Maps
Burcot having, as far as I am aware, no current landing, is remarkable,
as far as the river user is concerned, entirely for its past.
For hundreds of years it may have been the highest point which substantial cargoes could reach.
Above it were the Clifton shallows, of solid rock and therefore not able to be dredged.
[Sheila Llewellyn, The View from the Bridge, 1999, says modern dredgers attempted it in the 1990s
- and failed.]
On the right bank to the south is very flat flood plain with few trees and Wittenham Clumps, the other side
of Days Lock, in the distance.
The river goes through 180° here. The distance from Days Lock via Little Wittenham to Long Wittenham
is, as the crow flies, perhaps only a third of that as the punt glides.
The northern left bank is the much higher bank with the linear development of Burcot
with its back gardens to the river. Here, it is said, was the wharf.
1605: (and 1623:) The name of Burcot came to prominence in the setting up of
the Oxford Burcot commission to deepen the river above Burcot.
The commission built the first three pound locks on the Thames at Sandford, Iffley and Abingdon (Swift Ditch).
This began the decline in Burcot's fortunes, navigationally speaking.
1623:
Act of Parliament -
An Act making the river of Thames navigable for barges, boats and lighters, from the village of Bercot, in the county of Oxon,
unto the university and city of Oxon.
WHEREAS the clearing and effecting of a passage for barges , boats and lighters, by the river of Thames to the university and city of Oxon,
will be very convenient for conveyance of free-stone, commonly called Oxford stone, or Heddington Stone, from
Bullington quarry, near the said city and river of Thames, by the
said passage, to the city of London and other parts, and most profitable
and necessary to and for the said university and city of Oxon, for
conveyance thereby of coals, fuel and other necessaries, to the said
university and city, whereof there is now very great scarcity and want,
and far greater hereafter like to grow, if some help therefore be not
made and provided :
{2) [ preserving the roads ... ]
(3) [ and preventing spoilage of goods ...]
(4) and whereas the said river may easily be made passable and navigable for barges, boats or
lighters, between the aforesaid university and city of Oxford and the
village of Bercot aforesaid, by removing some lets and impediments,
by which means the said university and city of Oxford shall be greatly relieved and helped:
(5) be it therefore ordained and enacted [ ... four commisioners for the University and four for The City ...]
(6) which said commissioners or the more part of them shall have full power to cleanse, scowre, open and make navigable the said river of Thames,
from the said city of Oxon to the village of Bercot aforesaid, and for that purpose to dig the banks of the said river or other ground,
ditch, brook or stream near thereunto adjoining, and to cut away all trees and roots of trees that may be hurtful or hindrance to the said passage,
and to open, prepare or make all wears and locks or turnpikes fit for the said passage, and to remove any thing that shall be any impediment or stop
to the clearing and making of the said passage ; and likewise to cut, scowre or open any other
stream or water-course that shall be most convenient for making the said passage or river navigable;
and likewise to make and erect any wharfs, locks or turnpikes, or pens for water, in or near the said river or passage,
that shall be fit or necessary for the same, and to bring, lay and work all materials requisite for the making,
erecting and repairing of the said locks or turnpikes upon the banks or ground near the said river or passage.
II. [ Compensating anybody affected ...]
III. [Taxing the University and City as necessary]
(3) And for that the said passage from Bercot aforesaid to the said city of Oxford, is against the stream, the barges, boats, lighters or other vessels, must of necessity in some places and at some times be haled up by the strength of men, horses, winches, engines or other means in that behalf
convenient ; be it therefore enacted by the authority of this present act, That it shall and may be lawful to and for watermen, boatmen, bargemen and other helpers of them, in convenient places, to have and use winches, ropes and other engines, and with the same by strength of men and horses or
either of them, going up the land or banks near the said river or passage, through the said passage, without the hindrance, trouble or impeachment of any person or persons, to draw or hale up the barges, boats, lighters or other vessels, doing none other harm than only by going or treading upon the said land or banks near adjoining as aforesaid.
[etc ...]
Site of Burcot Wharf
The site has been lost! But it must have been substantial. Heavy goods were unloaded here from
barges that might have been 85 feet long and drawing maybe 4 feet. Good access by road would also
have been required. And it cannot now be seen.
[I was unaware of the mystery last time I punted there - but next time I will have a good prod
and see what I can find. A slow moving punt with a long pole can find things
underwater that otherwise only a diver could find.]
1880: Burcot House, Henry Taunt -
Burcot House, Henry Taunt, 1880
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT1615
Burcot House was demolished in 1956
1937: John Masefield, poet laureate, lived at Burcote Brook, which burnt down a few years after his death and on the site is now the Cheshire Home with gardens stretching down to the river.
I told you of our new house. We haven't quite got it yet, but I rather think we shall have it.
It is a plain solid rectangular house on the river, in full view of Witnam Clumps
which would be distant 2 or 3 miles I think.
You can fish or swim from the lawn, and it will be easy to have a boat or two and go a-rowing.
It is about 7 or 8 miles from Oxford, and from Abingdon and about 1 from Dorchester.
The pub [at Clifton Hampden] is the Barley Mow, where you used to get swindgeing good teas
after rowing. I suppose we move there about May if we get it.
Dear Friend, come soon and look
At Burcote or Burcot brook.
Put on your coat and surcoat
And take the ship for Burcote
And begg the good Herr Gott
To land you at Burcot.
[Not quite up to "Sea Fever" - "When I go down to the seas again ..." in my humble opinion. Did John Masefield write anything Thames related? I can't find it so far ... ]
(Upstream to below Clifton Hampden)
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