This section in The Stripling Thames by Fred Thacker
As you go upstream the cut to St John's Lock is on your left (the right bank)
This section deals with the weir pool and the Trout Inn and the River Leach on the left bank.
River Leach
Left bank into weir stream just above lock cut.
River Leach Slipway
A yard or two up the River Leach. A grass slipway in the camping field.
Camping: Left bank just below Trout. 013767 252313
The Trout Inn
Left bank on weir stream pool just below weir, below St John’s Bridge.
013767 252313
A medieval foundation, first a hospital then a priory and later a
workhouse. Known as St John the Baptist's Head
until 1704 and now the first of the great Thames Inns.
It has moorings for visitors.
1690: Baskervile -
Here is hard by the bridge a very good inn for entertainment, and they have commonly strong march beer in bottles to sell, and pretty good wine, for as I remember in Leachlad there is no tavern.
Maybe the taverns in Lechlade were such
that he had no memory of them the following morning?
I can’t see how else to explain this.
1883: Trout Inn, Lechlade, Henry Taunt -
Trout Inn, Lechlade, Henry Taunt, 1883
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT3775
1885: The Royal River -
.. the old fashioned Trout Inn, still maintaining all the homely characteristics of the English
countryside inn.
A great sycamore overshadows it; there is an old-fashioned garden at the rear,
and its little orchard, with a noble walnut-tree in the centre,
offers a pathway to the pool.
There is something in the semblance of a weir at St John's Bridge,
though it is of the most rudimentary kind,
having fallen naturally into decay, and even into desuetude.
Still the small sluices are occasionally lifted,
and serviceable streams are formed to keep the pool in motion,
and prevent the patriarchal trout from giving notice to quit.
At the end of St John's Bridge tradition placed the Priory of Black Canons,
but of this there is no more substantial record than that of ink and paper.
1889: A S Krausse, A Pictorial History of the Thames, the Bridge above the weir -
St John’s Bridge, 1889
1902: St John’s Weir and Bridge, Henry Taunt -
St John’s Weir and Bridge, Henry Taunt, 1902
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT8951
1955: The Trout Inn, Francis Frith -
1955: The Trout Inn, Francis Frith
A Painting of the Trout Inn.
St John's Bridge
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