summers I know!
The foregoing was written in 2003 - now in the summer of 2006 the weirs are ceasing to flow ... ]
1792: Picturesque Views on the Thames, Samuel Ireland -
... we reach the
picturesque combination of objects at the
village of Goring, whose romantic and sequestered situation it is not possible for the
eye of observation to pass unnoticed. The
Berkshire hills form a richly variegated background,
and the easy ascent of the lawns in
the front happily intersect the principal objects, and give a charming relief to the whole.
In the annexed view this scene is faintly represented ; yet faint as it is, it cannot fail to
strike the admirer of simple nature in landscape, as a combination of objects worthy to
be impressed on the mind.
THE village of Streetly on the opposite side the river, has equal claim to notice ;
it is situated on a Roman highway near Ickenild Street, which here enters Berkshire, and runs
across the neighbouring downs ...
Goring by Samuel Ireland, 1792
Streatley and Goring June 1, 1793.
J. Farington R.A. delt. J.C. Stadler sculpt.
by J. & J.Boydell, Shakespeare Gally. Pall Mall & (No. 90)
Cheapside
1873: Taunt's Map and Guide to the Thames -
The twin villages of Goring and Streatley are separated by the river, which expands to some width,
and contains several islands. The two places are connected by a picturesque wooden toll bridge.
Goring is on the left bank, and close to the mill stands the Church, an object of interest,
the finest view of which is to be had from the bridge ...
Streatley, on the opposite bank of the river, is well known, from the beautiful and extensive views
to be obtained from its lovely hills. The view for miles, both up and down the river, is of that soft,
flowing character which is essentially English;
and the Thames, winding along the bottom of the hill to the extreme distance, gives life and motion
to a magnificent prospect. The exquisite series of scenes also formed by the village,
with the weirs and overfalls in the foreground, are some of the prettiest on the whole of the river.
Streatley is said to owe its name to Icknield Street, which here entered Berkshire by a ford through
the river.
Goring Lock, Henry Taunt -
Goring Lock, Henry Taunt
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; H00199
1906: G.E.Mitton -
We do not, alas! hear the wash of the water tumbling over the weir, for weirs in summer often run dry, or give only a small trickle, though it is just the time when their gay music would most appeal to the heart of man. The lock-keeper has stories to tell of the days before the “pound” locks, as they used to be called, were made. What we call the weirs were then the “locks”. The great barges had to be towed up the weirs by means of rope and capstan; and sometimes, when the water ran low, they had to wait for weeks for a freshet that would enable them to get up.
1960: Goring Lock, Francis Frith -
1960: Goring Lock, Francis Frith
2004: My punt entering Goring Lock. The barge’s rudder is three times as long as my punt is wide!
Goring Lock, 2004
Goring Weir, 2004
1881: George Leslie -
The water in the short reach between Goring and Cleve Lock is very deep and sluggish, bad of course for punting.
It is deep in places, deeper than I can reach with my 20' pole in one or two spots.
And there appears to be a rock bottom where there is not silt.
Few punters will have found this stone because what I have found is over 16' deep.
It is of course important -
statement of the obvious coming up! -
when coming downstream, with a central weir, either keep to the Swan, right bank side, for a good [ tea? ]
OR keep well to the left bank side for the lock.
