Goring Paddle And Rymer Weir

Goring Paddle and Rymer Weir

This paddle and rymer weir was built in 1937 to replace the mill race serving an 18th-century mill on the site, which itself occupied the location of a 16th-century mill. The structure is constructed from timber frame with removable timber paddles and rymers (upright posts). The weir measures 4.6 metres wide and consists of a base plate set on the river bed with an upper timber beam against which the rymers rest. Unlike larger weirs, it operates using a single set of paddles and is worked from downstream via the bridge over the former mill race. The paddles and rymers are traditionally stored leaning against timber racks; the 20th-century racks may replicate the originals but are not considered of special interest.

Paddle and rymer weirs represent an early river engineering technology known to have been used on the River Thames by at least the 17th century. They replaced the true flash lock and provided greater control over water levels, enabling navigation of the upper reaches of the river. The Thames Commissioners improved river navigability during the 1790s by installing new weirs and locks upstream, notably at Rushey. A major programme of rebuilding took place in the 1880s and 1890s, when most weirs were reconstructed and additional sites established at Northmoor and Radcot, while Rushey received a new lock and lock house. In the 1920s and 1930s, some weirs replaced mill races (at Iffley, Goring and Streatley) or were rebuilt on existing sites (Molesey and Rushey). A refurbishment programme occurred in the 1990s when Northmoor was completely rebuilt reusing its metal base plate, and several weirs at Mapledurham, Blakes and Molesey were largely or entirely reconstructed. Since 2004, the paddle and rymer weirs at Marsh and Shepperton have been removed.

Goring weir is not an early example of the type, but like Streatley it demonstrates the continued use of traditional, relatively inexpensive technology during the inter-war period. The late 19th and early 20th centuries also saw increased tourism on the river, and picturesque aesthetic considerations may have influenced the choice of this traditional design. The weir forms part of a significant group of locks and weirs at Goring and Streatley in a historically rich context. The work of the Thames Commissioners in the 1790s, which connected central England to waterborne trade via the Thames and Avon Canal, was economically significant and part of a wider network of national importance. Paddle and rymer weirs are known only on the River Thames, and they were crucial in increasing the navigability of the river to connect with the wider canal network.