First barges Northgate Wharf 1892
The River Lark Navigation
Landmarks and Distances

The River Lark From Bury to the Great Ouse

Miles

Locks/
Staunches

Navigable (N)

Grid ref

OS 1:50000 Landranger Map No

Eastgate Bridge

Eastgate Street, Bury St Edmunds
The legal terminus of the Navigation

-0.3

0

U

TL 858 644

155

A14 link road bridge

Link from Northgate roundabout to A14
Newly built in 1974

-0.1

0

U

TL 857 651

155

Railway Bridge
Bury to Ipswich line 1846

St Saviour's, Bury St Edmunds
Now by Tesco's Carpark

-0.0

0

U

TL 856 652

155

Northgate Wharf 1890-1900
(Site of)

St Saviour's, Bury St Edmunds
Now under Tesco's Carpark

0.0

0

U

TL 854 652

155

Tollgate Lock No 1

Tollgate Bridge, A134 Thetford Road.

0.6

1

U

TL 851 661

155

Junction with Cut to Fornham Wharf

The Cut ran towards the Mildenhall Road
turning 90 degrees parallel to the road
In use 1715-1855 & 1889-1900

0.8

1

U

TL 849 663

155

Bury St Edmunds Staunch No 1
Now completely removed c1990s

Babwell Clough or Canal Staunch
Also called The Old Clough by 1890

0.9

2

U

TL 849 665

155

Fornham Lock No 2

Mill Farm Lock
Now a footbridge to golf clubhouse

1.6

3

U

TL 847 672

155

Two golfers' footbridges

Lark Valley Country Club and Golf Course

1.6

3

U

TL 845 675

155

Causeway Lock No 3

Adjacent to Fornham Park Road Bridge

1.9

4

U

TL 842 676

155

Sheepwash or Causeway Bridge

Fornham All Saints on B1106

2.0

4

U

TL 841 678

155

Ducksluice Farm Lock No 4

Ducksluice Lock and bridge to farm

2.6

5

U

TL 834 685

155

Hengrave Bridge

Hengrave to Culford Road

3.1

5

U

TL 831 690

155

Hengrave Lock No 5

Grange Farm Lock

3.4

6

U

TL 830 694

155

Chimney Mill Lock No 6

Rebuilt after World War 2
but no gates have been fitted.

3.9

7

U

TL 821 699

155

Flempton Lock No 7

Includes Flempton to West Stow road bridge

4.5

8

U

TL 817 704

155

Boyton Staunch No 2

West Stow (Clough?) Staunch and footbridge

4.8

9

U

TL 813 707

155

Fullers Mill Lock No 8

West Stow Heath Lock

5.3

10

U

TL 806 709

155

Lackford Staunch No 3

Also called Dullingham Staunch and Fulling Staunch
Now in West Stow Country Park

5.5

11

U

TL 801 712

155

River House (now demolished)
Built for lock keeper in 1842

West Stow
Site in West Stow Country Park

5.8

11

U

TL 796 713

155

Cherry Ground Lock No 9
Built in crescent shape 1892

Lackford
Now in West Stow Country Park
With a sign Cherry Tree Lock

6.1

12

U

TL 792 712

155

Lackford Road Bridge
Bury to Mildenhall road

Icknield Way Ford was immediately east

6.2

12

U

TL 788 711

155

Mill Heath Upper Staunch No 4
With staunch 5 makes lock 10

Cavenham/Lackford 280 foot lock
With 5 bypasses a loop in the river

6.8

13

U

TL 782 714

155

Mill Heath Lower Staunch No 5
With staunch 4 makes lock 10

Cavenham/Lackford 280 foot lock
With 4 bypasses a loop in the river

6.9

14

U

TL 782 715

155

Farthing Bridge
Sometimes called Three Bridges

Cavenham to Icklingham road

7.8

14

U

TL 773 726

155

Icklingham Lock No 11

Marston's Icklingham Mill and Bridge
Rebuilt 1938 with gates

8.0

15

U

TL 769 729

155

Temple Bridge and Staunch No 7
A measuring sluice since 1960

Bridge now closed to vehicles
Once the Newmarket to Thetford Road

8.8

16

U

TL 758 728

155

Jack Tree Staunch No 8
With staunch island

Now dry and bypassed by river

9.0

17

U

TL 745 735

155

Tuddenham Mill Stream
NB the Millstream has a staunch at TL 732 729

The Mill Stream could take barges to Tuddenham Mill 1890

10.5

17

U

TL 733 738

155

Cut-Off Channel Junction after 1964

And footbridge to Barton Mills

10.6

17

U

TL 732 738

155
(just)

Barton Mills Lock No 12
Rebuilt 1938

With Barton Mills New Bridge (A11) of 1962

11.0

18

U

TL 726 738

154
(just)

Barton Hall Staunch No 9
Nothing remains of this

Jeffries Halt Staunch

11.4

19

U

TL 720 740

143

Mildenhall Gas Works Lock No 13

Also called Old Lock

12.1

20

U

TL 711 743

143

Mildenhall Turf Lock No 14
Also called New Lock. Converted from staunch 1890s

Lower gates missing, now a weir

12.3

21

U

TL 709 743

143

Mildenhall West Upper Staunch No 10
Replaced by Turf Lock 1890s

Site only of Mildenhall Great staunch
With lower staunch used as a pound lock

12.9

21

U

TL 701 744

143

Mildenhall West Lower Staunch No 11
Replaced by Turf Lock 1890s

Site only of Mildenhall Little staunch
With upper staunch used as a pound lock

13.0

21

D

TL 702 744

143

Kings Staunch No 12
Adjacent "TGC 1842" Lock keeper's cottage survives

Cow Gravel Staunch, Worlington

13.6

22

D

TL 692 744

143

West Row Bridge
Built 1890s replacing ford & ferry

Jude's Ferry Bridge

14.5

22

N

TL 677 748

143

Freckenham Gravel Staunch No 13

Also called West Row or New Staunch

15.0

23

N

TL 671 749

143

Junction of River Lark and Lee Brook

This was the starting point for the 1890s restoration

16.0

23

N

TL 664 751

143

Isleham Lock No 15
A modern electric lock replacing a staunch at TL 649 757

Now adjacent to Isleham Marina, formerly Swale's Reach

16.5

24

N

TL 649 761

143

Prickwillow Bridge
Formerly the junction with Great Ouse

On B1382 Ely road in Prickwillow

22.5

24

N

TL 597 824

143

Railway bridge

Norwich to Ely Line

22.8

24

N

TL 596 828

143

Great Ouse Junction
and Branch Bridge

Junction with Old West River (Great Ouse)

24.6

24

N

TL 572 844

143

NOTE: N and U in the Navigable column above indicates that the node is Navigable or Unnavigable.
If a D appears here it means that navigation is difficult or restricted to smaller craft.

SOURCES: Original idea and some of the data is taken from the website of Jim Shead at www.jim-shead.com
Information modified after D E Weston's "The Lark Navigation"


Go to River Lark Homepage This page created January 2008
Last updated 31st January 2008
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