below Shifford - WHERE THAMES SMOOTH WATERS GLIDE

below Shifford Lock

Maps

1909: The Stripling Thames, Fred Thacker -

The River as you ascend above New Bridge becomes suddenly narrow and winding, and is sometimes badly choked with weed. I remember in the summer of 1906, when the Conservancy had been more than usually busy, that it was as difficult to force my craft through the floating clots of severed growth just here, as I imagine it must be through the famous Nile sudd.
You may have noticed, indeed, how considerably deeper and broader the Thames is immediately below the junction of the Windrush. Undoubtedly the inflow of the little stream is a large cause of the remarkable difference; but I think also that the River bed must have received much more preparation for traffic below than above.

Map: Site of Limbre’s Weir

Limbress, Daniell’s, Hart’s, Langley’s, Townsend’s, Langham - weir

1772: Bowles calls it Limbress Weir.

1821: Rose -

The flash mark of Langley’s Weir is too low; craft are thus hindered in passing over ‘Shifford Hill’

Shallow places in the river are often referred to as ‘hills’.

1832: Fearnside -

Limbre’s Weir is rather picturesquely situated; and from the compressure of the current, there is generally a fall of water, forming, in the rainy season, a kind of cascade, dangerous, without due caution, to small boats.

1872: Langham Weir removed.

1909: The Stripling Thames, Fred Thacker -

Just a mile higher [than Newbridge] is the site of an old weir, perhaps Limbre's or Daniel's ... The stones are still visible on the left bank where the water widens to the pool.

1920: Fred Thacker -

You may still see what I conjecture to be remains of old stonework if you search the left bank at the head of the well defined pool about three quarters of a mile above New Bridge, just against the first slopes of Harrowdown Hill. A charming and secluded spot; the surviving stonework so hidden behind festoons of creeper and bramble and the tall reeds that you would not notice it unless specially searching.

Site of Sansom’s (Samson’s) Ford

At the head of a poplar island about half a mile above Limbre’s Weir, and a mile and a half below Shifford Lock.

Map:Site of Shifford Flash Lock?

1762: Called “Newditch”.

1791: John Treacher –

Only a fishing place. Can’t shut in now. Should all be swept away.

1829: In very bad repair.

1853: All that remains of this weir is part of the sill and some stones.

1876: The Severn Canal Company complains that their tug, drawing three feet and six inches, could not proceed past Old Shifford because of the shoals.

1920: Fred Thacker -

I think from several scattered indications, that the old flashlock was about three quarters of a mile or more below the present [Shifford] Lock, close to the junction of the Great Brook.

The Great Brook, outflow

Map: Duxford Weir Stream

Below Shifford Lock there is an entry into the weir stream under a footbridge. Craft less than 25 feet long can navigate as far as Duxford Ford (nearly one mile).

Map: Site of Duxford Weir

on the modern weir stream, immediately below the hamlet.

1863: Duxford Landing Place, Henry Taunt -

1869: Weir removed.

1909: The Stripling Thames, Fred Thacker -

Duxford, called Dudochesforde in Domesday, lies up the backwater at Shifford Lock; ...
The backwater is a pretty, winding channel, much too thickly grown with reeds and waterlilies for anything but a light canoe to navigate. You may walk however, by the old towpath along to the hamlet, and will be delighted with the wonderful profusion of the lilies. Their whiteness contrasted almost fiercely with the black water darkened by the thunder wrack that stalked the heavens one heavy August day I was there.
In less than a mile you reach small quiet Duxford, where there was once a ferry over the backwater, formerly the main stream. But the craft, an aged woman told me, was swept away in the night during a great snowstorm years ago, and now you must walk to the ock to cross, unless you wade over. Before the lock cut was made you often ha to take off shoes and stockings and shove over Duxford shallows.
Somewhere along the old navigation here, between the lock and the upper weir, was Samson's ford; and possibly Limbre's or Limbress was the original name of the upper weir. This ford may have been the one still traceable jus before you reach the first houses as you walk up the towpath. Taunt seems to mark a second vanished weir, perhaps at the wide pools just below them.

(Upstream to SHIFFORD LOCK)

Introduction
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