River Avon - Tewkesbury to Stratford Upon Avon

A thunderstorm with lightning crashing every few minutes heralded our retreat from Sharpness.  We had left the 'pigeon box' flaps open in the roof in an attempt to try and get some cool air into the boat and at 3am torrential rain poured through the openings to give us a sharp wet awakening.  I tried to shut the flaps from the inside but the hinges were stiff and I had to get dressed in a pair of shorts, climbing onto the boat roof to close them in a deluge of rain and lightning flashes that seemed to be a portent for judgment day. Forcing them closed from above seemed to do the trick, but by that time I was soaked but at least not fried by fork lightning as I knelt around the steel roof !!!!!!

Returning to Gloucester dock we moved  the following morning onto the River Severn accessing the River Avon just past Upper Lode lock several miles north.

We had managed to judge moving from the dock in fairly slack water ( current can be strong here) but the slight current against us as we moved out of the lock slowed us a little. We had watched the current coming inwards towards Gloucester dock the previous day and illustrated that it can be strong enough to be a problem to any boat that was underpowered. Fibreglass boats have the added concern of occasional floating debris coming towards them in the shape of logs and tree branches.


Joining the River Avon just before lunch on another glorious day that has been characteristic of July, we met the delightfully friendly Avon lock keeper Bob Scarrott who locked us up into the Avon at Tewkesbury.

After mooring at the nearby Avon Navigation Trust moorings he completed the license paper-work for us
 ( Avon is not covered by Canal and River Trust license) and showed us photographs of a seal that was seen in the lock during June. 

Seal in Avon Lock .   River Avon Tewkesbury.

  
Apparently the seal is still happily living on the River Severn where perhaps he will be able to return to the sea one day - but perhaps he (or she?) is content with feeding along the banks of the river.


A sobering site near the entrance to the River Avon is a narrowboat that was washed over the wall by the 2012 floods that raised it some 12ft above normal levels where it now hangs precariously - perhaps until the next flood !!!!!!!

A narrowboat hangs precariously over the River Avon wall where it was swept during the 2012 floods that lifted it to that level.........perhaps waiting for the next flood to rescue it !

Mooring on the Avon Navigation trust visitor mooring for the night, we woke in the morning refreshed enough to take a walk along the River Bank to the centre of Tewkesbury and visit the Abbey .

Walking the banks of the River Avon near Tewkesbury

Tewkesbury Abbey was purchased for the princely sum of £453 by the townspeople to avoid its demolition during the dissolution by King Henry VIII thus becoming the town's parish church. Money well spent as this magnificent Abbey is a real must for visitors to the River Avon.

Tewkesbury Abbey.

Tewkesbury even without the Abbey is worth exploring in it's own right. Riverside walks and historic streets are a delight.

Gone fishing.............on the banks of the River Avon against a background of Tewkesbury Abbey.

Plenty of shops in Tewkesbury for the boater to replenish supplies before exploring the  River Avon.

Moving on after our visit to Tewkesbury we cruised up-river to Tewkesbury Marina where we could get fuel and the all-important toilet 'pump-out'    Full to the brim with diesel and an empty toilet we were ready to explore the winding Avon.

This was brand new territory to us and really did not know what to expect. As the afternoon became older we decided that an early finish was called-for. We had a two week license to explore some 50 miles of river so there was no rush.  After a few miles
we found the 'Fleet Inn' with what looked like moorings outside.  No such luck, they were in a total state of disrepair and obviously dangerous.  Very small 'finger' moorings looked a possible but there was only two visitor moorings with a sign asking for £15 per night.......we declined the offer as being totally unsuitable for narrowboats and very expensive, so we left them to look for another mug/occupant.....and I am sure they still do!!!!!!  Never mind there are other pubs to spend money in.

Depression started to set in as we began to wonder if this was to set the precedent for the whole river........we were very happy to have consequently been proven wrong with plenty of excellent Avon Navigation Trust moorings to be found all free of charge as part of your Avon license fee.

