Coxes Lock

Driver Jatt

Right. Coxes Lock. Had a delivery from Coventry down to a place right by it earlier. One of those tucked-away industrial units off the A3, sitting quiet on the riverbank. Job done, van emptied, and with it being the proper end of the day after the trek from Coventry, I decided to have a mooch. No rush to get back. No more calls.

That’s how I came across ‘Coxes Lock’. It’s on the River Wey, near Addlestone in Surrey. Could have just got back in the cab and pointed it north towards the M1. Glad I didn’t.

This particular lock was opened in 1653. Let that settle. That was 370 years ago. Think about it. Three centuries and a good bit of change ago, and it is still in use today. Boats still go up and down. It wasn’t built for show. It was built to work. And it still does. It also happens to be the deepest unmanned lock on the River Wey. No one sitting in a little hut. It’s just there, doing its job on its own.

I got curious, standing there. So I asked the AI on my phone to fish some info about it. Pun not intended, but I’ll take it. This is the sort of thing it came back with. All proper and formal:

Historic Origins: Coxes Lock opened its gates in 1653 as part of the early development of the River Wey Navigation, making it one of the oldest navigable waterways in the United Kingdom.
Engineering Marvel: The construction of Coxes Lock was a testament to the ingenuity of 17th-century engineers, who sought to overcome the challenges posed by changes in water levels along the River Wey.
Water Level Regulation: Coxes Lock, like other locks on the River Wey Navigation, was designed to regulate water levels, allowing boats to navigate through different sections of the river with varying elevations.
Economic Role: In its heyday, Coxes Lock played a crucial role in facilitating the transportation of goods such as timber and agricultural products. This contributed to the economic development of the region.
Preservation Efforts: Coxes Lock has been subject to dedicated preservation efforts to maintain its historical integrity. Visitors can experience the lock much as it would have appeared centuries ago.
Towpaths and Walks: Surrounding Coxes Lock, visitors can explore towpaths that were once bustling with activity. These paths offer a tranquil stroll and a unique perspective on the historical significance of the area.

You get the idea. It’s all true, I’m sure. But reading it like that feels a bit flat. Standing there, it’s different. You can see the ‘engineering marvel’ in the worn stone edges, green with damp. You can picture the ‘economic role’ – some bloke three hundred years ago, probably just as knackered as me, moving timber on a barge from here to London, using this same lock to get his load through. Not so different from me driving a package from Coventry to this very spot.

And that last bullet point about the towpaths. I did try and take a stroll. It was getting late. The path looked inviting, peaceful. But it got very dark, very quickly. The kind of dark that makes you think twice about wandering near deep water in the middle of nowhere. So I headed back to the van. Time to call it a day and start the long haul back.

That’s the thing with this job. You end up in places. One minute you’re finishing a drop at an anonymous unit in Surrey after a drive from Coventry, the next you’re leaning on a wall that’s been there since 1653, thinking about blokes moving goods up and down a river. Different century, same basic idea. Getting something from A to B, overcoming the obstacles in the way. They had locks. We have the M6. But the principle feels familiar.

Anyway. That was the mooch after the drop. Made the trip south worth more than just the petrol money.

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