Canal Holiday: Avon Ring

8 June 2006, Day 6: Pershore to Worcester

The Avon Ring today consisted of the Rivers Avon and Severn, the Severn even broader than the Avon, and with far more restricted views over its interminable willow-lined banks.

Filling Nafford Lock ready for the boat, there is a good view of the swing bridge which crosses the lock chamber

Carefully moving Elsa back to give room to open the gates, the swing bridge is swung back into place

Eckington Bridge

Looking back to Bredon Hill which has been our constant companion and seen from all angles for the last four hours as the river winds its way across Worcestershire

Taking on water below King John's Bridge at Tewkesbury neatly coincides with lunch time and the wait for the lock keeper to return after his lunch.

The lock keeper sees us safely through Avon Lock onto the Old Avon and the last link to the Severn

Old boats in front of an old flour mill, as the "snow storm" of blossom intensifies

Our first view of the River Severn, even larger than the Avon, looking upstream to Mythe Bridge

As we approach the M50 bridge, two aggregate-carrying boats, Chubb and Perch, one loaded to the gunwales, one moving up to the wharf to be loaded. We followed Chubb upstream for several miles to the next wharf where it was unloaded, presumably for transfer to road transport.

The water front at Upton on Severn

After a 16 mile fast run up the Severn (with just the one lock at Diglis River Lock just south of Worcester), we reach Worcester and the entrance to the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. The Severn was wide and less interesting than the Avon, with high willow-lined banks tending to be monotonous and cutting off most views.

The signpost at Diglis Canal Locks, showing our afternoon's run from Tewkesbury and the right turn onto the Worcester & Birmingham Canal and its 58 locks. Here we met our shortest-lived crew member, another Helen, who joined us for the evening.

Having ascended slowly through the two large Diglis Canal Locks, we pass Dawn and Dusk again and enter Diglis Basin. Since we saw Dawn and Dusk around midday on Sunday, they have taken until Thursday evening to descend the W&B. It must be hard work hauling the butty through all those locks, but also very slow progress for the passengers.

We moored just above lock 4 and had lunch in Worcester.

Total today on the Avon Ring: 32 miles and 9 locks