County Lock

Downstream from the lock is Brewery Gut, a particularly fast flowing, narrow and dangerous stretch of the river.

[1][2] The land on both sides of the river adjacent to County Lock was formerly part of the site of Simonds Brewery.

In the days of horse haulage, this stretch of river had no towpath, and a long tow line had to be sent down-river on a specially designed float.

To add to the difficulty, at its narrowest the gut is only 25 feet (7.6 m) wide, causing strong currents.

Multiple vessels cannot safely pass due to the tortuous and narrow route, and there have been instances in the past of boats colliding and sinking.