Cut east from Four Rivers leads to a Five Way junction
(To: Castle Weir,
Isis Lock to Oxford Canal South - End,
Oxford Canal North,
Medley on the main river, Four Rivers)
This section in The Stripling Thames by Fred Thacker
1920: Fred Thacker's map -
Fred Thacker's Map, 1920.
1859: The Thames, Mr & Mrs Hall
The left stream is the course that is most picturesque; but there is no exit, as the current is arrested to turn the mill which still works there, where, by itself and its predecessors, it has worked since the castle first reared its strong and stately towers and battlements by the river's side; indeed, there is evidence that the miller had precedence of the chatelain.
1885: The Royal River -
For the University there exist two rivers;
one, The River, below Folly Bridge,
the other, The Upper River, above Medley Weir.
Between the two there is not one stream but many. The river goes out of itself
and returns into itself again. And in this division it suffers various fortunes.
It goes far afield and grows forget-me-nots.
It turns mill-wheels, and is a servant of breweries.
It is locked and sluiced for the passage of barges.
It is constrained and laid away in low and discouraged quarters,
where it keeps company with people out of repair,
with philanthropic enterprises, with aimless smells, with exhausted dust,
with retired hansom cabs.
It is beguiled into obscure cuts for bathing.
It is imprisoned under streets.
And when it comes to itself again it is not allowed to have its name,
but is called by the vain sound of Isis.
Leaving the main stream at Four Rivers / Four Streams -
Foot bridge
Foot bridge.
Sheepwash Railway bridge
Sheepwash Railway bridge. (The narrow section is the site of the old railway swing bridge)
Rewley Road Bridge
Five way water junction. We shall go round it anti-clockwise -
a)
SOUTH EAST downstream on the old Navigation into Oxford. A weir Stream. This has now been blocked in an emphatic way,
with enormous floats on a cable.
b)
NORTH WEST up the Isis Lock onto the Oxford Canal and then sharp right onto the stub of the canal into Oxford.
c)
NORTH WEST up the Isis Lock onto the Oxford Canal and then straight on to the north.
d)
NORTH WEST to the left of the Isis Lock, the old river which rejoins at Medley
e) WEST back to Four Rivers on the Main Navigation of the Thames / Isis DESCRIBED ABOVE
NOTE: COMING DOWN ISIS LOCK TURN SHARP RIGHT AFTER 50 YARDS! DO NOT GO STRAIGHT ON!
a) SOUTH EAST at the five way water junction:
The Old navigation, is a weir stream which goes
through the city, NOW BLOCKED OFF - so what follows originated when it was still accessible.
This is the stream that after a weir comes out just above the Osney Foot Bridge.
We are following parallel to the last few
yards of the Oxford Canal.
Horseshoe Weir from the canal into the old navigation
Oxford Canal Weir, probably by Henry Taunt -
Oxford Canal Weir, probably by Henry Taunt
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; D260020a
2005: Oxford Canal Weir -
Horseshoe Weir.
Hythe Bridge (A4144) also known as High Bridge
We are accustomed to think of Folly Bridge as the Oxford central river crossing - but in medieval
days that honour was probably held by Hythe Bridge -
1200-1210: The first known Hythe Bridge, probably of wood, was built by Osney abbey.
1373-1403: Hythe Bridge rebuilt in stone, with three arches.
1817: Hythe Bridge view by Skelton shows three very irregular arches
Engraving of Hythe Bridge, photograph by Henry Taunt in 1895
Engraving of Hythe Bridge, photograph by Henry Taunt in 1895
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive;
1835: Another engraving of Hythe Bridge, photograph by Henry Taunt in 1907 -
1835 Engraving of Hythe Bridge, photograph by Henry Taunt in 1907
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive;
1835: The original which was photographed by Taunt above!
Hythe Bridge, 1835
1839: The boatmen's Chapel a converted[!] river barge, was moored north of Hythe Bridge
and consecrated by the Bishop of Oxford in his concern
for 'that neglected and too often depraved class, the boatmen'.
