River Leach

The River Cole is a tributary of the River Thames in England which flows through Wiltshire and Oxfordshire, forming part of the border between the two counties.

Lechlade Priory was a house of Augustinian Canons Regular in Lechlade, Gloucestershire, England. The priory, also called the Lechlade hospital (hospitalry), was founded in the 13th century by Isabella de Mortimer, initially as a nunnery; in 1252 Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall became its patron. The priory had seven priests, however on various occasions they were criticised for not carrying out their duties and diverting the charitable monies which were meant to be used for the poor and sick. The priory survived until its dissolution in 1472.The priory during its existence maintained St. John's bridge which was built (or more accurately commissioned) by those who founded Lechlade priory, on the line of an old ford of the River Thames. It is known the prior was bestowed grants of pontage in 1338, 1341, and 1388. The building which is now the Trout Inn acted as a hospital or almshouse, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, and formed part of the priory. The hospital had the mandate of caring for workmen on the bridge.Apart from a section of the Trout Inn all other buildings which made up the priory have now collapsed or been demolished. Part of the site is now a mobile home and caravan park.

The Trout Inn is a pub next to the River Thames at Lechlade, Gloucestershire, England. The Grade II listed stone building consists of two two-storey structures, one late medieval and the other added in the 18th century. The building began as an almshouse for workers on the adjoining St John's Bridge in the 1220s, before becoming part of a priory and then an inn.

St John's Bridge is a two-section road bridge across the channel of the upper Thames near Lechlade, England, then across the lock cut to the south, the highest lock on the Thames. It is a Grade II listed building.

Bloomers Hole Footbridge is a footbridge across the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. It is situated on the reach above Buscot Lock and was installed in 2000 to carry the Thames Path across the Thames. It is built of steel encased in wood to make it look like a timber structure. The Countryside Agency commissioned Oxfordshire County Council to design and build the bridge and the design was undertaken by Charlie Benner, the senior engineer. The bridge was installed in 2000. The two 27-metre (89 ft) 8-tonne steel beams were put in place by a Chinook helicopter from RAF Brize Norton.Bloomer's Hole is at a wide bend about quarter of a mile downstream of St John's Lock. The river winds tortuously along here, and although a cut of the river across Bloomer Meadow was mooted as early as 1802, it was never implemented.

St John's Lock, below the town of Lechlade, Gloucestershire, is the furthest upstream lock on the River Thames in England. The name of the lock derives from a priory that was established nearby in 1250, but which no longer exists. The lock was built of stone in 1790 by the Thames Navigation Commission. The main weir is downstream, just below St John's Bridge, where the River Cole and the River Leach join the Thames on opposite banks. A statue of Old Father Thames by Raffaelle Monti is outside the lock house. The statue was commissioned in 1854 for The Crystal Palace's grounds, was later moved to the traditional source of the Thames at Thames Head, and then in 1974 relocated to St John's Lock. The statue is Grade II listed.

Buscot Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England, near the village of Buscot, Oxfordshire. The lock was built of stone by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1790 and is the smallest on the River Thames. Like most of the Upper Thames Locks, it still has its heavy wooden beams which the lock keeper uses to open and close the gates. The new weir was created in 1979 when a cut was made through fields on the southern side of the lock. Of an unusual cresting design, it is now a National Trust picnic area. The weir was previously on the northern side of the lock. The area is rich in flora and fauna, and a frequent haunt for otters, kites and kingfishers.

Lechlade Manor in Lechlade, Gloucestershire, England, is a Victorian country house built for George Milward, a lawyer, by John Loughborough Pearson. Primarily an ecclesiastical architect, working on over 200 church buildings in his fifty-year career, the manor represents one of Pearson's rare forays into secular building. Dating from 1872 to 1873, Lechlade was subsequently sold to the Sisters of St Clotilde and operated as a convent for much of the 20th century. In the 1990s, it was converted back to a private residence, with some enabling development in the grounds. Lechlade Manor is a Grade II listed building.

The Anglican St Lawrence Church, dedicated to St. Lawrence of Rome, is the Church of England parish church of Lechlade in Gloucestershire, England. The church building is Grade I listed and is described with admiration in Simon Jenkins's England's Thousand Best Churches.The current church was built on the site of an earlier one and was completed in 1476. The roof and parts of the structure were replaced following a fire in the early 16th century. Various refurbishments have been undertaken since, including the installation of a gallery in 1740. Percy Bysshe Shelley composed a poem after visiting the churchyard in 1815. The church is notable for its eight-sided spire above the tower. The internal fixtures and fittings include a brass chandelier, 13th-century piscina and carvings including the figure of the martyrdom of St Agatha.

Halfpenny Bridge is a bridge across the River Thames, at Lechlade, Gloucestershire, England. The bridge and its toll house are a Grade II listed building. It marks the start of the navigable Thames, although if the waters are high, the Thames can continue to be travelled by small and unpowered craft as far as Cricklade, over 10 miles (16 km) South-west. The bow-backed bridge was built to a design of James Hollingworth in 1792. It carries the A361 from the south into Lechlade. It was called the Halfpenny bridge because that was the toll charged for pedestrians to cross it, until the toll was done away with in 1839. The A361 is called Thames Street at this point, and the bridge was built when Thames Street was laid out. The structure is around 20 feet (6 m) wide and the single arch is nearly 26 feet (8 m) high to its apex. On the north bank of the river, a small square toll house is attached to the bridge on the downstream side. It consists of a basement and a room at road level, with a pyramidal asbestos slate roof. Both the bridge and the toll house are grade II listed. It is thought that a local firm of builders called Ralph and Crowdy were responsible for its construction. There is a separate arch in the south causeway, through which the towpath passes, and both parapets carry a central panel with a line on it, to mark the county boundary between Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. In June 2023, a driver crashed into the eastern parapet causing substantial damage to the structure. The bridge is expected to remain closed to traffic for some months.A local micro-brewery based in Lechlade, The Halfpenny Brewery, is named after the bridge.

Buscot is an English village and civil parish on the River Thames, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south-east of Lechlade. Buscot was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. Two houses there contain notable collections of paintings.

Thames meander refers to a long-distance journey over all or part of the River Thames in England. Walking the Thames Path is itself a meander, but the term usually applies to journeys using other methods such as rowing, punting, running, or swimming. A Thames meander can be a social expedition over a few days, generally in a Thames skiff or a punt. However more specific meanders are competitive events, or record breaking attempts. Means of propulsion include swimming and running and propelling virtually every type of small craft that floats on water. Meanders are often associated with charity sponsorship. The normal start of a meander for craft is Halfpenny Bridge, Lechlade. The finish is often Teddington Lock but other points in Greater London are used. A "giant meander" for craft goes all the way to Gravesend Pier. The Thames Meander run begins at Reading, Berkshire.