Eckington Bridge

As we rounded a bend worried about the seeming lack of moorings we found the beautiful warm stone arches of Eckington Bridge. A look at the Avon guide suggested a visitor mooring just beyond it........and there it was with more than sufficient space for 'San Serriffe'

Eckington Bridge mooring, River Avon                                          Copyright

Our faith restored in the Avon Navigation we spent the night in this tranquil setting
safe and sound on flood proof ( vertical mooring poles) well maintained moorings.

 Tranquil mooring of Eckington Bridge at sunset.  River Avon                              Copyright

Almost reluctantly we left Eckington Bridge the following morning with a game-plan of a gentle cruise through a couple of locks to the next large river-side town of Pershore.

Pershore has 'free' Avon Navigation Trust moorings for 48 hours as part of your ANT license fee ( £60 for two weeks)
and is a  perfect place to replenish groceries at the 'ASDA' store a few minutes walk away from the moorings.

Walking a little further through the Georgian Streets to the back of Pershore town centre is Pershore Abbey. This pre-10th century Abbey suffered badly during the dissolution and was partly destroyed. It is made of a beautiful warm coloured stone that seems to radiate in the sunshine and is worth spending some time to admire.

Pershore Abbey

Continuing our upstream journey of the River Avon we came to the diamond shaped Pershore lock......not sure why it is diamond shape, but I am sure somebody will tell me!!

We managed to get three narrowboats in this strange shaped lock ( admittedly putting a smaller boat on the outside) so it all seems to work despite the diamond shape.

Pershore lock - River Avon

After a mile or so we came to a village with the attractive name of Wyre Piddle with an island charmingly called Tiddle Widdle Island.......all names that would fit easily into 'Wind in the Willows' or 'Swallows and Amazons' but these are not classic childhood fiction - these are the real thing.
Next stop was the more well-known town of Evesham with a long stretch of 24 hour moorings.  They like to keep their water points a secret though - they are hidden in small brick structures about three-foot high without even the clue of a sign saying 'water' - tricky even when you are standing next to them and impossible to see from the River.



Oh, well mustn't  grumble......apparently they are nothing to do with Avon Navigation Trust and the real culprit it seems is the Evesham local authority. Most boaters are philosophical and come to the obvious conclusion that anything is better than nothing 

That being said they provide a waste disposal point at the end of the moorings and they have plenty of moorings by River Avon standards.....so this is the place to moor and spend your money hand-over-fist in the local shops, pubs, Laundrette, Restaurants.......apart from a sign on the water point, Evesham has it all :)

One thing it does have is a carved whale !!!  It is in the Workman park ( named after a local worthy called - er well Workman)  Walking Suzy the Pesty Westy a guy asked me 
"Heh......what have they done with the whale bones?" he demanded
I looked blank and backed away
"The what?" I replied
" Oh sorry...thought you were a local" he stated
"Whale bones have been here two hundred years and now they are gone" he observed with dismay and a look of suspicion that suggested I had Whale bones secreted on my person.
It seems there WAS jaw bones of a Bow-Headed Whale that stood in the park for two hundred years, but are now in a pub somewhere. They have been recently replaced them with steel-rods to the same shape and a nicely carved whale.

I wish I had read the sign before he demanded to know of their whereabouts and I could have acted as local and explained chapter and verse of recent developments regarding aforementioned bones. Well you learn something every day.............as they say.

Evesham - River Avon

All the locks on the Avon are 'double' locks and the paddles on the upper Avon locks are well a little.....how can I describe......but 'aggressive' seems to fit.  They need care and it is essential to rope the boat at both stern and bow especially when locking up ( as the sign says!!)  

Keep the boat well back when going up, as a horizontal torrent comes from the opening paddles in front of the boat with a force that sends water some eight-foot horizontally into the lock. An un-roped boat will be thrown all over the place and getting the bow under such a torrent could be more than problematic.

Next stop was Bidford-on-Avon and we moored early afternoon just before the beautiful old 15th Century stone bridge that spans the Avon. Obviously not built for modern traffic it still copes with the help of new-fangled traffic lights for single file operation with stone 'triangles' for pedestrians to shelter from the traffic until they can make a dash for it when the traffic slackens.  King Charles 1st needed to slow up the parliamentarian forces as he retreated, so his troops destroyed the bridge behind them. It was re-built in 1650.  A more recent marker in the long history of this bridge is the filming of a 'Top Gear' program, where our heroes Clarkson and chums tested their revolutionary ford transit 'hover-van' that floated (just about) on a cushion of air and brought more chaos than both the armies of the English Civil War combined.  A nearby waterside restaurant veranda was swept by a Tsunami of wind and water drowning the customers and their food.  It has been suggested that the customers were actors ........... just as well they were soaked to the skin. I am only glad they did not try to get their hover-van through the narrow navigational arch because without a doubt the Ford would be still wedged there now !!

