Gloucester and Sharpness Traffic Lights

[fatmanblue]

Bridges should show red by default during opening hours, then flashing red when the bridge keeper knows you are there, then green for go.

I have noticed recently that Rea and Sellars (two of the higher ones, don't need to swing for narrowboats generally) appear to be unmanned this season, so may not show lights at all. I've not seen this information communicated anywhere, so it does cause confusion.

Generally the bridge keepers are pretty alert and they will usually keep in contact with each other so they know who is coming.  If they don't see you, sound your horn.  If they still don't see you, ring them (I have all the bridge tel numbers saved as contacts). I find it rare to have to use the horn and very very rare to have to ring.  The latter is usually only needed when you have just left a mooring and so the keeper does not know you are coming.

Note that Sandfield is remotely operated from Fretherne. Off season, Cambridge is operated from Patch (but the keeper has to drive or cycle between them, so you must ring). 

Rare to encounter a grumpy bridge keeper - most are very cheerful and friendly - but it does happen sometimes...

[David Mack]

⁸What happened to the proposal to replace the bridge keepers with a phone app for boaters to open the bridges?

[fatmanblue]

8 minutes ago, David Mack said:

⁸What happened to the proposal to replace the bridge keepers with a phone app for boaters to open the bridges?

Good question. I asked CRT this during the consultation about reduced opening hours this year. Whilst they replied to me at least twice, this question was ignored.

[Rob-M]

Aren't the bridge keepers volunteers now...?

[nicknorman]

8 hours ago, David Mack said:

Drifted past a red light, in full control of the boat, while the bridge was opening and got shouted at by the bridge keeper, followed by a letter from CRT saying our licence would be cancelled if we did it again. So since then I have waited for the green, even at those bridges high enough to pass under. That resulted in a bridge keeper coming out to wave me through the red light.

I would have written back to CRT to point out that they do not have the power to cancel your licence for such a thing.

[Onewheeler]

Some of the bridgies are useless. Memorably when one on a blind bend came out and waved me through for me to find a sculler coming the other way just outside the bridge hole. Panicky stops from both of us. She would have made a lovely figure head though.

[Theo]

Slightly off topic but related.

 

We've just moored at Sharpness (What a beautiful mooring it is!) overlooking the Severn (Which you can't see from the saloon but you can from the bank)  closely followed by a beautifully mintained Wilderness boat.  The couple from said Wilderness boat told us that the bridges are unmanned and therefore closed for navigation on Tuesdays.  We haven't read this anywhere.  Are they correct?  They said it had been confirmed by a bridgekeeper.

 

N

[nicknorman]

4 minutes ago, Theo said:

Slightly off topic but related.

 

We've just moored at Sharpness (What a beautiful mooring it is!) overlooking the Severn (Which you can't see from the saloon but you can from the bank)  closely followed by a beautifully mintained Wilderness boat.  The couple from said Wilderness boat told us that the bridges are unmanned and therefore closed for navigation on Tuesdays.  We haven't read this anywhere.  Are they correct?  They said it had been confirmed by a bridgekeeper.

 

N

Yes there is a stoppage notice giving times of operation for G&S and river Severn. G&S is closed on Tuesdays.

[TheBiscuits]

5 minutes ago, Theo said:

Slightly off topic but related.

 

We've just moored at Sharpness (What a beautiful mooring it is!) overlooking the Severn (Which you can't see from the saloon but you can from the bank)  closely followed by a beautifully mintained Wilderness boat.  The couple from said Wilderness boat told us that the bridges are unmanned and therefore closed for navigation on Tuesdays.  We haven't read this anywhere.  Are they correct?  They said it had been confirmed by a bridgekeeper.

 

N

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/24375-gloucester-and-sharpness-canal-and-river-severn-navigation-customer-consultation

 

Further to the recent consultation regarding opening hours, we are now pleased to confirm the following for the 2023 summer season:

 

Gloucester & Sharpness Canal

Wednesday to Monday open 8am – 6pm
Tuesday – Closed (except to pre-arranged commercial traffic) this closure includes Gloucester Lock.

 

River Severn Navigation
River Locks open 7 days per week 8am – 6pm

 

Please note that Bevere & Holt Locks will be available at the set times below:

Bevere: Open 8am – 9am, 11am – 12pm, 2pm – 3pm, 5pm – 6pm
Holt Open:  9:30am – 10:30am, 12:30pm – 1:30pm, 3:30pm – 4:30pm

 

 

... cross posted with Nick

[john6767]

23 minutes ago, Theo said:

Slightly off topic but related.

 

We've just moored at Sharpness (What a beautiful mooring it is!) overlooking the Severn (Which you can't see from the saloon but you can from the bank)  closely followed by a beautifully mintained Wilderness boat.  The couple from said Wilderness boat told us that the bridges are unmanned and therefore closed for navigation on Tuesdays.  We haven't read this anywhere.  Are they correct?  They said it had been confirmed by a bridgekeeper.

 

N

Yes that is true, check the CRT opening hours in the stoppage notices.  You get Tuesday off!  

Note also that this year they close at 6pm, previous years it was 7pm (I think).

[Theo]

Thanks all.  Should have read the notices!

 

N

[Rob-M]

1 hour ago, john6767 said:

Yes that is true, check the CRT opening hours in the stoppage notices.  You get Tuesday off!  

Note also that this year they close at 6pm, previous years it was 7pm (I think).

Yes, used to be 7pm as that gave me enough time to finish work and get from Saul to Gloucester.

