Locks: River Severn

 Canal boats are able to join the River Severn at Bristol Harbour, at the end of the River Avon which in turn links Bristol to the Kennet & Avon canal in Bath. They can head north to Sharpness where they join the Gloucester and Sharpness canal. At Gloucester they then re-join the River Severn up to Stourport. At Worcester there is a junction onto the Worcester & Birmingham canal. There is a junction with the Droitwich Barge canal to the west of Droitwich. At Stourport there is a junction with the Staffordshire & Worcestershire canal.

The locks are very broad allowing boats of up to 19’ in width (beam). The locks are operated by lock keepers and during winter months you have to give 48 hours notice to arrange transit.

The River Severn has been navigated for centuries and many changes were made over time. Currently, canal boats are able to start from Bristol, at the end of the River Avon which in turn links Bristol to the Kennet & Avon canal in Bath. They can head north to Sharpness where they join the Gloucester and Sharpness canal. At Gloucester they then re-join the River Severn up to Stourport.

The junction at Stourport is quite a major affair with a pair of single width staircase locks leading into two large canal basins. There are also a pair of braod beam locks leading into another two basins. These basins are the start of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire canal which is a narrow lock canal. The broad locks at Stourport allowed wide barges off the River Severn into the basins where they could be unloaded or transhipped onto narrow beamed craft.

These are the locks we have visited so far:

Diglis lock

Holt Fleet lock

Lincombe lock