Porters Lock

Porters Lock located East of Tonbridge and North of Tudeley village will be the subject of significant maintenance works that will benefit the Upper Medway Navigation. The lock gates are made of traditional timber and were built in the 1990ss.  The lock structure itself dates from between 1911 and 1915 and is nearing the end of its working life.

Despite regular maintenance and repairs, recent investigations have shown the gates to be damaged and leaking water, whilst the lock walls are cracked.

As this deterioration will eventually make the lock unusable and pose a health and safety hazard, we will be replacing both sets of lock gates and completing structural concrete works in the lock itself. This will require closure of the River Medway to all vessels between East Lock and Porters Lock throughout the duration of the project, and there may be slight changes to the site such as the route of the public footpath.

We expect the initial pre-works period to run between March 2024 and October 2024 with the main lock construction works and closure period planned for September 2024 to April 2025. These dates are subject to change as they are reliant on good weather conditions and having all permissions in place.

We will be posting regular updates throughout the project, however, if you have any queries about this project or our wider project work on the River Medway please contact us via email at [email protected] or on 03708 506 506.