Worcester to Stourport via The Severn (KLT)

Today went very well apart from a minor blip which spoilt things ever so slightly, but we won't get down hearted about it, I'll explain later.

We left Diglis Basin this morning at 09:30 and I turned left to "do a donut" and moor on the river pontoon facing upstream in order to pick up Lin as there is no access to the river from the upstream side of the junction. Lin was well impressed with my manoeuvring skills.

We did Gloucester last year, today its Stourport

So we start the journey to Stourport and this river is so much more interesting in this direction. Here's some pix near Worcester:-

In Pearsons Canal Companion the locks are described as automatic which may lead one to believe they are unmanned. Not so, all the locks on the Severn are operated for you by BW staff and Bevere Lock is the first one North from Worcester.

Holt Lock

I took this because Andrew Denny of Granny Buttons fame featured something similar a while back. Shame I cut the top of the mirror off.

Note the life jacket - Lin an I are not the best swimmers so we wear these on the rivers just in case.

The thing that slightly spoiled the day was that it rained very heavily for quite some while and it was accompanied with thunder. There's nothing you can do except put up the umbrella and keep going.
All in all its been a good day and I have to say the Severn is much more picturesque North of Worcester.

Our location this evening in Stourport Basin next to the BW office

...And back to Worcester

Moored up outside the Commandery again but this time facing the other way. Its a long old haul up the Severn and it took all day to get here. Bearing in mind the current was against us we didn't do too bad. Started out just South of Llanthony Bridge at 09:30hrs and 09:50hrs when we exited Gloucester Lock. Arrived at Diglis Basin 17:45hrs and moored up here at 18:05hrs. Lin nipped out for some fish and chips, a real treat.

This is where we've been...

...And this is where we're going

Much of the Severn is like this, you can't see over the river bank or the hedges. this is what makes it a bit boring. But would I rather be at work? Remember Tewkesbury in the news last year about the floods? The picture below shows the water treatment plant that very nearly flooded.

Tewkesbury water treatment plant. The bridge was built in 1825.

Waiting for the green light at Upper Lode Lock

Lin sporting her new lifejacket.

Its been a nice day weatherwise with some warm sunshine. The forecast for tomorrow is more sunshine but high winds and later in the week heavy rain and high winds. Oh! well.

Day Four (in the Big Brother Narrow Boat)

WOW! This must be a record, at least for us, 30 miles, 6 locks, three operated by us, and the others operated by British Waterways (thanks fellas). Lin was right, we could do it in one day. Unleashed the bollards at 08:30hrs and proceeded down to lock 3 near the Commandery, our first lock of the day. We planned to stop at the water point, and in the mean time Lin put some bacon under a slow grill, and while we were filling the water we ate our bacon butties. A man with a dog came by to use the other facilities there and left his Alsatian dog tied up outside. The dog couldn't keep his eyes off us while we tucked in to our butties. Needless to say he didn't get any even though his deep, begging, soulful eyes played on our conscience. The next lock is No. 2, a very large double lock and takes a long time to fill and empty, and the same applies to No1. This was the last lock we operated today as the others are operated by BW.

Waiting for Lock 2 to fill

View of Diglis Basin

Another view of Diglis Basin

On to the Severn and its wide and at this time of year flowing slowly. Our first river lock is only half a mile away and we hold back and wait for the lock keeper to give us the green light. There are two locks here and we had the big lock all to ourselves. its very gentle and takes a fair while to empty, and then its only about three feet difference in level. Once out its about fifteen miles to Tewkesbury where the next lock is and the River Avon joins the Severn. Its very quiet, the river is dotted with the occasional club moorings and full of white cruisers af all shapes and sizes. We only saw four boats on the move during the whole journey, and three were narrowboats. At Wainlodes Hill the water was really rough being whipped up by the strong wind, but I managed to take a photo of the Red Lion as we passed. This was one of our first caravan trips in our early days, and they still have their caravan site today. As we passed Upper Parting where the river splits, I rang Gloucester Lock to confirm our arrival and to ensure the lock would be ready for us when we arrived. We shared the lock with a cruiser and it was plenty large enough for possibly six narrow boats. Once in the dock we headed over to the pontoons to moor up.

Massive lock gates at Diglis River lock

The Red Lion Wainlodes Hill

Cliffey Wood, a scene from the Severn

We reached Gloucester Dock at around 16:40hrs and moored up on the pontoon right outside Dr. Foster's (who went to Gloucester).

Day Three

Slipped the rings at around 09:45hrs. and headed off under the M5 and Offerton Locks. Six in all and spaced much like they are on the Tardebigge flight so we took it in turns and walked between locks. Arrived in Worcester and moored outside the Commandery. We then strolled into the City and did some shopping. First we bought a camera, a nice 7.1 megapixel from Argos and now we're looking for a child to show us how to use it. We went into Poundland, you never know what you might find, we found an all in one remote for the telly as our original doesn't work very well. This one doesn't work either because it can't find the manufacturers code number. Oh! well, it was only a pound. Wine glasses, 3 for a pound, we were down to our last, and a small torch for my tool box.

Later we took a stroll down to Diglis Locks. A lot of development has been happening here and it all looks a bit too new but its been done sympathetically and I'm sure it will improve with age. (A bit like me really).

I've been collecting wood on the way down and I needed a saw to cut it up with, so into Wickes and picked up a pruning saw which folds up like a very large pocket knife. Lin spotted Staples next door so we went into there for some photo paper for laser printers. You can't use ink jet photo paper in laser printers.

Today we've traveled 6 miles, 13 locks.

All the following pictures are taken with our new Canon Power Shot A470.

Our current mooring at The Commandery

Narrow boat approaching Diglis Bottom Lock

Which way shall we go?

The size of these locks is a bit daunting, they're huge.

Two boats swap places between the locks

Tomorrow morning we make passage through these locks onto the River Severn and turn to port (left for you land lubbers) and head for Sharpness. Lin reckons we can get to Gloucester tomorrow. I reckon we can get to Tewkesbury. We'll see.

As an aside, since we've moored here the Police and Ambulances have been up and down the whole time with all sirens blazing. Its now 22:00hrs and they're still wailing on and on. Hope we can sleep tonight, its one of the noisiest places we've moored for a long while.