Rushey Paddle and Rymer Weir

Rushey Paddle and Rymer Weir, Buckland

This paddle and rymer weir was first built in 1790, reconstructed in 1887 in two sections, and the northern section was largely rebuilt in 1932. Repairs and extended platforms were added since 2004.

The structure consists of a base plate set on the river bed with an upper timber beam (north) and steel beam (south). Timber gangways and railings support removable timber paddles and rymers (timber uprights). The weir is laid out as a dog leg between concrete wing walls in two sections either side of an 1887 bullnose mid-river support pier. The northern section, rebuilt in the 1930s, replaced the original weir frames, timber upper beam and sill. Upstream timber gangways and railings on the southern section help preserve the original character of the weir, which is the section of greatest importance. Upstream and downstream gangways and recent railings and rigs for safety harnesses added in the late 20th and early 21st centuries are not of special interest.

Paddles and rymers are traditionally stored leaning against timber racks. The late 20th-century rack on the south bank may replicate the original but is not of special interest. An adjacent lock built in 1790 but rebuilt and dated 1896, and the lock house also dated 1896, give strong context for the weir and explain how the river is and has been managed.

Paddle and rymer weirs are an early technology known to have been used on the River Thames by at least the 17th century. They replaced the true flash lock, providing greater control and enabling the upper reaches of the river to be navigated. In the 1790s the Thames Commissioners improved navigability by installing new weirs and locks upstream, including at Rushey, which is possibly the earliest paddle and rymer weir remaining in use in England. During the 1880s and 1890s, as part of a major overhaul, most weirs were rebuilt and further sites with weirs and pound locks were built at new locations such as Northmoor and Radcot. Rushey was upgraded with a new lock and lock house. Some weirs replaced mill races in the 1920s and 1930s (Iffley, Goring and Streatley) or were rebuilt to replace existing weirs (Molesey and part of Rushey). A refurbishment programme occurred across the range in the 1990s when Northmoor was completely rebuilt, reusing the metal base plate and replicating the original weir. Mapledurham, Blakes and Molesey are largely or completely rebuilt. Since 2004, Marsh and Shepperton paddle and rymer weirs have been removed.

The history of Thames Navigation is of major significance in terms of river engineering. The work of the Commissioners in 1790 to open up central England to waterborne trade, connecting to the Thames and Avon Canal, was part of a wider network of considerable economic importance. The history and archaeology of the navigation has been recorded in photographs, notably by Henry Taunt, and studied in depth, confirming the importance of the surviving built structures which enabled it.