# Medway Navigation
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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2017}}
{{Medway Navigation map}}
The [River Medway](/source/River_Medway) in [England](/source/England) flows for {{convert|70|mi|km|0}} from [Turners Hill](/source/Turners_Hill), in [West Sussex](/source/West_Sussex), through [Tonbridge](/source/Tonbridge), [Maidstone](/source/Maidstone) and the [Medway Towns](/source/Medway) conurbation in [Kent](/source/Kent), to the [River Thames](/source/River_Thames) at [Sheerness](/source/Sheerness), where it shares the latter's estuary. The '''Medway Navigation''' runs from the Leigh Barrier south of Tonbridge to [Allington](/source/Allington%2C_Kent) just north of Maidstone. It is {{convert|19|mi|km}} in length. The [Environment Agency](/source/Environment_Agency) is the [navigation authority](/source/navigation_authority) responsible for the navigation.
==The route==
Until 1746 the river was impassable above Maidstone. To that point each village on the river had its [wharf](/source/wharf) or wharves: at [Halling](/source/Halling%2C_Kent), [Snodland](/source/Snodland), [New Hythe](/source/New_Hythe) and [Aylesford](/source/Aylesford). Cargoes included corn, fodder, fruit, stone and timber.
left|thumb|Allington Lock and Sluice, it is at this point that the river becomes tidal.
In 1746 improvements to the channel meant that barges of {{convert|40|LT|t}} could reach [East Farleigh](/source/East_Farleigh), [Yalding](/source/Yalding) and even Tonbridge. The channel was further improved to [Leigh](/source/Leigh%2C_Kent) in 1828. There are eleven [locks](/source/canal_lock) on the river. The lowest, opened in 1792, is at [Allington](/source/Allington%2C_Kent), and is the extent of tides. The others are [East Farleigh](/source/East_Farleigh), [Teston](/source/Teston), [Hampstead Lane](/source/Yalding), Stoneham Old Lock (disused), [Sluice Weir Lock](/source/East_Peckham), [Oak Wier Lock](/source/East_Peckham) East Lock, Porter's, Eldridge's and Town Lock in [Tonbridge](/source/Tonbridge) (see table). The locks will take craft up to {{convert|80|ft|m}} by {{convert|18|ft|m}}, and vessels with a draft of {{convert|4|ft|m}} can navigate the river. The shallowest point is just below Sluice Weir Lock which is prone to silting after heavy rain.[The Medway navigation, Leaflet, March 1991, NRA-National Rivers Authority] The draughts along the navigation are: Tonbridge to Yalding 4 feet; Yalding to Maidstone 5 feet 6 inches; Maidstone to Allington Lock 6 feet 6 inches.[{{Cite book|title=Waterways Guide 1: Grand Union, Oxford and the South East|last=Nicholson|publisher=Harper Collins|year=2006|isbn=978-0-00-721109-8|location=London|pages=124–35}}] Headroom is 8 feet 6 inches below Tonbridge.[{{cite book |last1=McKnight |first1=Hugh |title=Shell Book of Inland Waterways |publisher=David and Charles |location=Newton Abbot |pages=345–347}}]
The locks on the navigation are as follows.