(The Swan at Streatley)
Estuary
PLA
QEII Br
Barrier
Tower Br
Custom Ho
London Br
; Frost Fairs
Cannon St Rb
The Great Stink
Southwark Br
Millenium Br
Blackfriars Rb
Blackfriars Br
Waterloo Br
Charing Cross Rb
Westminster Br
Lambeth Br
Vauxhall Br
Victoria Rb
Chelsea Br
Albert Br
Battersea Br
Battersea Rb
Wandsworth Br
Fulham Rb
Putney Br
Hammersmith Br
Barnes Rb
Chiswick Br
Kew Rb
Kew Br
RICHMOND
Twickenham Br
Richmond Rb
Richmond Br
TEDDINGTON
Kingston Rb
Kingston Br
Ditton Slip
Hampton Br
MOLESEY
SUNBURY
Walton Br
Desborough Cut
SHEPPERTON
Chertsey Br
CHERTSEY
M3 Br
Laleham Slip
PENTON HOOK
Staines Rb
Staines Br
Runnymede Br
BELL WEIR
Magna Carta Is
OLD WINDSOR
Albert Br
Datchet
Victoria Br
Black Potts Rb
ROMNEY
Eton
Windsor Br
Windsor Rb
Windsor Slip
Elizabeth Br
BOVENEY
Dorney Lake
York Cut
Summerleaze Fb
MonkeyIsland
New Thames Br
BRAY
Bray Slip
Maidenhead Rb
Maidenhead Br
Below Boulters
BOULTERS
Cliveden
Hedsor
COOKHAM
Cookham Slip
Cookham Br
BourneEnd RFb
Quarry Woods
A404 Br
MARLOW
Marlow Br
Bisham
TEMPLE
HURLEY
Medmenham
Culham Ct
Aston Slip
HAMBLEDEN
Temple Is
Fawley Ct
Remenham
Regatta
Phyllis Ct
Henley Slip
Leander
Red Lion
Henley Br
Angel on Br
Landing
Hobbs Boatyard
Hobbs Slipway
MARSH
Hennerton
Bolney
Wargrave
Shiplake Rb
R.Loddon
SHIPLAKE
Sonning Br
SONNING
Dreadnought
K&A Canal
CAVERSHAM
Reading Br
Caversham Br
Reading Slip
Purley
MAPLEDURHAM
Hardwick Ho
Whitchurch Br
WHITCHURCH
Hartswood Reach
Gatehampton Rb
Goring Gap
Goring Br
GORING
Swan
CLEEVE
Moulsford
Moulsford Rb
Papist Way Slip
Winterbrook Br
Wallingford Br
BENSON
Shillingford Br
R.Thame
DAYS
Burcot
Clifton Hampden
Clifton Church
Clifton H Br
Barley Mow
Long Wittenham
CLIFTON
Appleford Rb
Sutton Courtenay
Sutton Br
CULHAM
Culham Cut Fb
Abingdon Slip
Abingdon
Abingdon Br
ABINGDON
Nuneham Rb
Nuneham
Nuneham Park
Radley Boats
SANDFORD
Rose Island
Kennington Rb
Isis Br
Iffley Mill
IFFLEY
Oxford Rowing
Isis
Donnington Br
Riverside Slip
Boathouses
Punting
Lower Cherwell
Upper Cherwell
Islip
Head of River
Salters Steamers
Folly Br
Bacons Folly
Oxford Fb
Osney Fb
Weir stream
Osney Rb
Bullstake Stream
Osney Marina
OSNEY
Osney Br
Four Rivers
OLD RIVER
CANAL
Medley Weir Site
Medley Fb
Bossoms
Perch
Trout
GODSTOW
Godstow Nunnery
Godstow Br
Thames Br
KINGS
River Evenlode
EYNSHAM
Swinford Br
Oxford Cruisers
PINKHILL
Farmoor
Stanton Harcourt
Bablock Slip
Arks Weir Site
NORTHMOOR
Harts Fb
//Rose Revived
Newbridge
//Maybush
River Windrush
below Shifford
SHIFFORD
Shifford Fb
Tenfoot Fb
Trout Inn
Tadpole Br
RUSHEY
Old Mans Fb
RADCOT
Radcot Cradle Fb
Swan Inn
Radcot New Br
Radcot Old Br
GRAFTON
Eaton Hastings
Kelmscott
Eaton Fb
BUSCOT
Bloomers Hole Fb
Trout Inn
St Johns Br
ST JOHNS
Halfpenny Br
Marina Slip
LIMIT
Inglesham
Hannington Br
Kempsford
Castle Eaton Br
Marston Meysey
A419 Br
Cricklade
SOURCE?
THAMES HEAD
SEVEN SPRINGS