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, Theo said:

Slightly off topic but related.

 

We've just moored at Sharpness (What a beautiful mooring it is!) overlooking the Severn (Which you can't see from the saloon but you can from the bank)  closely followed by a beautifully mintained Wilderness boat.  The couple from said Wilderness boat told us that the bridges are unmanned and therefore closed for navigation on Tuesdays.  We haven't read this anywhere.  Are they correct?  They said it had been confirmed by a bridgekeeper.

 

N

 

[Chewbacka]

On 30/07/2023 at 18:33, David Mack said:

⁸What happened to the proposal to replace the bridge keepers with a phone app for boaters to open the bridges?

It doesn’t work, even controlling the bridge remotely isn’t always a success and the guy has to walk down from junction bridge.  The sensors seem to be the problem.  I think they have given up trying to make it work, no point throwing good money after bad.

[Francis Herne]

I spent a few weeks on the G&S last autumn and had the same problems as in the first post.

 

Use of the lights seems wildly variable between bridges/keepers - a few do it 'by the book', most don't bother with flashing red, some (especially the hand-wound bridges) beckon rather than switching to green. At one point I discovered they can display red and green aspects simultaneously!

 

The highlight was both me and a 70ft widebeam being given green lights to turn the 90° blind corner at Saul in opposite directions at the same time (as confirmed with them and the keeper afterward).

 

The other thing is that most keepers won't start opening the bridge until you actually stop at the light. With a cross- or tailwind, and no 'landing' at several of them, it can be hard not to be blown past the light or into the bank. With my little boat I found that going in circles is easiest and gets a laugh. It would be much better if they (or presumably CRT's operating manual) had the sense to start opening the bridge in time for boats to arrive; if timed properly it would cause less disruption to road traffic as no need to get moving again from a stand.

 

As above, operation of the one remotely-controlled bridge at Sandfield is a total pain. Whatever sensors are supposed to detect the boat don't, have to phone Fretherne every time to say you're there and confirm nothing's in the way.

Edited July 31, 2023 by Francis Herne

[Bargebuilder]

12 minutes ago, Francis Herne said:

most keepers won't start opening the bridge until you actually stop at the light. With a cross- or tailwind, and no 'landing' at several of them, it can be hard not to be blown past the light or into the bank.

To be awkward?

[Francis Herne]

6 hours ago, Bargebuilder said:

To be awkward?

Some of the bridgekeepers operating this way (which was virtually all of them) were quite cheerful and friendly when I passed through, so I don't think that's the reason.

 

I assume they must be trained or instructed to do it like that - based on other experience with CRT, the ops manual is probably written by some office type with no clue about boats.

[Rob-M]

It never used to be like that as I would slow on approach, get a red flashing light in plenty of time and by the time I had reached the light it was usually going to green.  Rarely would I need to completely stop.  Not been down there since the end of lockdown 1 after we had been trapped.

[Sea Dog]

19 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

Please note that Bevere & Holt Locks will be available at the set times below:

Bevere: Open 8am – 9am, 11am – 12pm, 2pm – 3pm, 5pm – 6pm
Holt Open:  9:30am – 10:30am, 12:30pm – 1:30pm, 3:30pm – 4:30pm

Crikey, I'd missed that! Used to do those pretty often so I wouldn't have expected summer timing restrictions. I guess they're doing what they do on booked winter transits and are using the same lock keeper who travels between the locks as you transit. 

[Captain Pegg]

I’ll hazard a guess that the reason for waiting for boats to arrive at the lights before swinging the bridges is to minimise the amount of time the bridge is closed to road traffic/pedestrians.

 

The one time I did a bit of the G&S it was Sunday morning and the higher bridges were not manned.

 

However on the way down the Severn I did have to moor up and go and wake up the lock keeper at Upper Lode and then encountered Gloucester lock with green traffic lights and closed gates. So it doesn’t always work to plan.

[Bargebuilder]

2 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

I’ll hazard a guess that the reason for waiting for boats to arrive at the lights before swinging the bridges is to minimise the amount of time the bridge is closed to road traffic/pedestrians.

Possibly, but if you stop a car, it doesn't drift sideways in the wind!

 

Surely, with all the experience a bridge operator has, they could very accurately estimate when to start opening the bridge, such that the green light coincides with the arrival of the boat.

 

 

[gatekrash]

12 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Crikey, I'd missed that! Used to do those pretty often so I wouldn't have expected summer timing restrictions. I guess they're doing what they do on booked winter transits and are using the same lock keeper who travels between the locks as you transit. 

When we came through a few weeks ago the lockie at Holt said that they were only operating those times on rare occasions during the summer and generally they were covering the full shifts with staff as normal. Annoyingly we'd rushed through Stourport without stopping for lunch to make Holt before it closed and he said we needn't have bothered!!

[Theo]

9 hours ago, Bargebuilder said:

Possibly, but if you stop a car, it doesn't drift sideways in the wind!

 

Surely, with all the experience a bridge operator has, they could very accurately estimate when to start opening the bridge, such that the green light coincides with the arrival of the boat.

 

 

You would certainly think so!

 

[Francis Herne]

They do seem to be operating with the alternating hours most of the time from what I saw.

 

Definitely alternating hours both times I went through in the last few weeks, when a friend went through, and when some hire boaters I met had run into it unexpectedly.

 

No-one I spoke to on the river mentioned having got through at another time.

Edited August 1, 2023 by Francis Herne

[fatmanblue]

Certainly Bevere and Holt were sharing a lockkeeper when we came up last week (Monday).