Between 1839 and 1868 it provided a place of worship and schooling for some hundreds of people.
When St Barnabas was started in 1868 by the long serving vicar of St Thomas' - it was said of the floating chapel
'that being possessed of less endurance than the vicar, and probably weary and disgusted with its poor surroundings,
it quietly sank one Sunday morning. It was not worth raising.'
1861: Hythe Bridge was replaced by the present iron Hythe Bridge, designed by a local engineer, John Galpin.
1913: Hythe Bridge from the Oxford Canal, Henry Taunt -
Hythe Bridge from the Oxford Canal, Henry Taunt, 1913
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT11720
1921: The Oxford Canal from Hythe Bridge, Henry Taunt -
Oxford Canal from Hythe Bridge, Henry Taunt, 1921
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT12617
1999: Hythe Bridge strengthened by Carbon fibre technique -
Pre-stressed Carbon Fibre Strengthening First:
Hythe Bridge is a busy 125 year
old cast iron beamed bridge with brick jack arches in-between which carries the
western approach road into Oxford with two 7.8m spans.
Assessment of the bridge revealed that it
required to be strengthened and all other considered techniques were discounted
including replacement, because of the massive disruption it would cause to
traffic entering and leaving Oxford.
The selection of the technique of installing
pre-stressed carbon fibre reinforced polymer plates to strengthen the 7.5Te
capacity cast iron beams to full 40Te capacity was the most significant factor
in achieving best value.
The process involved grit blasting and grinding
the beam soffits, then bonding anchorages near to the ends of the beams. Once
the connection bonds were cured the beams were coated with epoxy resin and
immediately, four CFRP plates were stressed to 18t each and clamped tightly up
to the prepared soffit so that they would bond over their full length. All 16
beams in the two spans were strengthened.
2005: Hythe Bridge -
Hythe Bridge, 2005.
It is said that recently a narrow boat coming down the Oxford Canal, through Isis Lock,
mistook this stream for the
main channel and proceeded past the DANGER sign and crashed into Hythe Bridge. SO MAYBE THAT'S WHY IT HAS NOW BEEN CLOSED
[ I can tell you from punting long distance that a fatigue symptom is that one
soon begins to welcome the danger signs - they come to
mean that you are going to be able to sit down and rest for a while! ]
1937: "The Thames and its Story -
Now it is only on the stretch down to Castle Mills that any attempt is made by the town
to come to public and pleasant terms with its river. The attempt is a shy one.
The Fishers Row of low houses - some comparatively new, some old, and one or two remarkable -
straggles along a narrow quay, arched over by the bridges.
In the doubled stream, where it fronts the houses, fleets of old punts lie moored to their poles;
not the varnished toys of the Cherwell, but the craft native to these shallow standing waters,
as the gondola to the lagoons of Venice.
At the back of the houses, their gardens abutting upon it in all vaiety of confusion and decay,
moves a furtive and even feebler stream.
There is a wealth of matter here for the artist to rescue from its odours;
grey walls that have seen better days and other uses, bricks rough-cast, and timber,
willow leaves and fluttering clothes, the most old and various dirt.
All this is only to be won by glimpses from the bridges, or from the hospitality of back rooms;
and it is only just to add that the tenants of this picturesque quarter show to the curious visitor
an unvarying courtesy.
Hythe Bridge is a poor new thing.
Pacey's Bridge is defaced with a new top.
At Pacey's Bridge, the second in order downstream, there is a house bracketed out over the water
of the back stream in a most extraordinary manner.
But the jealousy that keeps the stream secret has shut away that last easy view,
on the one side with a building astride the water, on the other with a mere wilful screen.
The next, Quaking Bridge, brings us to the Castle and the Castle Mill,
the very heart of the old town; the castle older than the University,
the Mill of older foundation than the Castle.
