River Severn & River Avon Holiday Cruising Guide & Map

The River Severn & the River Avon

The River Severn is Britain's longest river, rising in mid Wales and flowing for 220 miles to the Bristol Channel. However the navigable section starts at Bewdley a few miles above Stourport and runs about 45 miles to Gloucester. Below Gloucester the river runs large tides.

The journey down the wide Severn from the old canal port of Stourport on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is through pleasant gently rolling countryside although the high banks, necessary to restrain the floodwaters which can surge out of Wales, mean the view is frequently restricted to tree lined banks. There are some interesting pubs selling "scrumpy" cider. You can moor at the foot of Worcester Cathedral steps. Gloucester Docks has some magnificent old seven storey grain warehouses. The Docks were the centre of corn imports in the nineteenth century but now house interesting antique centres, shops, offices and bars, the city is a short walk away.

The Gloucester and Sharpness Ship Canal was built to bypass a notoriously dangerous stretch of the Severn. The cruise down to Sharpness Docks through the frequent manned swing bridges with their classical keepers cottages is well worthwhile.

It is possible to enter the tidal Severn estuary at Sharpness and navigate down to Bristol docks, where the Kennet and Avon Navigation can be joined. This is a serious undertaking because of the nature of the river and the large and fast tides. Most boaters employ the services of a river pilot and travel in convoy in case of engine breakdowns.

The Warwickshire River Avon is navigable for about 45 miles, from Tewkesbury to just above Stratford-upon-Avon.

The River Avon meanders much more than the Severn, through beautiful watermeadows above Tewkesbury, famous for it's abbey and fine buildings, and winds on amidst willow trees through the Vale of Evesham to Stratford-upon-Avon. Pershore and Evesham should be visited and you can moor near the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon.

The River Avon was divided at Evesham, the Upper Avon becoming disused in the last century and the Lower Avon rarely used and only open to Pershore. The Lower Avon was restored by a Trust in the 1960's but restoration of the Upper Avon was considerably more difficult and there was opposition from many landowners along the River. It was eventually reopened in 1974. Many locks and weirs had to be rebuilt and there is a wide variety of lock shapes, sizes and gear.

The large locks on the Severn are electrically operated by lock-keepers, those on the Avon you have to operate yourself and some can be a little awkward at first. The lift and swing bridges on the Gloucester & Sharpness are all usually manned.

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