GU lock names

[181]

I don't know Gregory's though for some reason it sounds sort of familiar ...

I hope someone does! It's on the fringe of my memory but not being able to pin it down is very vexing.

 

... Albert's two in the park I've also heard call Mary's ...

You sure it was Mary's not Sarah's? Some of the older boatmen referred to those locks as Sarah's Two (although Albert's was the most common name).

 

When I get round to it I'll try to remember the rest of the Junction lock names and type up a list. I can remember them all from Brentford to Boxmoor but I'm a bit hazy from there to Leighton.

[Hairy-Neil]

I've heard lock 99 referred to as Clitheroe's

 

100 as Gauging

 

The top two at Hanwell flight (the Brentford Thick) as Norwood Two

 

The bottom lock of the Marsworth flight was known as Startops End Lock

[181]

... When I get round to it I'll try to remember the rest of the Junction lock names and type up a list...

 

And here it is.

 

I've listed the names of locks on the Junction (and some of the pounds) in common use in the late 1960s and into the 1970s. The list is off the top of my head (but the handwritten list in this thread has been a useful aide memoir) so these names are a rough guide not a definitive list. I picked up these names from boatmen and BW staff (many of whom were ex-boatmen) and I think many of them differed from the 'official' BW names.

 

As noted in a previous post, very few locks were referred to by number by boatmen although presumably BW staff knew the numbers; I never memorised any of them (except, obviously, Lock Eighty).

 

No doubt there are errors and, possibly, omissions in the list; I've nothing at hand to check against so corrections and further info are very welcome.

 

Where there were common alternatives I've put them in brackets.

 

I'll start from Cowley as I've previously posted the names down Brentford end (or at least those that I remember).

 

Locks:

Cowley

Uxbridge (Kings Mill)

Denham (occasionally Deep Lock)

Widewater (Harefield)

Black Jacks

Coppermill

Springwell

Stockers

Ricky

Lock Eighty (Walkers, Moor Lock, Lot Mead)

Croxley

Casey Bridge

Iron Bridge

Albert's Two (Sarah's Two)

Lady Capels

Hunton Bridge Two (latterly Patterson's)

Hunton Change

Five Paddle

Langley

Bottom of the New 'Uns

Nash Mills

Middle of the New 'Uns

Yard Lock, Apsley

Top of the the New 'Uns

Boxmoor

Fishery

Slaughters

Bournend locks (Winkwell Locks)

Sewage Lock

Bottom Sidelock (often Bottomside)

Top Sidelock (often Topside)

Sweeps Two

Broadwater (Berko)

Gasworks Two

Bush's

Northchurch

Dodswell Two

Cowroast

Maffas locks (the bottom lock was sometimes called Starrupsend)

Two-Below-Maffas (Peter's Two, Storkie's Two)

Nagshead locks

Corkets Two

Pooles

Neales

Church

Grove

Leighton

Stoke Hammond (sometimes Three Locks)

Talbots

Fenny

Cosgrove

Stoke locks

Buckby locks

Braunston locks

 

 

Pounds:

From Suttons (where a lot of boats came off the Coventry bound for the Junction) the pounds were known as:

Morton pound

Braunston pound

Summit pound

Blisworth pound

Stoke pound

Fenny pound

Water Eaton pound

Stoke Hammond pound

Jackdaw pound

Leighton pound

 

South of Leighton, my memory is much hazier. The section from Church Lock to the Nagshead was often referred to as 'The Fields'; the long pound above Grove was known as the Two Mile (although I'm sure it was only a mile-and-a-half).

 

The pound above Nagshead locks was usually known as Pitstone pound.

 

Below Cowroast, the first long pound was Northchurch pound (and it leaked badly) but I can't recall other specific names until much lower down. The river pound below the New 'Uns was Langley Stream. The section from Lady Capels to Casey Bridge was collectively 'The Parks'. The pound above Ricky was the Ricky pound and below it the Stockers pound.