Pacey's Bridge, Park End Street
1770: when New Road was made it crossed the mill-stream of Castle Mill
between Quaking Bridge and Hythe
Bridge, and was named, apparently, after the landlord of the adjacent public
house.
1856: The bridge was widened.
1901: Abel Beesley, University Waterman with a punt load of rushes
and the old Pacey Bridge in the background -
Abel Beesley at Pacey's Bridge, 1901
1920: Pacey's Bridge, Henry Taunt -
Pacey's Bridge, Henry Taunt, 1920
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT12611
1922: Pacey's Bridge rebuilt, its single arch being replaced by a flat span.
2005: Pacey's Bridge -
Pacey's Bridge, 2005.
Quaking Bridge (Tidmarsh Lane) - Quaking Bridge or Quakes Bridge or Little Hythe Bridge
or St Thomas' Bridge - over the mill stream by the Castle
1297: first mentioned by name but probably much
older, crossed the mill-stream immediately west of the castle, on the line of a
road which passed from the town into St. Thomas' parish before the castle's construction.
1324: Close Rolls -
A bridge anciently constructed over the Thames, whereby the Canons of Osney were wont to pass into the Chapel of St George in the castle, which they are bound to do daily, had been broken down and wholly removed for the greater security of the castle in the late disturbance. The King ordered it to be reconstructed at his own cost of 60s.
1616: Two arches
1685: the city undertook to maintain the bridge, while St. Thomas' parish made an annual contribution.
In the 17th century the bridge was supported by three columns of stone and was passable for a cart.
1821: it comprised three arches and was railed with open-work timber.
1835: An iron bridge was built
1871: The Bridge was widened with timber on the downstream side.
1874 - rebuilt
1895: The widening timber was replaced by brick and masonry.
2005: Quaking Bridge -
Quaking Bridge.
Oxford Castle and Weir, Under the bridge on the left bank is the remaining part of Oxford Castle.
Oxford Castle.
An old drawing of the castle precincts area showing in dotted lines the routes of New Road, which cut across the northern part of the site in 1770-6, and the canal basin of 1790 on the present site of Nuffield College. Photograph by Taunt, 1907
Oxford Castle plan with new roads 1770s and canal basin 1790, Taunt
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT9960
And immediately beside the Castle is the weir. You would not want to see this sight from a boat in other than low summer levels -
Oxford Weir near Oxford Castle.
[ From the main river I reached to 50 yards
below that weir, see just above Osney Footbridge. ]
Painting of Castle mill beside St George's by J.A. Shuffrey (1859-1939).
The mill, Norman in origin, was demolished in the early twentieth century -
Castle mill beside St George's, J.A. Shuffrey.
1935: Fisher Row and Remains of Oxford Castle -
1935: Fisher Row and Remains of Oxford Castle.
[ At the end of this section I have included other bridges and streams in Oxford
that do not appear to be directly on the Old Stream. ]
Meanwhile back to the five way water junction -
b) NORTH WEST up the Isis Lock onto the Oxford Canal and then sharp right onto the stub of the canal into Oxford.
You will need a lock key to go through Isis Lock.
There are two directions available up through the Isis Lock -
left to the north west on the Oxford Canal or right onto the last few yards of the canal,
south east into Oxford.
Isis Lock -
Isis Lock, Andrew Lang, 1896
Isis Lock
Isis Lock Footbridge.
Autumn Day, Isis Lock Iron Turnover Bridge by Michele Field -
Autumn Day, Isis Lock Iron Turnover Bridge by Michele Field
1955: Save our Canal -
Save our Canal Poster, 1955
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; D252330a
Up out of the Isis Lock sharp right turn takes you onto the stub end of the Oxford Canal, Hythe Bridge Branch -
Oxford Canal, Hythe Bridge Branch.
Horseshoe Weir
And then before Hythe Bridge, just at the Horseshoe Weir, the canal abruptly stops. There are said to be plans
to reinstate the end of the canal at a basin a little further on. SEE BELOW
I photographed the Horseshoe weir from above.