Bidford-on-Avon's 15th Century Bridge

Steady as you go - squeezing through the navigation arch at Bidford-on-Avon.

 

A little like a scene from 'Miss Marple' ....... Bidford-on Avon

 Bidford-on-Avon is certainly not the tourist-trap that Stratford-on-Avon is, but they have thought a little more about welcoming passing boat traffic.  Good moorings are provided with a least two water-points and a waste-disposal skip in the corner of the adjacent park with signs that actually tell you where it is - now how about that for novelty!!  Not to mention that the moorings ( 24 hour) are 'free' not like the £5 per night Avon moorings at Stratford. 

Mooring with a view - National Shakespeare Theatre. Stratford-Upon-Avon

River Avon pleasure boats.Stratford Upon Avon

A pleasure boat passes River Avon visitor moorings.  Stratford Upon Avon

Riverside moorings at Stratford are 'controlled' by Stratford-Upon-Avon local authority and they have decided to levy a charge per night with a maximum stay of two nights. What do you get for your money ? ......well you certainly get a mooring with a fantastic view over towards the town and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre with a single water-point near the 'mini-golf' hut.

You buy a ticket from the 'information barge' in the basin which must be displayed in the boat window. On the reverse of the ticket it gives sensible warnings not to use the parkland waste-bins but the skip provided in the 'Fisherman's car park'  wherever that is because they neglect to tell you!!!!!!

I asked locals that had lived in Stratford for years......
"Never heard of it" was the reply 
I searched every car park in the near vicinity as part of Pesty Westy Suzy's dog walk.........no skip.

I asked bin disposal men.....
"About a mile away"  said one
"They do not use that one now, is it still printed on the ticket? said another

I asked the 'information barge' lady.......
"Oh dear, not sure really" was the reply

So Stratford local authority, charge if you must, but at least provide a boater dedicated skip and some directions to it if it really does exist !!!!!!

Canal and River Trust have a waste disposal skip near the canal basin in Stratford but neglect to put any signage on the anonymous high boarding that surrounds it's position unsighted  from the basin. Obviously another cunning ploy to reduce the number of people actually using it.
 A Stratford waste bin collection man saw me opening the padlock to the anonymous door and offered congratulations on using it !!!!
" Perhaps you can tell other boaters? They just use the bins around the basin " he said
" If there was a sign, nobody would have to tell anybody anything"  I replied
" Yeh... right, that would be too easy " he accurately  observed.

Enough talking rubbish - as important as it is. We stayed the maximum 48 hours allowed in the CRT basin right in the centre of  Stratford-upon-Avon and enjoyed this  superbly situated mooring to explore the touristic sights.  

Gongoozlers grab a photo-opportunity as boats lock up onto the River Avon from Stratford-Upon-Avon canal basin .

Stratford-Upon-Avon basin ............by night.

...........and by day.

Ann Hathaway's Cottage.............Copyright

Alms Houses - Stratford Upon Avon

“Our future, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”
― William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

See our next post............  Stratford on -Avon canal.

Sunny Sharpness and a boat graveyard......

Gloucester docks were in great danger of becoming redundant in the late 18th century as a silting Severn made it increasingly difficult for larger ships to reach Gloucester.
So a ship canal was built from the Severn estuary at Sharpness. This was no namby-pamby narrow canal.......this was a ship canal and the deepest and widest in the world at the time of it's opening in 1827....... an amazing piece of engineering.

Waiting for the bridge to open before leaving Gloucester docks and joining the Sharpness and Gloucester canal.......

Passing the 'Sula' lightship

Sharpness is still a viable port with ships from many parts of the world.  Gloucester and Sharpness canal is still busy, now almost exclusively used by pleasure boats. Many of users are the brave pleasure boat skippers that exit via the docks into the Severn Estuary and onto the Bristol channel and coastal destinations beyond.

