Tewkesbury to Gloucester on a High Spring tide of 9.8 metres at Sharpness.

11.30am - Lock down at Tewkesbury, on route to Upper Load Lock on the River Severn.

11.45am - We arrived at Upper Load Lock, the lock gates were open and we had a green traffic signal, we entered and secured Wye Invader Two on the Starboard side. The Lock Keeper took details of Wye Invader Two and explained about the height of the tide and the flotsam (several large trees and just about anything that will float on or near the top of the tide!), on a small tide this can be found in the Parting (the cut or channel about 3 miles from the Lock in Gloucester to the River Severn) and sometimes up as far the ‘Five mile to Gloucester Sign’ at Ashleworth where the Boat inn fronts the River Severn but, as we found out yesterday on the journey up from Gloucester, on High Spring tides over 9 metres in height, the flotsam is generally spread out over a much greater distance and is a lot easer to deal with as we navigated the return passage on the way downstream towards Gloucester.





12.00pm - We have locked out of Upper Load Lock and are now on the top of the tide, it’s not until we have travelled the 5 miles downstream as far as Haw Bridge Inn in 35 minutes, that the River Severn can be seen to pick up speed as the river water passes through the trees and bushes along the banks, we pass the odd large tree and other objects all on their way back down to Sharpness via Gloucester.

12.50pm - About 3 miles downstream on the left we passed the Red Lion Inn on the left bank, the River Severn changes gear at this point, it is clearly moving quickly, by the time we have covered the next 2 miles downstream to the Boat inn at Ashleworth, Wye Invader two was now travelling at 9 mph.

We now had the next 2 miles to slow down and get past the eddies at the top of the Parting where the River Severn tries to go in cycles rather than split. As Wye Invader Two entered the Parting we were still moving at just over 6 mph, as we got down to the last bridge and the ‘Half Mile’ sign, I spoke to the Lock Keeper, the gates were opened and we slowed the last half mile so as to have control and steerage and enter the Lock, as we secured, the Lock keeper walked over to inform us that we have to wait for another 15 minutes for another Narrowboat - in all, an interesting “High Tide’ run from Tewkesbury to Gloucester! 

Wye Invader Two at Tirley on the River Severn

The Wye Invader web guy caught up with Wye Invader Two at Tirley on the River Severn this weekend, after coffee and biscuits (thanks Frank and Andy) Wye Invader Two continued on to Tewkesbury to sample some of the local hostelries before returning to Sharpness via Gloucester on Sunday.

 

New Video - Wye Invader Two reaches Llandogo

Wye Invader Two left Sharpness at 06.50 on 11th July 2018, by 21.00 she had reached Llandogo on the River Wye, the first known narrowboat to do so since Bernard Jessop with 'Buccaneer" in 1992.

Careful pre-planning with several recce's to the proposed mooring and a study of tide times and heights was checked beforehand. On the day, a stop at Chepstow for several hours was needed as the tide turned, she moved off Chepstow on the tide at 16.10, then a short stop on a private jetty at Tintern before moving off again to Brockweir and then Llandogo, arriving at 19.00.

Now on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VJcPF-OpxM

Bigsweir bridge and weir

Bigsweir Bridge is part of a turnpike road between Chepstow and Monmouth that had sufficient air draft to allow the many boats built on the banks of the River Wye as far upstream as Hereford to pass under. Constructed in 1827 and years ahead of it’s time, it was designed by Charles Hollis of London, made in cast iron from Merthyr Tydfil and is 164 feet (50 metres) long. In 1988 it became a Grade 2 listed structure, in 2010/11 it was repaired, strengthened and re-painted.

The New Weir upstream of Bigsweir Bridge is the limit of the Normal Tidal Limit (NTL) under the control of Gloucester Harbour Trustees, the navigation authority for this part of the River Severn and River Wye. This photograph was taken on Sunday morning 15th July 2018 at 10.30 am when the high Spring tide was at the top of its tide. This is the only time in 3 days of high Spring Tides a month that boats could could pass up the channel below and over the new weir because of the depth of water at the quay at Whitebrook where for at least two hundred years, paper was made and then transported down the River Wye by boat from its own quay about 200 meters above the New Weir, this method of transportation stopped when the railways came to the Wye Valley.

Wye Invader Two goes to Llandogo!

A new video coming soon. Sharpness to Llandogo on the River Wye with Wye Invader Two. A Narrowboat is rarely seen this far up the River Wye and definitely not a trip for a novice! Bookmark our Website now.

Further recce to Llandogo

24 hours later and the river level is much lower, for a trip like this with a narrowboat pre-planning is key.

Recce to Llandogo

Quick recce to Llandogo for a possible trip in the next few weeks with Wye Invader Two - all we need now is an 11m tide (just over 8m at Sharpness) at Avonmouth.