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The Tuesday Night Club on Tour
Tours 2000, BCN, Severn Estuary, K&A and River Wey
18 - Monday 17th July - Evesham to Gloucester Docks. Warwickshire Avon and River Severn.
Brilliant sun / hot for most of the day, still could do
with less wind for the Severn Estuary!
We left Evesham Visitor Moorings at 6.05, the plan to get to Gloucester that night.
It was a magical morning as we boated through many misty patches, the sun eventually burnt this off. No traffic,
Andrew G steered most of morning. Passed Pershore Visitor Moorings at 9.05, our
"normal" stopping point when coming down from Stratford. These are
much improved and extended from our early travels down here. The crew of "Albert"
were just stirring. Further down the river became more busy, but we still did
not have to share a lock. We got to Avon Lock at Tewkesbury just as the locky was shutting up
for dinner, even after quite a hack, we missed the bu**er again!
Ian and Sophie
went into Tewkesbury for a quick spot of shopping and Andrew G left for a day back at work.
Neil stayed on board and ground off welds from removed exhaust extension boss
and started re-painting this area. Total confusion rained during the lockys absence. Another three narrowboats arrived and had to breast up and
an Anglo Welsh boat with Swedish crew tried to go through wrong low arch of Beaufort
Bridge. We all shouted warnings, but if fell on deaf ears, their hand rails will now need a bit more than a repaint! After clearing
the clog we left out of order at 14.20, sharing Avon Lock with the
Harborough narrowboat that had breasted beside us.
We were soon on the wide
River Severn. We waved good by to our friends on the Harborough boat, who turned
right up towards Worcester. Just downstream is Upper Lode Lock, which we went straight into. We were a bit rusty at our Severn slip rod grabbing technique, but soon got on.
We left the deep caverns of Lode Reach lock at 14.45. We had a hack down to Gloucester. During the way Ian Scott steered and Neil got out
the arc welder and
welded new gas pipe threaded boss onto the exhaust hole, while hacking along! Sophie acted as Travelpower
re-setter (this item not quite up to producing 16A for welder!). During the day Neil had phoned
the Severn pilot and he though
if weather did not get worse it would be a go for Wednesday morning. Since our last conversation the charge had gone
up another tenner to 120 GBP.
We had not appreciated this section of the Severn
when we went the other way on it, in 1994. It is quite pretty. There were a few
interesting looking pubs, with good pontoon mooring facilities, that were not
all taken! Some consisted of old narrowboat hulls. Ian Clarke thinks that they should
all be turned to this use! We phoned ahead to Gloucester Lock to get it set as there is nowhere to moor
(well no ladders up the high piling, daft really!) At
the approach the current / semi tidal ebb can drag you off down to Maisemore
Weir! We went straight in at 16.50. This lock
had no slip rods and the locky set down a hook on rope, to set lines for us, in
time old Severn fashion. When up, he asked us if we had seen another
narrowboat. We said we had over taken one, which was barely moving, soon after
joining the River Severn. The Locky replied that this one had left Tewkesbury at 12.05!!!!
He envisaged
some overtime tonight as he knocks of at 18.30.
We moored up in the docks having
to avoid a fleet of model radio controlled boats, at 17.05. There was Barbie and Ken in their cruiser, a
fairly large paddle steamer, but no Action Man in his narrowboat! The missing
narrowboat never arrived, it must have stopped at one of the pubs and not
bothered to phone up the expectant locky! Ian and Sophie went for a provisioning
trip, while Neil finally touched up the exhaust area. During this he had to help
a distressed narrowboater who had locked his keys in his boat. With the
"equipment" we carry on board, this was soon sorted! Neil did check
with the security guard that this bloke was actually the owner of said boat. That
evening Jackie and Steve (Ian Scott's brother and sister in law) came down and we just sat out side
chatting (Steve is finally thinking about getting a narrowboat). We ate out at the handy
dockside Pizza Parlour that night. Yet again, we never did get to go into town!
 Early morning start from Evesham. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Early morning start from Evesham. Looking back at Workman Bridge and our mooring spot. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Early morning start from Evesham. Looking back at Workman Bridge. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Early morning start from Evesham. The A4184 Bridge. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Early morning start from Evesham. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Just below Evesham, we run into the mist. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Hampton wire ferry. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 The free pump-out and water point. At the sewage farm, near the downstream railway bridge, in Evesham. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Downstream railway bridge, in Evesham. Networker turbo 165 caught on the bridge. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Abbey Manor House Boatyard. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Final approach to Chadbury Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 The 1998 flood level at Chadbury Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Chadbury Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Finally the sun burns off the mist. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Andrew G, Sophie and Ian Scott. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 The railway bridge at Fladbury. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Fladbury Mill, weir and Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Fladbury Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Fladbury Mill and weir. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Fladbury Mill, weir and Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Fladbury Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Leaving Fladbury Mill and weir. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Jubilee Bridge. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 The Anchor Inn at Wyre Piddle. We have just passed Tiddle Widdle Island! Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Final approach to Wyre Piddle Lock. Pershore in the distance. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Just above the diamond shaped Wyre Piddle Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Leaving Wyre Piddle Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 The old mill, just below Wyre Piddle Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 The much improved Pershore visitor moorings. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Albert is late waking! Pershore visitor moorings. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Pershore visitor moorings. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Final approach to Pershore Lock. It is just to the left past the weir buoys. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Pershore Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Andrew G and Ian S are having paddle raising races! Pershore Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Ian S and Andrew G are having paddle raising races! Pershore Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Below Pershore Lock. Note the safety fences to stop you falling in. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Leaving Pershore Lock. This is a very secure overnight mooring, as due to the security fences round the lock, you can not get out! Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Leaving Pershore Lock cut. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Pershore Great Bridge and New Bridge. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Looking back at Pershore New Bridge and Pershore Old Bridge. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 The visitor moorings and sanitary station, just below the Pershore Bridges. This is a bit of a walk into town. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Nafford Sluice. The lock is in a cut, just off to the right. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Coming round the corner into Nafford Lock cut. The lock has a swing bridge across it, that you have to open to get in the chamber. When you are nearly down, you can shut it over the boat again. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Leaving Nafford Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Eckington Bridge. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Eckington Railway Bridge. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 The final approach to Strensham Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Ian appears to be interested in Andrew's camera. Strensham Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Waiting above Strensham Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Neil could not resist this other sticker! Strensham Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Waiting above Strensham Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Strensham Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Strensham Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Strensham Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Leaving Strensham Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
 Leaving Strensham Lock. Lower Avon (Warwickshire River Avon). |
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