Sharpness

We purchased a River Avon license from the Avon Navigation Trust boat moored in Stratford Basin and on Friday morning we descended through the lock onto the river.  As we would be returning back along the river in August we decided not to dally and arrived in Tewkesbury on Tuesday.

I enjoyed a walk around the historic town which has the coats of arms, of men who fought in the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, hanging in the streets.   The banners have been hung by the Tewkesbury Battlefield Society to "publicise the medieval history of Tewkesbury and to brighten the streets" which they certainly do.  

Colourful coats of arms on buildings in Tewkesbury

The Tewkesbury Art Society were holding an exhibition which made interesting viewing. Some of the artworks depicted a view of the abbey from the Severn Ham which is an area of floodplains.   

Tewkesbury Abbey and riverside cottages from the Severn Ham 

The Severn Ham was also popular with dog walkers and, for Bess and Brinny, the ideal location for a chasing game. 

Brinny in full flight on the Severn Ham 

From Tewkesbury we sailed down the River Severn and into Gloucester Docks.  Tall warehouses surround the large basin and across from our pontoon we could see the masts of two tall ships.  They are at a specialist boatyard and one of them is in a dry dock for work on its hull. 

A tall ship in a dry dock with the hull covered in hessian sacking

Lanthony road bridge is the first of many bridges we will encounter on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and as a bridge-keeper is ready to lift or swing each bridge it was an easy day. Unfortunately it was also a very wet day but we were able to keep dry in the wheelhouse and when we moored up near Saul Junction we didn't venture very far. 

The next day was bright and sunny so we could appreciate the view on this wide canal.  The bridge-keepers cottages have an almost classical style with Doric columns. 

The unique style of the bridge-keepers cottages 

After passing the Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust the canal runs parallel to the Severn Estuary and on to Sharpness.  We spotted a good mooring near the remaining supports of the railway bridge which once spanned the Severn Estuary.

Moored up at Sharpness, the round tower once housed a steam engine which pivoted the railway, on it's swing bridge, to allow tall boats to pass along the canal. 

As it was a fine day we had good views on our walk and could clearly see the motorway bridges which cross the Severn near Bristol. 

Slender looking motorway bridges cross the Severn

On Sunday the heavy rain returned so we stayed in and watched Chris Froome finish the Tour de France to become this year's winner.


Our journey from Stratford-on-Avon to Sharpness