 

IIRC 'Coppermill Stream' referred only to the tail race and river section below Coppermill lock.

 

The pound above Widewater was sometimes referred to as the Harefield pound; the one below was invariably known as Denham Straight. I don't recall a name for the short turnover pound below Denham lock but the next one was the Uxbridge pound. The long pound between Cowley lock and the top of Brentford locks was the Cowley pound (the branches were known as the Slough cut and the Paddington Arm - just 'the arm' if it was clear by context where you meant).

 

Most of the other pounds we identified by reference to the adjacent locks.

 

Warwick section

On the Warwick cut, the pounds I remember names for were:

Tomlow pound (below Wigrams)

Cement pound / Shop pound (below the thick of Itchington locks)

Bascote pound (below Itchington bottom lock)

Longhole pound (below Welsh Road lock)

Leamington pound (also sometimes 'the valley pound')

Saltersford pound (above Warwick locks)

The eight-mile (above Hatton locks)

The ten-mile (above Knowle locks)

 

Addenda

Boatmen's corruptions of place names still in use in the 1970s included Noble for Newbold, Maffers for Marsworth, and Arriston for Atherstone (there were several others but I can't call them to mind) and boatmen tended to pronounce Birmingham as either Brummajum or Bernigun.

 

The locks below Berko were very occasionally referred to collectively as 'the wet locks'; working the section down from Cowroast was sometimes described as "all bike, mop and windlass" for obvious reasons (I also heard the phrase used to describe doing the barrels).

 

I've heard lock 99 referred to as Clitheroe's

Ah! Yes, you're right; one of them was called Clitheroes (though I don't know which lock is 99)

 

The top two at Hanwell flight (the Brentford Thick) as Norwood Two

I've heard that usage too.

 

The bottom lock of the Marsworth flight was known as Startops End Lock

See my list. It was generally pronounced (or mispronounced) Starrupsend.

 

Good info - thank you

[Hairy-Neil]

Clitheroe's was the first lock above the Brentford Dock, between the Gauging locks and Kings/Osterley/Ozzley Lock

 

 

 

As an aside, the boatmen usually lumped the locks below Norwood together as 'Brentford locks' (as in the handwritten list above). However, there were individual names within that catch-all - I can't remember all of them but they included: Top Lock (or Norwood Top); (we called the next one Caleb's but I think that was a comparatively recent coinage adopted because Caleb Lane lived in the house there); Top o' the Thick; Asylum Lock; Bottom o' the Thick; Ozzley (also, IIRC, Osbournes); Kings; Dockhead.

 

 

Would Osbournes be connected with Tommy Osbourn living there...

 

I remember him living in the house at the top of the thick....

[Derek R.]

(snip)

You sure it was Mary's not Sarah's? Some of the older boatmen referred to those locks as Sarah's Two (although Albert's was the most common name).

(snip)

 

In truth - I'm not sure. Rare to have heard them called anything but Albert's so it could well have been Sarah's. Bad memory on that one I'm afraid.

[Derek R.]

In truth - I'm not sure. Rare to have heard them called anything but Albert's so it could well have been Sarah's. Bad memory on that one I'm afraid.

 

Starrupsend was the local vernacular for Startops End. That from a local man of advanced years who was Depot Inspector at Tring Garage when I was 'On The Buses' there. There were some 'characters' around Tring in the late sixties. Vic Cooper was his name, and for an old'un to wear hair half way down his back was a little 'different'. Drove a Vauxhall Viscount. Lived Buckland Common. Good sort too.

[Derek R.]

The bottom of Nag's Head three perchance?.

 

N

 

Yes, that's it. Vic Herman built his boat to his 'own' design and for a time lived aboard with Connie in Aylesbury, the boat being named VICON, painted green. Had two GSD's which weren't particularly clean about the moorings. One day I gathered the deposits and left them on his back deck. Sparks flew. He also introduced a fistful of Aylesbury Ducks to the basin. No-one was too keen on them either - noise and mess. They petered out one way or another. Most folk liked Connie, but Vic was a different kettle. They took moorings below Seabrook (Nags Head 3) and I believe Vic took on the house there too, making the towpath his driveway.

