No 240 (Former Chertsey Lock House)

5389 TQ 06 NE SP/485 THAMES SIDE No 240 (former Chertsey Lock-house)

II 0/485

1. Lock-house, late 1812-13; altered 1830s and post 1897. Built to the design of Stephen Leach, Clerk of Works to the Corporation of the City of London. Painted brick and stuccoed. Slate roof. One storey and cellar. The lock-house has a centre gabled wing with central chimney breast projection with arcading; flight of steps to left hand half-glazed door with modern porch; sash window with glazing bars and horns to right hand. Pilastered flanking wings, in late C19 with parapets. The N. Wing has a wide round-arched blocked opening in north end wall and a front elevation with left hand sash window with horns and glazing bars and a post-1897 canted bay window with sash lights to right hand. Front elevation of south wing similar but with blocked window opening to right hand. S. elevation of S. wing with post-1897 3-light sash window with horns, replacing ledged doors in an arch similar to that in N. elevation of N. Wing. Interior: cellar under centre wing with stone flagged floor and exposed wood ceiling beams and joists. Cellar under N. wing with brick floor and two blocked door openings in rear wall. On main floor, mid to late C19 fireplace surrounds; panelled doors; steps up to original centre wing from flanking wings; centre wing with king-post truss with ridge piece. One of 6 lock-houses apparently designed by Stephen Leach and built in early C19, in association with new locks, by the Corporation of the City of London on the River Thames between Penton Hook, near Staines, and Teddington. The other five houses were purpose-built to two storeys and cellar, and to an almost identical pattern. Although of similar style, the Chertsey lock-house seems to have been purpose-built to one storey and cellar only, apparently so as not to impair the outlook of Lord Lucan from his Laleham mansion. In 1835 it was proposed, in line with changes in other lock-houses, "To take off the roof, raise the back wall, chimneys, partitions, floors and window frames...". In 1838 Mrs Smallman, lock-keeper, petitioned the connection of a portion of the Warehouse adjoining the lock-house into two small rooms. The pre-1897 appearance ofChertsey lock-house is shown in John Leyland, 'A Picturesque Journeying from Richmond to Oxford', of circa 1897. The Chertsey house is one of 3 remaining lock-housesbuilt to the original design. See also minutes of City Corporation Committee for improving the Navigation of the River Thames (Port of London Authority Library).

Listing NGR: TQ0546466788