News

Earlier this morning our lifetime generation for the hydro reached the 1 GWh mark. The recent rains have given us a good start to the new financial year, with over 60,000 kWh generated since 1st April, and at time of writing the hydro is generating at a steady 46kWh, not far off its top generation…

We’re celebrating British Science Week (5th to 14th March) by launching a three educational packs for teachers who want to bring the topics of electricity, renewable energy and sustainability to life in their classrooms. Since its construction, Osney Lock Hydro has proved an inspiring educational and practical resource for understanding sustainability. Sadly covid restrictions mean we…

The fourth in a series of blogs celebrating the flora and fauna of our local river. By Catrin Rawstorne Kingfishers (Alcedo atthis) are small bright blue and orange birds which can be spotted near slow moving or still water. They fly rapidly and low over water, like darting jewels, occasionally hovering just above the surface, and hunt…

Freshwater shrimp The third in a series of blogs celebrating the flora and fauna of our local river.  By Jenny Figueiredo The Freshwater Shrimp, Gammarus pulex, is one of those fairly self-explanatory names for a creature – simply a shrimp that lives in fresh water.  The common freshwater shrimp has a robust appearance, and is typically greyish…

Weeping Willow The second in a series of blogs celebrating the flora and fauna of our local river.  By Jenny Figueiredo These beautiful and fascinating trees with their dreamy, drooping branches and elongated leaves are instantly recognisable. Native to Northern China but found all round the world including along the River Thames, these trees have unique physical…

Situated along the hydro railings, the temporary exhibition features photographs of some of the marker stones that have been created by local artist Josie Webber as part of our human sundial project. We had hoped to have the sundial installed on site by now, but social distancing rules have made it hard for us to…

Members of the OLH team met recently with artist Josie Webber, and our local sundial technical adviser Greg Birdseye, to work out the final layout of the sundial at the Osney Lock Hydro site.  It was eleven am when we met in case you were wondering, although as no one was standing on the proposed…

The Grey Heron Osney Lock Hydro has commissioned a mosaic in celebration of our centuries old relationship with the river. Local artist Josie Webber has created designs featuring native species nominated by local residents, and incorporating pottery fragments found in West Oxford. The marker stones will form part of a human sundial to be installed on…

Osney Lock Hydro is taking part in this year’s Oxford Open Doors on the morning of Saturday 12th September. Tickets are limited and booking is essential – please use the link below to book tickets for a time slot.  Please arrive within in 10 minutes of the start of your booked slot to help us…

We’re delighted to reveal the latest mosaic hour marker that’s been completed by artist Josie Webber for our human sundial.  Featuring a kingfisher and dragonfly, the artwork is part of our celebration of the local flora and fauna.

We are on the hunt for fragments of china that have turned up in local gardens and allotments to incorporate into the artwork.  If you’ve dug up a fragment of an old plate digging up your spuds, or found a chip of patterned pottery weeding the dahlias we’d love them for our project.  Ideally fragments should be flat and…

Lord Mayor of Oxford, Councillor Craig Simmons popped by on his bicycle to visit us this month – our 800th visitor to the site this year. He had been invited to speak at the Urban Economy Forum 2019 in Toronto, Canada.  In order to reduce his travel footprint, rather than attend in person, he created a video…