 

Always tales to tell of folk. Some strange one's I have heard about me too. Blessed if I know where they come from!

[Ray]

When I started working on the trip boats in the mid eighties - that's the 1980s before anyone asks! - locks 37 & 38 were known by the trip boat crews as "Nigel's" after the name of the character that lived in the old lock keepers cottage there - he unfortunately had an exceptional liking for strange hats and the brown falling down liquid which is ultimately, apparently what happened to him when he was attemtping to cross the top gates of lock 38 to get home late one February night in the nineties. His son still lives in the house.

 

Likewise, the adjacent overbridge was known by us as Gremlin's because there was a boat called Gremlin's Castle moored there for a long time. I can remember the jetty almost atop the north side of the bridge on the offside, but I don't remember the boat which I believe had gone by the time I got to regularly cruise the area.

 

The lock keepers cottage adjacent to Lock 39 was known by us as Sam's. Apparently the basement flooded when the lock was left full and/or the side pound was used, which we invariably did until BW disconnected them. As was the habit in those days with evening trips we would leave the locks full with top gates open on outward trips and drain and close all gates on the way back. Sam didn't like this and would regularly drain lock 39 as soon as we were out of sight, despite the fact that we'd be back again within thirty minutes.

 

Sam's is now part of Bluebells tea room.

 

My understanding is that Vic did buy the lock keepers cottage at bottom Seabrook and spent a lot of time (and presumably cash) renovating it. He kept the lock and surrounding area clean and tidy and was often seen on summer Friday or Saturday evenings cutting the lock side grass and transferring his mower from one side of the lock to another using the roof of the passing trip boat. In return he would always have the lock ready for us as we approached as he could hear the boat bound discos from some distance. I always got on well with Vic but I believe he could be quite moody. He was the fishing bailiff for a while and, I'm told, often exchanged punches with anglers. He was also riding past the boatyard on his moped one day and was more interested on what was going on in the yard than he was in the curve of the towpath. By all accounts it was a very loud splash!

 

My understanding is that Vic was asked to leave Aylesbury.

Edited November 24, 2012 by Ray

[Keeping Up]

I had something of a run-in with him once when on BW's instructions I drove down the towpath to the lock to do some work; he took exception to this, saying they hadn't agreed it with him first, and blocked my way out by parking his own 4x4 on the towpath and refusing to move it despite my showing him my letter of instructions from BW.

[Ray]

I had something of a run-in with him once when on BW's instructions I drove down the towpath to the lock to do some work; he took exception to this, saying they hadn't agreed it with him first, and blocked my way out by parking his own 4x4 on the towpath and refusing to move it despite my showing him my letter of instructions from BW.

 

I've heard of several tails like that about him. I believe it had something to do with him using the towpath for vehicular access to the cottage which BW didn't approve of.

[Derek R.]

Aah - water through the walls, a common occurrence. Widewater lock cottage had the bedrooms at towpath level and the living room and kitchen below. Both rooms would suffer from damp. The same was said to be true of many suchlike.

 

Denham Deep lock cottage was different, Set back aways and before the 'Old Man' moved there, was occupied by Taffy. Needless to say he was Welsh, as wide as he was tall, built like a brick ***house with beer bottle glass specs. He was not averse to riding over anglers rods, and kept a plastic cruiser. Sadly passed away some time back. Sociable sort, we had a communal barbecue at which he invited us all in to cook the burgers and sausages in his Rayburn as the weather wasn't playing ball. The liquid flowed and the Rayburn was forgot. As cooking smells go up the flue and not in the kitchen, charcoal was made that night.

 

Ray's comment sounds about right for Vic. If Waterways wouldn't let him use it for vehicular access, he was out to make no-one did.

Edited November 24, 2012 by Derek R.

