Brunel's south entrance lock and swing bridge

Lock and quay walls of 1844-1849 by IK Brunel and swing bridge of 1875-1876 to an earlier design of IK Brunel.

MATERIALS: the lock is constructed of pennant rubble and ashlar. The bridge is steel.

DESCRIPTION: an inverted elliptical-arched basin with a chamfered recess and a hinge in the south side for the single-leaf wrought-iron caisson gate which sealed the lock, and channels for the hand-operated chains which closed them. The lock is now sealed by a concrete wall with sluice gates. The bridge has tubular section long members, steel sides and timber-floored deck. It is fixed in its open position across the lock and the timber deck covering was replaced in the C21. To the Avon side of the bridge the lock has been shored up against the north chamber wall to provide a platform for boat repair and in 2023 is overgrown. To the basin side of the bridge there is a small dock set into the chamber wall and some coping stones have been replaced in concrete. A modern landing stage is attached alongside the wall. At the east entrance to the lock is a concrete jetty providing a footpath across the basin.

There is a former gas lamp standard beside the north end of the bridge with early C20 railings lining a raised section of surface that aligns with the open position of Brunel’s Swing Bridge alongside North Entrance Lock (Grade II*). The north end of this raised section of ground is faced in rubble stone. On the north side of the lock is a mid-C19 capstan marked: JD Green/ Bond Iron Founder.