Proposal for Eynsham Wharf Stream Revival |
This is a Proposal/Idea to "get the wheels turning" for a revival of the Wharf Stream at Eynsham in Oxfordshire as a type of "Working Theme Park" for the benefit of tourists and Eynsham alike.
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At Waymarker "C" there is an excellent Information Panel by Lorna, a photo of which is shown below. |
And at Eynsham Lock is another Information Panel, an edited photo of which is show below |
So to complete the picture already emerging from the above, the local people & groups have also devised a Walk around the area of the former Abbey, as shown below. The "stream" mentioned can be seen as Chil Brook at Marker 4, running though the Abbey grounds and 700 metres to the South East it joins Limb Brook to become the Wharf Stream. |
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Two brooks converge at Point A into one stream and then diverge at Point B to two again, to discharge into the Thames at Points C & D (the Eynsham Delta?). At present there is Eynsham Weir at Point E which raises the Upstream Level "about 3 feet", but Clay Weir at Point F is open. So even prior to a Professional Survey of the Proposal we have some "natural instumentation" to give us a very good idea of the hydraulics, starting with the fact (at least since 2006) navigation of small craft is possible from Point D to Point A, meaning that apart from a nominal half inch drop for flow Point A is at the Downstream Level of Eynsham Lock/Weir. Both Weirs were constructed at about the same time, circa 1792, but in 2016 it would seem that "on the surface" (no pun intended) the Laws of Physics are not working. That is to say Point C has 3 feet of Head over Point D (and Points B & F), meaning there should be a substantial BY-PASS flow around Eynsham Lock (once Clay Weir ceased to operate). The simple explanation for the lack of any BY-PASS is that a man-made or natural "blockage" has appeared between Point C and Point B (the Blue leg).
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I am sure you are asking why we we don't simply boat up the Wharf Stream via Point D? As explained above by using the new Clay Weir as just a Weir and not a Flash Lock (which would not work in any case) and dredging out the Blue Leg from Points C to B we get an extra 3 feet in water height at the Wharf area AND of course for the whole leg from Points B to A, potentially saving a large amount of dredging. So let's examine the elements of the Proposal in more detail starting at Point A.
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Here is a photo of the area in flood (2012) from the Eynsham Website and my investigations suggest that the water level shown would be only a fraction higher than the elevation from "Son of Clay". So I figure our new wharf would be at the level of the boat and have its Western extremity in about that same position. |
But before unleashing my devilish plan please take a look at the earliest Google Earth map from 1945 (or so) to see just how much our sacred Wharf area has been "squashed". The outline of the Works boundary virtually consumes all of the original buildings, plus a substantial amount of back-filling of the Works land has caused the steep incline to the Stream (and the laws of gravity, and the photo, virtually confirm that some of the back-fill has ended up up IN the Stream). |
Then this photo from about 1900? shows that the new bridge beside the Talbot (let's call it the Talbot Bridge as it seems to go simply as "the bridge") built in about 1930 was built on THIS side of the older and nicer bridge (which surely would have been listed if over the Thames), thus further squashing our beloved area. I think we can say that until recent times the Wharf Stream System has been "un-loved", meaning anything we do now (and the Talbot has set the bench mark with what I refer to as their Upper Deck) can only be an improvement. It would also seem that Clay Weir was still operating properly in 1900 given the water level in the photo. And observe the width of the "turning circle" dredged out centuries ago before any bridge when the pigs used to trot over the Chil & Limb Brook on their way to the real test crossing the Thames at Swinford. |
But keep your eyes on the building on the right of the photo as it is correct location and type for our revived "Warehouse/Wharf Building". In the 2009 Google Earth below I have tried (quite poorly) to "copy/paste" the existing Talbot Upper Deck to a similar position as the photo, ie about 50 feet to the right and about 10 feet lower down. The 2009 Google does not show the later partial roof on the Upper Deck (which you can see in the pano above) but the idea is to have the same roof structure full length of the Lower Deck. |
So all that comes together below, joined by a Mooring Deck (Day/24 hour/free/fee mooring as you wish) on both sides of the Lower Deck, with stairs as needed to the higher level/Walking Path. And there should be an old Working Barge exhibit (seems Oxford Cruisers has several or could get one) and if the local artists can sculpture 2 Railwaymen on the Wharf Stream Way I am sure they could come up with some Bargemen. To return to the vibes on the Upper Deck, it would now have a higher water level than the "puddles" seen in the pano above (Sept 2015) and the Barge to make the whole experience more satisfying, but as long as a customer was willing to walk down a short flight of steps to the Lower Deck (Beer Garden), she/he would have a "closer encounter" vibe wise plus no view at all to the Works (sitting above). In fact the rear of the Lower Deck could/should be a solid wall, ie a place for the local artists to go wild with creativity I can't even start to imagine. |
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