[Tuscan]

I've heard of several tails like that about him. I believe it had something to do with him using the towpath for vehicular access to the cottage which BW didn't approve of.

 

 

Herman the German - ah memories. Whilst in the lock he was trying to get his mower accross so I carried it accross the lock for him, turned at Slapton and was back at the lock in about an hour to torrent of abuse when our dog jumped off the boat and waited by the lock, evidently it was his lock and no dogs were allowed off the boats.

[Tam & Di]

As an aside, the boatmen usually lumped the locks below Norwood together as 'Brentford locks' (as in the handwritten list above). However, there were individual names within that catch-all - I can't remember all of them but they included: Top Lock (or Norwood Top); (we called the next one Caleb's but I think that was a comparatively recent coinage adopted because Caleb Lane lived in the house there); Top o' the Thick; Asylum Lock; Bottom o' the Thick; Ozzley (also, IIRC, Osbournes); Kings; Dockhead.

 

I'd agree Norwood top, but the next one of Norwood 2 we generally referred to as Sid's as Sid was the lock keeper there. The cottage has long since disappeared, as of course did the railway? tram? track up to it from Windmill Lane.

 

Tommy Osbourne lived at the bottom of the thick when we first knew him, and moved to the top a bit later. Cale Lane was in the next one down. Ozzley I think is just (mis)pronounciation of Osterley, and nothing to do with Tom.

 

It's odd how some locks took the name of the keeper while others didn't. We always called Hunton Change "Geordie's", though he was a lengthsman rather than a lock keeper. The "proper" name came about originally as it was where the Rodneys changed over - the itinerant lock wheelers who used to earn a few pennies this way. I agree with Andy about Sarah's 2, but never did know if she preceded Albert or came after.

 

There was another Herman the German (so known as he was German I believe, rather than from his surname) who squatted up the river immediately below Dockhead and set up a community there in the early-mid 80s. He took over the land as well and kept a goat that tried to butt people using the lock. I've no idea of the ultimate outcome, but BW had trouble trying to get rid of him as the river had riperian rights.

Edited November 25, 2012 by Tam & Di

[Hairy-Neil]

 

 

There was another Herman the German (so known as he was German I believe, rather than from his surname) who squatted up the river immediately below Dockhead and set up a community there in the early-mid 80s. He took over the land as well and kept a goat that tried to butt people using the lock. I've no idea of the ultimate outcome, but BW had trouble trying to get rid of him as the river had riperian rights.

 

Not sure exactly when it was cleared but the squat was certainly still there in 1995 but had gone by 2000....

[magpie patrick]

Other canals had boatmen's names as well you know. What is now Alrewas Lock was known as Top O' Trent, and I do detest "Bath Locks" on the K and A, they are in Widcombe for heavens sake!

[181]

...the next one of Norwood 2 we generally referred to as Sid's as Sid was the lock keeper there....

Ah, yes. I remember Sid. His house was on the inside - but I'd misremembered it as being beside the top lock not the second lock down.

 

Tommy Osbourne ...moved to the top a bit later.

I remember him (and his son Albert) but I don't think I knew which lockhouse he lived in.

 

Didn't Ken Dakin live at Kings for a while?

 

Cale Lane was in the next one down.

Now I think about it, wasn't Caleb in the house on the outside at the top of the thick? And what was Mrs Lane's name - I think she was one of the Humphries girls (as in Tom's sister)?

 

Ozzley I think is just (mis)pronounciation of Osterley...

Undoubtedly, yes.

 

We always called Hunton Change "Geordie's", though he was a lengthsman rather than a lock keeper.

I remember that name now you mention it. I think Change Lock was more common but I didn't know where it originated until your post so ta for that .

 

...Sarah's 2 ... never did know if she preceded Albert or came after.

Because Alberts was more commonly used than Sarah's, I tend to assume she was a predecessor of Albert. But I don't know.

 

Nor did I know about Herman the German (or, indeed, multiple Hermans) on the Junction - they were after my time I suspect. But, going a bit off topic, there was a German guy called Pete who lived at Lapworth and worked for the Trust that ran the South Stratford (before BW took it over) and he was always known as The German.