In the Virtual Earth view you can just see two gentlemen seated to the left of the weir wall.
They were still there when I visited. Indeed if you check all four pictures of the weir
you will find the same two characters (dressed of course as Victorians in the earlier pictures).
"Smile please!", I said to them, and do you know,
I think they must have been Russian immigrants - anyway one of them introduced himself -
"Bugahrov" I think he said his name was. And he is holding up
two digits - presumably to signify that the other gentleman also has that surname.
Above the Horseshoe Weir, the brothers Bugahrov.
The Oxford Canal End.
"FOXcan" was "the Friends of OXford canal and basin".
The Oxford Canal links the English Midlands with the River Thames.
For 150 years Oxford had a canal basin near the city centre, between Park End Street and Hythe Bridge Street.
A coal wharf branched off it at one end, passing under the south end of Worcester Street
and nearly reaching Oxford Castle.
In the 20th century Lord Nuffield bought the basin, had it filled in and founded Nuffield College
on the site of the coal wharf. The rest of the site was let to Oxford City Council,
which runs it as Worcester Street public car park.
1822: Drawing by Westall of Hythe Bridge and the Canal Terminus to the left, photographed by Henry W Taunt -
Hythe Bridge & Canal Terminus, Westall / Taunt, 1822
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT10008
1876:
Ordnance Survey Map showing Hythe Bridge, Pacey's Bridge, and the Coal Wharf.
1901: Coal Wharf near Oxford Castle, Henry W Taunt -
Coal Wharf near Oxford Castle, Taunt, 1901
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT8474
When the Nuffield College was built in 1955 Thomas Photos recorded what was left of the basin.
There are seven relevant photos
here Click Search
Back to the junction five way water junction -
c) NORTH WEST up the Isis Lock onto the Oxford Canal and then straight on to the north.
Straight on at the Isis Lock is the main
route of the Oxford Canal to the North. It can however be used as a round trip to
the north of Oxford because of its other link to
the Thames above Kings Lock.
1893: Ravenstein, The Oarsman's and Angler's map -
A branch stream leads to the Oxford canal, by which, for a small sum, steam launches and other craft up to 7ft beam may reach the Thames again above King's Weir, avoiding the intervening difficulties of the river.
Back to the five way water junction -
d) NORTH WEST to the left of the Isis Lock, the old river which comes from Medley
Old Stream from Medley - Back down below Isis Lock the next stream anticlockwise is
the old Navigation stream which links to the current navigation at Medley.
This is puntable at Summer levels (very low bridges mean lying down!)
1837: Memorials of Oxford by James Ingram -
The branch of the river Isis which runs from Port Meadow to the Castle mill, dividing into two streams near Rewley, forms a long and narrow bank or island : these streams unite again at the north end of Mr. Tawney's garden. The island is about 500 yards in length, varying in breadth from 50 to 10 yards, and was formerly known by the name of Wareham, or Weir-ham bank, probably from the Weirs at Rewley and the Castle mills. This bank to the mill weir below was called the Fisher- row when it was given by the Conqueror to Robert D'Oilly, which name it still retains : it is partly the property of the city and partly of Christ Church.
We follow the Oxford Canal a few feet west of it and a foot or so below it. All along here are little overflows and weirs. And at least one rather larger affair which I think must be an entry into an enormous flood drain -
Isis Flood Drain
Site of Walton Ford -
Where the old stream turns to the west just before it goes under the three bridges,
is the site (I think) of the ancient Walton ford.
And near here (at the junction of Walton Well Road and Southmoor Road) is Walton Well
an ancient Holy Well.
1885: Alderman William Ward erected a drinking fountain on the site -
With the consent of the Lords of the Manor this drinking fountain is erected by Mr William Ward to mark the site of a celebrated spring known as Walton Well adjacent to the ancient fordway into Port Meadow called Walton Ford
Three Bridges on the old Navigation - Eventually we turn west and reach three bridges, all very low. The first bridge is a disused railway bridge with no track.
