Jump to content

stratford upon avon to gloucester


Guest

Featured Posts

Hi we are trying to plan this years trip. We are looking at going from Stratford upon Avon to Gloucester early June, has anyone done this, will be looking for somewhere to stop for a week, not leaving the boat!. Any advice, suggestions etc greatly appriciated.

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We've done this trip several times and will be doing it again in May (river conditions permitting). We don't usually stop for long on the way but have moored at Tewkesbury Marina for a few days once (for a fee). Or did you mean stopping at Gloucester, in which case it's a good place just beyond Sainsbury's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depending where you want to be when you stop for a week. On the Avon I think you would have to book in to one of the marinas as most free moorings have time restrictions, also would depend on the River Avon licence you buy. Not many places to stop between Tewkesbury and Gloucester, once in Gloucester the docks are 48hrs but outside of the docks there are plenty of locations on the Gloucester and Sharpness canal that you could stop for a week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a lovely trip,you'll really enjoy it.We've done the journey (in both directions)a fair few times.

Thirded, great trip and the G&S is fab.

 

Not sure where you are wanting to stop but I think most of the moorings on the Avon are 48 hour, and so is Gloucester docks. If you want to be in Gloucester then just past Sainsbury's is the nearest 14 day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are in Gloucester Docks,you will ,no doubt, want to cruise down to Sharpness.Plenty of interesting villages to visit along the G&S,walk up the beginning of the Stroudwater to Whitminster Lock and down the other way to Framilode,visit Slimbridge. Have a wander round the outside of the dock to the viewing area to watch a ship locking in or out(if you are lucky)have a meal at the Dockers Club. Only fly in the ointment could be high river flows on the rivers if there has been a lot of rain.


Just thought of another issue. Is CaRT introducing a new transit system for the bridges on the G&S Canal this year? Something about a phone app.?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are moorings on the Upper Avon (ie above Evesham) by many of the locks.

Decent moorings in Evesham and Pershore. Asda in Pershore is close to the moorings and a good place to stock up.

Moorings in Tewkesbury at the Marina, or near Avon Lock (fees for both).

On the Severn, most of the pubs have moorings, and there's a BW pontoon at Haw Bridge.

 

Check tides on the Severn below Tewkesbury here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast_and_sea/tide_tables/12/522a

 

Anything more than roughly 8 metres will overtop the weirs at Llanthony and Maisemore.

 

If a tide is due, speak with the lockies at Gloucester or Upper Lode for timing. They won't usually let you through if a big tide is due as it often brings a lot of floating debris with it.

 

Upper Lode Lock 01684 293138
Gloucester Lock 01452 310832

 

Going downstream you need to speak to Gloucester lock before you enter the Parting - there's a big sign with the phone number, or VHF Channel 74.

 

On the G&S in Gloucester, the moorings between Sainsbury's and Monk Meadow dock are 14-day.

Plenty of VM's on the G&S.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to reiterate the tide bit, on our way down at the beginning of June last year we delayed our passage from Upper Lode until early afternoon as there was a high tide early in the morning so we needed to let the debris clear. A couple of weeks later we were moored on the pontoons in Gloucester lock when again there was high tide over topping the weir, and there there lots of boat hanging around wanting for the debris to clear. The lock keeper did let a cruiser through early on in the morning, presumable they reckoned they would have enough speed to run ahead of the tide, but seeing the size of the trees (yes whole trees) that come up with the tide I would not fancy it in a narrowboat.

 

You can see the debris coming UPSTREAM here in front of Gloucester lock

 

post-8749-0-83030600-1484660590_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thirded, great trip and the G&S is fab.

 

Not sure where you are wanting to stop but I think most of the moorings on the Avon are 48 hour, and so is Gloucester docks. If you want to be in Gloucester then just past Sainsbury's is the nearest 14 day.

 

The CRT moorings at Gloucester Docks are free for 48hr, but at CRT's discretion, you can pay (£5/night??) to stay longer than that.

 

I did the same trip in May last year and it was super.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

As this is a current posting on the Severn and Avon route, I could do with some advice from experienced travellers. ( Alan, Nick etc) I am at the moment awating the flow to drop at Pershore. The flow through the bridges is frightening the hell out of me. Being moored at the rec near Asda, my only choice is to walk half an hour down the high st across the bridge and along the east bank to where I can, through binoculars, see the board markings. (even at green, the flow is dangerous)

It seems to me that the water above the Pershore lock is being held back to give weight and power to the new Hydro Electricity Generating point at the weir.

This then, is creating an artificial fast flow. If you are aproaching from up stream, you arrive at the bridge around a near 90 degree bend to be faced with no alternative but to be inside the bend where the current is dragging you to the off side. It all seems so Bl**dy scary.

