Enjoy an out-and-back paddle which takes you back in time and into the history of the area. You can have a peaceful day out enjoying the river environment on this very rural and attractive part of the River Thames. Culham is a ‘shrunken village’ in that it is much smaller today than its original size. There are suggestions as to why this has happened; one is the Black Death and poor harvests in the 14th century led to a population decrease.
Start Directions: If traveling south, from the A415, the car park is immediately before the bridge on the right. Access to Culham Lock and the launch point is via the adjacent driveway to the lock. Note: There is a height restriction of 6.8ft (2m) upon entering the car park.
Finish Directions: Culham Lock is quite a ‘canoe unfriendly’ lock to get out at, as the staging is around 4ft above the water level. However, the lock keeper is very friendly and it is well worth having a word with him before the start of your trip. If you give him some idea of your return time he may allow you to lock up to the higher level to get out and take the easier route back to the car park.
Culham Lock is one of many on the River Thames. As early as the Domesday Book, there is a record of a mill on the Thames at nearby Sutton Courtenay, where the river originally meandered. In those days, the lock (probably a flash weir) was difficult to negotiate by boat, due to the shallow river. The tolls were said to be the highest on the Thames, making it unpopular with merchants using the river. The current lock was built of stone by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1809. The associated weirs are on the old course of the river, under the causeway which separates the millstream from the picturesque Sutton Pools. The causeway is thought to have been built by Saxon labour.