  Most of the vessels that brave the Severn - channel are well equipped with radar and navigation aids and powerful engines that would put a cold-war Soviet surveillance ship to shame. Some of the bravest of the brave are narrowboat skippers who accept the challenge with only a single small engine but have have to employ a professional pilot to help them navigate the tidal journey to Avonmouth where they can return onto the canal system eventually joining the Kennet and Avon canal via Bristol.  With the channel and Severn estuary being the second largest tidal range in the world, it is really no place for the amateur with no knowledge of the amazingly strong tides and dangerous sandbanks...... so the company of a professional pilot is a must.  I actually met one of the Severn pilots who was on a narrowboat holiday with his family recently ( talk about a busman's holiday ) and he explained that apart from employing a pilot it was now mandatory that the fuel in the narrowboat had been 'polished' (cleaned) of any water/sediment content and that the engine had recently undergone a full service especially fuel filters. A 'dead' engine on the Severn Estuary due to water contamination in the diesel fuel could lead to very serious consequences. 

For boat crews life is easy on the Gloucester and Sharpness canal. There are no locks
( apart from the locks in Sharpness docks) and the numerous swing bridges are all manned everyday with a traffic light system to inform crews.

Red.......... this is a no brainer    STOP!!!!!!
Flashing Red................I am aware of you, wait until green to proceed.
Green................ Bridge is open and you have permission to proceed.

It is important not to proceed until green, even if the bridge is open. If the lights are flashing red and the bridge is open the bridge keeper will be giving traffic coming in the opposite direction priority..........almost always a boat a lot bigger than you !!!!

Part of the old dock arm at Sharpness against a background of the evening sun as the tide flows into the Severn Estuary.

One bridge that is no longer with us is the swing bridge that was the start of the vast railway bridge made of steel spans supported by stone columns that crossed the Estuary and the Sharpness canal.  One dark foggy night in late 1960 as a strong tide entered the estuary two petrol tankers attempted to access Sharpness dock. In limited visibility 'Arkendale H' and 'Wastdale H' touched against each other making the fight against the strong current difficult as they were swept together passed Sharpness dock on a voyage from Avonmouth.  Engines at full power could not stop them resisting the tide as they were swept into the 17th bridge span that carried both gas pipes and electricity cables.

A terrific explosion followed seriously damaging both ships as burning petrol spread two miles across the estuary. Five crew members out of a total eight lost their lives in this tragic accident. Damage to the bridge made it uneconomical to repair and it was dismantled apart for the massive stone structure that was the base of the swing bridge on the canal.
Steel girders of the bridge still live on ......in Chile.........where they were sold to build a viaduct.

All that remains of the giant swing bridge supports after the railway bridge was dismantled following the tragic 1960 petrol tanker disaster.

Part of the estuary comes very close to the canal at flood tides near Purton threatening a breach. In total some 81 old vessels have been beached during the 1940-60s and filled with silt to protect this section. They are now the largest ship graveyard on mainland Britain and living evidence of these old working boats that would otherwise have been lost forever. Fortunately each has been recorded and small plaques giving a basic history of their career ( builder etc) including people connected with them.

Anybody with the slightest imagination will think of all the crew members that handled these boats over the years .....some being built in the late 19th century.

A ship made of concrete !!!...........now keeps the estuary at bay near Purton

FCB 75 ( built of Ferro-concrete)

Boat winding gear in the Purton boat graveyard.

One of the rarest and unique types of craft to ever use the Gloucester and Sharpness canal were the submarines  H33 and H49 who travelled into Gloucester dock in 1937.
It would be quite a surprise to round a bend on a canal and see  a Submarine heading for you  !!!!!!

Temperatures have reached 33-35C to-day ( Monday 22nd July) and I took the opportunity to take a few photographs of people taking advantage of the sunshine............

Taking advantage of the sunshine to clean the boat roof........ Sharpness and Gloucester canal

Weather to just sit and watch............