 

I don't want to sound sententious but I think it is important to record these vernacular names before they slip beyond living memory. As part of a largely oral tradition, unless they are set down they will be lost as the people who used them die. Preserving artefacts is, in some ways, easier than preserving traditions and cultures. Does it matter if the nomenclature, working techniques and ethos of the working boatmen are lost? I think to those of us who were there the answer is emphatically 'yes'.

[Derek R.]

Totally agree with your last comment 118 - sorry - 181! (Couldn't resist it I'm afraid).

 

The vernacular and all the practices are truly something that should be recorded and used. There will be those who disagree - let them eat sawdust.

 

I think Mr. Herman was an eighties arrival. (As was I).

 

Don't be a number - can we have a monica?

 

Don't worry - 'monica jane' supplied!

Edited November 25, 2012 by Derek R.

[Tam & Di]

Totally agree with your last comment 118 - sorry - 181! (Couldn't resist it I'm afraid).

 

The vernacular and all the practices are truly something that should be recorded and used. There will be those who disagree - let them eat sawdust.

 

I think Mr. Herman was an eighties arrival. (As was I).

 

Don't be a number - can we have a monica?

 

Apparently this is one -

- but she's not the one posting here. Edited November 25, 2012 by Tam & Di

[Derek R.]

Oh dear! Not too keen on the wobbly voice singing.

 

Back on topic: I can understand why Widewater is so called, but how about Broadwater?, Taint that wide above Berko.

 

There's one call Hellfields on the Leeds & Liverpool, and passing through today one might wonder why with wide open spaces around. But turn the clock back to a time when slag from foundries was tipped thereabouts, and the name becomes more apt.

[pete harrison]

But, going a bit off topic, there was a German guy called Pete who lived at Lapworth and worked for the Trust that ran the South Stratford (before BW took it over) and he was always known as The German.

That would be Peter Paschke. I recall him living on his boat directly below the top lock of the 'National Trust', Lapworth in the early to mid 1980's.

 

Not sure exactly when it was cleared but the squat was certainly still there in 1995 but had gone by 2000....

They were certainly occupying this site when you and I (with a few others) took N. & B. to the Henley on Thames 'National' in 1997.

[jeannette smith harrison]

...the next one of Norwood 2 we generally referred to as Sid's as Sid was the lock keeper there....

Ah, yes. I remember Sid. His house was on the inside - but I'd misremembered it as being beside the top lock not the second lock down.

 

Tommy Osbourne ...moved to the top a bit later.

I remember him (and his son Albert) but I don't think I knew which lockhouse he lived in.

 

Didn't Ken Dakin live at Kings for a while?

 

Cale Lane was in the next one down.

Now I think about it, wasn't Caleb in the house on the outside at the top of the thick? And what was Mrs Lane's name - I think she was one of the Humphries girls (as in Tom's sister)?

 

Ozzley I think is just (mis)pronounciation of Osterley...

Undoubtedly, yes.

 

We always called Hunton Change "Geordie's", though he was a lengthsman rather than a lock keeper.

I remember that name now you mention it. I think Change Lock was more common but I didn't know where it originated until your post so ta for that .

 

...Sarah's 2 ... never did know if she preceded Albert or came after.

Because Alberts was more commonly used than Sarah's, I tend to assume she was a predecessor of Albert. But I don't know.

 

Nor did I know about Herman the German (or, indeed, multiple Hermans) on the Junction - they were after my time I suspect. But, going a bit off topic, there was a German guy called Pete who lived at Lapworth and worked for the Trust that ran the South Stratford (before BW took it over) and he was always known as The German.

 

I don't want to sound sententious but I think it is important to record these vernacular names before they slip beyond living memory. As part of a largely oral tradition, unless they are set down they will be lost as the people who used them die. Preserving artefacts is, in some ways, easier than preserving traditions and cultures. Does it matter if the nomenclature, working techniques and ethos of the working boatmen are lost? I think to those of us who were there the answer is emphatically 'yes'.