Disused railway bridge
The second bridge is the main railway line with four tracks. The experience of lying on the floor of a punt with a railway bridge three inches above your nose as a train goes immediately above you is one everybody should have, once.
On my punt I almost had to lay the seats flat to get under that bridge!
The third bridge carries a track from the allotments to the car park on Walton Well Road which is a convenient place to park for walking on Port Meadow or going over to Medley Sailing Club or walking to the Perch
The swans with young hissed their defiance.
The stream then widens and becomes very shallow as it approaches Medley.
Medley Old Navigation Weir and Footbridge
On the left is a footbridge under which is the main river,
but straight on is a larger footbridge.
But look closely at that footbridge. You can just
see a line across in the water. That is
actually a weir with perhaps five inches of water over a concreted sill.
The drop would be maybe an inch or so.
There is no difficulty punting up it.
So canoes and punts only!
Motor launches and narrow boats would just
pile up on that weir.
1897: And this is what it used to look like when Medley Weir was a significant height.
The main navigation is the other side of the footbridge on the left. The flash weir was the other side
of the bank joining the two footbridges, and the main weir is where the vestigial weir is now under the
footbridge on the right. Photograph by James Dredge -
Below Medley Weir, James Dredge, 1897
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; D230579a
Straight on is the main navigation joined just as it comes out from Medley Footbridge.
Left - Back to Four Rivers
Straight On to Medley Weir site
1920: Fred Thacker's map, again -
Fred Thacker's Map, 1920.
Other Bridges and Streams in Oxford -
1920: Morrells Brewery Waterwheel on the Whareham Stream, Henry Taunt -
Morrells Brewery Waterwheel on the Whareham Stream, Henry Taunt, 1920
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT12615
Paradise Bridge, under Paradise Street.
1912: A Bridge, Francis Frith -
Bookbinders' Bridge. a short way west, carried the road into St. Thomas' parish
over another small branch of the Thames.
Its name, first recorded in 1377, is explained presumably by the fact that an
adjoining tenement was occupied by monastic bookbinders, and the bridge may
have been built by the canons of Osney shortly after the abbey's foundation; a
charter of c.1190 mentioned a bridge leading to Osney not far from the
castle mills, and in 1377 the bridge was said to lie within the abbey's
jurisdiction. In the 17th century it was a single stone arch, and was replaced
by a brick bridge c.1858.
Small Bridge (Lasse Bridge) (i.e. Lesser Bridge?)
Further west on the same
road lay Small Bridge, first referred to
in the 14th century. It seems to have been known as Lasse Bridge in the 17th century,
when Christ Church was presented for its repair,
presumably as successor to Osney abbey.
Preachers' or Littlegate Bridge crossed Trill mill stream from Littlegate to Black Friars. In 1285 the
stone pile of a bridge lately built by the friars was said to be obstructing
the stream, but the friars were allowed to keep the bridge.
Before 1787 it suffered a partial collapse,
and a wooden bridge was built over the central stone column. It was replaced in
stone c.1813.
Trill Mill Bow. Further east the stream was
crossed by Trill Mill Bow, which carried the road from St. Aldate's into
Grandpont. A presentment of Henry VI's reign attributed the bridge to St.
Frideswide's priory; it was said to be ruinous and was replaced by a stone
bridge. Both bridges over Trill mill stream disappeared when the stream was culverted
in 1863. It was presumably this
culverted stream in which in the 1900s a
punt was found containing two skeletons - it may not be wise to try to follow
underground!
Denchworth Bow.
a single stone arch, lay across the Shire Lake stream in St. Aldate's, about 100
yards north of Folly Bridge, its name possibly
deriving from John of Denchworth a prominent 14th-century townsman. The bridge
presumably disappeared when the stream silted up.
1910: The Canal, Station Road, Francis Frith -
And so Back to Four Rivers