One of the places that really is worth a visit on the Gloucester and Sharpness canal is the Wildfowl Trust at Slimbridge about a 15 minute walk from Patch Swingbridge.
Plenty of shelters to hide from the sun or rain as you watch all kinds of Wildfowl including four types of Flamingo and my favourite - a family of imported North American Otters.  A great place to get away from the confines of the boat for a while.

North American Otter at the Wildfowl trust, Slimbridge

Wildfowl Trust Flamingo, Slimbridge.

"you lookin' at me?".......Wildfowl Trust resident, Slimbridge.

Follow our journey/post on the River Avon (26th July 2013)...........

 

Sizzling Severn........towards Gloucester docks.

A trip boat on the River Severn near Stourport.

Leaving the confined space of the two staircase locks from Stourport Basin brought a sense of freedom as we joined the wide River Severn.  After the restricted world of canals it is always liberating to be on a wide river with deep clear water under the boat ..........like most narrowboats 'San Serriffe' always seems to run better on rivers.

Leaving Stourport in our wake we negotiated our first River Severn lock at Lincomb............like the River Thames all the locks on the Severn are manned and gigantic compared to canal locks.  Apart from taking instructions from the lock-keeper and roping to the vertical wire lines you can just relax and let the machinery do all the work.

A narrowboat dwarfed by the River Severn lock at Lincomb

Temperatures rose as we enjoyed the blue-sky sunny weather that we are enjoying in stark contrast to the truly awful 'summer' we had in 2012. This is 5 star luxury weather indeed and certainly a match for anywhere in Europe at the moment ...long may it last :)

Making a fast pace towards Worcester despite a lack of appreciable current on the river
because of the reduced rain-fall recently. During 2012 we had more rain than most rivers could cope with and this would have been a very tricky navigation with fast currents and flooding a constant threat.  At the moment it is a very benign and a superb river experience.

Mid-afternoon  found us on the outskirts of Worcester and lucky enough to find a mooring near the racecourse.

Moored near Worcester racecourse.  River Severn

River Severn, Worcester.

Following morning came early with more blue skies and sunshine.......this weather is becoming almost predictable !!!!!!!.........fantastic :)   It has now been categorized as an official 'level three' heatwave, not sure what that means apart from being b........dy hot!

Pushing the throttle forward until settling on a fast (for San Serriffe) 2000 revs' we burbled towards Upton on Severn and Tewkesbury.  Spotting a marina at Upton we spent an hour or so taking on fuel and a 'pump-out' for the toilet, visiting (with some difficulty) Upton on Severn for bread, milk, etc.   Upton is an absolute delight and a living 'ye olde England' film-set ( in the nicest possible way) and we would have liked to spent more time there. Unfortunately like most River locations they have very few moorings for visiting boats.
A strange phenomena when you consider the money boat crews could spend in local shops/pubs, etc.

Blue sky cruising - River Severn.

Approaching Tewkesbury we watched out for the River Avon we we hope to visit after we have been to Gloucester docks and Sharpness. I was amazed when the junction was little more than a 'gap in the hedge' with poor signage and certainly very easy to miss. Not sure what I expected , but certainly something little more obvious  !!!!!

Approaching Upper Lode lock I decided to try my under-used VHF radio.......

"Upper Lode lock ....Upper lode lock   San Serriffe, San Serriffe, over "
" Yes ,San Serriffe ?"
" Passing Avon junction, any chance of a lock down?  over "
" No problem, lock will be ready, over"
"Many thanks for that..... San Serriffe........out"

Wow,....not used the radio since the Thames and I am always slightly amazed when somebody actually replys to my message. Not much chance to practice on the Macclesfield canal !!!!!

Sand barge powers past 'San Serriffe' on the River Severn

Mooring places between Tewkesbury and Gloucester dock are very far and few between so did not hesitate when we saw a gap big enough for 'San Serriffe' on the 'Lower Lode'
pub moorings......an idyllic pub serving excellent beer that judging from the old sepia toned photographs has not changed for many a year.  We paid our mooring 'fee'
(a few beers)  and sat looking out at the River Severn from the lush grass of the beer garden, bathed in the cool light of the evening sun........

"time for another one then ?" was the perhaps the most appropriate comment of the evening.

Lower Lode pub...River Severn.