 

...the next one of Norwood 2 we generally referred to as Sid's as Sid was the lock keeper there....

Ah, yes. I remember Sid. His house was on the inside - but I'd misremembered it as being beside the top lock not the second lock down.

 

Tommy Osbourne ...moved to the top a bit later.

I remember him (and his son Albert) but I don't think I knew which lockhouse he lived in.

 

Didn't Ken Dakin live at Kings for a while?

 

Cale Lane was in the next one down.

Now I think about it, wasn't Caleb in the house on the outside at the top of the thick? And what was Mrs Lane's name - I think she was one of the Humphries girls (as in Tom's sister)?

 

Ozzley I think is just (mis)pronounciation of Osterley...

Undoubtedly, yes.

 

We always called Hunton Change "Geordie's", though he was a lengthsman rather than a lock keeper.

I remember that name now you mention it. I think Change Lock was more common but I didn't know where it originated until your post so ta for that .

 

...Sarah's 2 ... never did know if she preceded Albert or came after.

Because Alberts was more commonly used than Sarah's, I tend to assume she was a predecessor of Albert. But I don't know.

 

Nor did I know about Herman the German (or, indeed, multiple Hermans) on the Junction - they were after my time I suspect. But, going a bit off topic, there was a German guy called Pete who lived at Lapworth and worked for the Trust that ran the South Stratford (before BW took it over) and he was always known as The German.

 

I don't want to sound sententious but I think it is important to record these vernacular names before they slip beyond living memory. As part of a largely oral tradition, unless they are set down they will be lost as the people who used them die. Preserving artefacts is, in some ways, easier than preserving traditions and cultures. Does it matter if the nomenclature, working techniques and ethos of the working boatmen are lost? I think to those of us who were there the answer is emphatically 'yes'.

[181]

Totally agree with your last comment 118 - sorry - 181!

.

 

Don't be a number - can we have a monica?

I did, in fact, introduce myself in the Virtual Pub section. But for those who didn't spot that, my name's Andy.

[davidg]

"But, going a bit off topic, there was a German guy called Pete who lived at Lapworth and worked for the Trust that ran the South Stratford (before BW took it over) and he was always known as The German."

 

Hi there Andy,

 

I always knew him as German Pete, to distinguish him from Pete Bletchley who lived in the cottage by the (new) junction at Lapworth. Pete Paschke lived in the cottage two down from where the motorway bridge now is when I was boating.

 

Going back to 4x4 towpath access: in NT days German Pete chainsawed the ends off the balance beams at Wilmcote so he could drive his Landrover up the flight (allegedly); this proved handy when boats were stuck in 47 at Wilmcote as the Landrover was attached to help get boats out of the lock. Pete always told me he could get me down to Stratford but couldn't guarantee to get me back up again so it was always down the river to get back.

 

Happy days,

 

David

[jeannette smith harrison]

Hello

Cale Lane known to the family as Calif the Clown because he was always clowning around & making the children laugh.

First wife was annie & they first lived @ the bottom of the thick. When annie died he later married lil or lilly & they then lived @ the top.

children of annie & cale still live in the area.

lil was the sister to Ted Ward who also later lived with his wife lucy also @ the top end

i belive lucy was connected to Gladys Horne who died just over a week ago.

Carl was the brother to Charlie lane Charlie's daughter aunt Violet (just phoned her to make sure i had the right facts) married a Humphries her mother in law was another of my Grandads many sisters.

Another sad loss to the working boat community Percy Jackson died last week aged 75

As a matter of intrest i was @ the bottom lock today looking @ the new gates that are going in.

[Derek R.]

Is Sam Horne still at Berko Jeannette? I didn't know Gladys had passed. Nice couple, don't think they liked Berko too much from what I've read. Always felt like home to us.

Edited November 25, 2012 by Derek R.