Gloucester Docks to Tewkesbury (River Severn)

Leaving Gloucester Lock

We left Gloucester Docks this morning, it was dry and sunny but really cold, more like Autumn than Spring!  Into the lock we went along with three other boats, Michelle one of the bridge keepers was on one of the boats helping a friend go up to Upton as they didn’t want to go up the river alone.

Going up the partings in convoy

Down we went and soon the gates were opening and one by one we went out into the partings, I got my rope caught on the pole that I was holding on to and it gave me a bit of a panic for a minute, but we let the other boats go out and Kev reversed and I pulled it off, so all was well and up the partings we went and then onto the main part of the River Severn.

Leading convoy out of Upper Lode Lock

It was dry but a real biting wind so we were glad to see Upper Lode lock, we all went in together and soon going out the other side.  We then turned off for Tewkesbury and waved bye to Michelle and the other two boats who were going onto Upton for the folk festival which is being held there this weekend.

We moored on the pontoon outside the lock and went and saw the lock keeper who said we could moor there overnight so we paid the £5 fee.

Tewkesbury

We had a walk around the town and this time we went into Tewkesbury Abbey which is lovely.  Consecrated in 1540, the church of the Benedictine Abbey of Tewkesbury survived the monastic dissolution of 1540 thanks to the generosity of the townspeople who bought it from King Henry VIII for the sum of £453 (the cost of the lead and the bells).  It remains as the spiritual focus of parish life today.

Tewkesbury Abbey

The Abbey is of cathedral proportions and is actually one of the largest parish churches in the country.  There has been a church on this site for over 1,200 years and the present building has stood for nearly 900 years.

We haven’t done this before, but it is a lovely Abbey and well worth a walk around.

We are staying here tonight then off up to Worcester tomorrow where we will stay for a few days then off up the narrows we go and we can’t wait.

Moored at Tewkesbury