Running the last fifteen miles into Gloucester dock the following morning we passed 'Upper Parting' where the River Severn is split into a West and East channel.  At the previous lock the keeper had suggested we radio forward to Gloucester dock lock and they would have it ready for us.  It is three miles from 'Upper Parting' and I suggested an ETA of some 40 minutes to the lock keeper.  He warned me of a dredger working in the middle of the channel and he was right !!!!!   We rounded a bend and found this large vessel looming over us with just a few feet either side for us to pass.  Narrowboats are used to small gaps so it was no problem and off we went leaving this voracious sludge gulper to its important work

River Severn dredger.......near Gloucester docks

  Sure enough as we approached Gloucester lock everything was ready for us. If this had been a spring tide it would have helped a great deal to have the lock open and waiting for you instead of mooring to the wall to avoid you being swept along in the current.  On this occasion the River Severn was as benign as any canal and we burbled straight into the lock.  Stern and bow ropes were secured to the vertical wires on the lock wall and the lock-keeper gently filled his lock rising us slowly into the Gloucester dock basin. 

'San Serriffe' locking up into Gloucester dock.

Gloucester lock has seen it's glory days of commercial traffic long gone. Like many other local authorities Gloucester realized that with some effort you could turn crumbling warehouses and dockyard into desirable housing and offices with the added bonus of  creating a major tourist asset a the same time. It is certainly well worth a visit.

Entering the basin from the River Severn lock there a pontoon visitor moorings (48 hour) on the left hand side. Our Nicholson's guide ( about five years old) was not really helpful when listing important facilities for boats ( like refuse disposal and water ) so for anybody like ourselves new to Gloucester dock who would struggle to find these here are their locations......

There are no facilities on the pontoons
Toilet and shower block ( with toilet for the disabled) is situated just past the large dry-dock before Llanthony swing bridge next to a furniture charity warehouse. It has a sign for a washing machine facility, but don,t get too excited if you have dirty washing to be done as it has been removed 
( at least we could not find it)

There are two Canal and River Trust refuse locations near here .........  two skips near the dry-dock and one near the swing bridge. There is another location behind the warehouses on the same side as the Waterway museum.

CRT water point and self-pump out ( card) is located on riverside pontoons just past the swing-bridge ( you will have to go through the bridge to use these)

Llanthony swing bridge-keeper has a little office here to observe traffic entering the dock and you can obtain pump-out cards from him.

There is a Canal and River Trust office near the road entrance and opposite to a Gloucester Municipal office.
There is a push-button on the door and a eventually somebody with talk to you through the intercom and advise you on your requirements
 ( like where are the rubbish bins ??)

It is just a shame CRT cannot put a sign on near the pontoons explaining where all these essential bits are if only to save them answering the office inter-com every 10 minutes to explain the locations to visiting boaters. If the budget cannot stretch to a sign how about a printed sheet/map of locations in the basin handed out to visiting boats by the lock-keeper........simples.

If your food stocks are depleted there is a convenience store
located behind the warehouse on the same side as the Waterways museum. This includes a small 'Subway' outlet if you do not feel like cooking.

There is a large Sainsbury store about fifteen minute walk from the basin on the Sharpness canal side. It is just passed the 'Sula' lightship and has a limited number of moorings for boaters (2 hour).

Gloucester main shopping street is just five minutes away
but the nearest supermarket ( Co-op) at that location is a  good thirty minutes walk (especially carrying bags) 

Apologies if I have missed anything, I will just await a cheque in the post from the Gloucester tourist office....dream on baby......:)

Hope you find the information useful but I find information regarding facilities for boats sometimes difficult to find. I tried both the Gloucester Tourist and Canal and River Trust web-sites regarding water and refuse points and came up with ...er...... well..... nothing.  Nicholson's guide might be updated now, but my older copy also also gave no locations for refuse points.

"....and I would like to thank" ........ all the Canal and River Trust lock and bridge keepers on the River Severn and Sharpness Canal, they are some of the most friendly and helpful on the system ( they told me say that ) No only joking......they really are!

'San Serriffe' in Gloucester dock

 

Shades of the original users of Gloucester dock

Gloucester Cathedral

Approach to Gloucester Cathedral........

Follow our next post....... The Gloucester and Sharpness canal

 

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