That is my dilema at this time. Yet all the way, I have been worrying about going UP the Severn as I have heard THAT is my problem not the Avon. ???

 

Help and advice please.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 17/01/2017 at 09:40, nebulae said:

If you are in Gloucester Docks,you will ,no doubt, want to cruise down to Sharpness.Plenty of interesting villages to visit along the G&S,walk up the beginning of the Stroudwater to Whitminster Lock and down the other way to Framilode,visit Slimbridge. Have a wander round the outside of the dock to the viewing area to watch a ship locking in or out(if you are lucky)have a meal at the Dockers Club. Only fly in the ointment could be high river flows on the rivers if there has been a lot of rain.

 

Just thought of another issue. Is CaRT introducing a new transit system for the bridges on the G&S Canal this year? Something about a phone app.?

CRT are trialling this on Sandfield Bridge (by Saul Junction) but have a bridge keeper there too. The bridge keeper at Junction Bridge (300 yds north of Sandfield) sometimes covers both bridges.

There is no sign at this time of a phone app. It was rumoured, but now looks unlikely - what happens if the local kids play with the app? What if a pedestrian is on the bridge at the time? etc &c.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haven't been on here for ages - just lurk. Re the above, they spent ages last summer putting in cables etc for the app that was supposed to operate the bridge. We live in Frampton, and we all wondered how that was going to work, as the mobile reception here is patchy to say the least - none in our house at all. When they trialled it, I understand this is what they found, that the signal wasn't reliable enough to allow boaters to operate the bridge.

Re moorings on the Avon, there is a list of them on the Avon trust website. We used to spend a lot of time on the Avon, and there are more than you think, some in lovely quiet places.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When travelling down the Seven to Gloucester if there is much flow then as you enter the parting (just north of Gloucester) keep well to the left otherwise the current will pull you towards the leg you do not want to go down.  Give the Gloucester lock keeper a call as well (the number is on the big sign board) and he/she can warn you if anything big is heading along the parting, it is not common, but the Edward Elgar does come that way from time to time.  I did meet it one time in the parting and it is a bit tight, so best to be ready.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Vicky said:

Haven't been on here for ages - just lurk. Re the above, they spent ages last summer putting in cables etc for the app that was supposed to operate the bridge. We live in Frampton, and we all wondered how that was going to work, as the mobile reception here is patchy to say the least - none in our house at all. When they trialled it, I understand this is what they found, that the signal wasn't reliable enough to allow boaters to operate the bridge.

Re moorings on the Avon, there is a list of them on the Avon trust website. We used to spend a lot of time on the Avon, and there are more than you think, some in lovely quiet places.

I don't think they intend to use the mobile phone signal but WiFi, which also gives the benefit of only working when close to the bridge - WiFi has short range.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

46 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

I don't think they intend to use the mobile phone signal but WiFi, which also gives the benefit of only working when close to the bridge - WiFi has short range.

 

That was my understanding that there was going to be dedicated WiFi for the bridge that the App would connect to so no requirement for Internet signal or any mobile coverage just a smartphone with WiFi switched on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They'd surely be better off putting CCTV on all of the bridges so that they can control them remotely from a control centre or wherever. This way they can reduce the number of bridge keepers required which would no doubt introduce long term cost savings after the initial cost of adapting all of the bridges. I understand they effectively do this already on one(?) of the bridges as mentioned. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, RichM said:

They'd surely be better off putting CCTV on all of the bridges so that they can control them remotely from a control centre or wherever. This way they can reduce the number of bridge keepers required which would no doubt introduce long term cost savings after the initial cost of adapting all of the bridges. I understand they effectively do this already on one(?) of the bridges as mentioned. 

The system they are setting up has CCTV to a Gloucester control room and laser scanners for both the bridge and water under the bridge.  The idea is the boater can use the app to open the bridge or if you don't have the app then call the Gloucester control room and they will do it remotely.  The phone with the app must be registered to stop kids playing with the bridges.  The system is running very late and will it ever work?????????

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They will be using a local wifi to the bridge and i believe you need to be a registered user to stop people abusing it. Talking to a bridge keeper its not been that successful yet.

Our plan will be to use an old android tablet as it only needs wifi when its up and running.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last time I was in Runcorn,I noticed that Old Quay Swing Bridge seems to have been automated. This is a big bridge and used to need 3 men to operate it.(One in the control tower and 2 on the gates.I suppose with less Ship Canal traffic it makes sense. Dont know anything more about it,but if Peel Holdings can automate ship canal bridges it should not be hard for CaRT to work something out on the G&S.(May be a man in a van traveling ahead of the ship?)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.