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Anyone know what the Severn's like at the moment?

Ange

By Ange
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Ange Veteran

Ange

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We need to get to Worcester by Sunday and are hoping to go via the River Severn (we're just outside Kidderminster on the S&W) - does anyone know what the Severn's like at the moment? Most people we talk to are full of gloom and say it's on red, but Dave visited Stourport today and said it's in the green there. Does it vary on different stretches of the river?

 

We've got a couple of days to try to find out but I wondered whether anyone here knows the river well and can advise or point us to a good website. The EA website seems to concentrate on whether the river's going to flood, not whether it's navigable or not. We've got a little bit of river experience now but not that much and I get a bit nervous.

 

Cheers muchly in advance

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matty40s Veteran II

matty40s

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We need to get to Worcester by Sunday and are hoping to go via the River Severn (we're just outside Kidderminster on the S&W) - does anyone know what the Severn's like at the moment? Most people we talk to are full of gloom and say it's on red, but Dave visited Stourport today and said it's in the green there. Does it vary on different stretches of the river?

 

We've got a couple of days to try to find out but I wondered whether anyone here knows the river well and can advise or point us to a good website. The EA website seems to concentrate on whether the river's going to flood, not whether it's navigable or not. We've got a little bit of river experience now but not that much and I get a bit nervous.

 

Cheers muchly in advance

It will be green the whole way down by now.....and with the forecast, will only get more placid towards the end of the week. It really is a lovely river when the Welsh aren't chucking buckets full of rain in it.

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Ange Veteran

Ange

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It will be green the whole way down by now.....and with the forecast, will only get more placid towards the end of the week. It really is a lovely river when the Welsh aren't chucking buckets full of rain in it.

Oo ta Matty - my weather guru :D

 

Maybe I should rescind my instructions to Dave to go down it single handed while I'm at work!

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eightacre Contributor

eightacre

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We need to get to Worcester by Sunday and are hoping to go via the River Severn (we're just outside Kidderminster on the S&W) - does anyone know what the Severn's like at the moment? Most people we talk to are full of gloom and say it's on red, but Dave visited Stourport today and said it's in the green there. Does it vary on different stretches of the river?

 

We've got a couple of days to try to find out but I wondered whether anyone here knows the river well and can advise or point us to a good website. The EA website seems to concentrate on whether the river's going to flood, not whether it's navigable or not. We've got a little bit of river experience now but not that much and I get a bit nervous.

 

Cheers muchly in advance

 

My advice is to check with the river lock keepers before setting out. Not all locks are open every day in the "off" season.

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Joshua Community Regular

Joshua

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Hi Ange,

 

The Severn is great fun and you will be going downriver so easy on your engine.

 

Eighacre's advice is good, when we came up recently, I asked one of the lock keepers (I think it was at Bevere) about winter opening hours and he told me that during the winter some of the locks are not permanently manned so you need to book passage (you obviously can't operate them yourself!).

 

I think he said that began in November, but I am not sure.

 

The contact numbers in the order you will pass are as follows:

 

Lincomb 012998 22887

 

Holt 01905 620218

 

Bevere 01905 640275

 

We got into the practice of calling the lock keepers about 10 minutes before ETA and they very obligingly got the locks ready for us to cruise straight in (on the swollen and fast flowing river we were on that was a great relief).

 

We also found all the lock keepers cheerful and helpful. On the way up at least, they always guide you to the calm side of the lock and be ready with your bow and stern ropes to hold onto the steel cables that run up the side of the lock chambers, its all very gentle, but you don't want to be bobbing around in the middle of those big chambers!

 

Hope the new job proves interesting.

Edited by Joshua
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Kiwidad Proficient

Kiwidad

Posted
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We need to get to Worcester by Sunday and are hoping to go via the River Severn (we're just outside Kidderminster on the S&W) - does anyone know what the Severn's like at the moment? Most people we talk to are full of gloom and say it's on red, but Dave visited Stourport today and said it's in the green there. Does it vary on different stretches of the river?

 

We've got a couple of days to try to find out but I wondered whether anyone here knows the river well and can advise or point us to a good website. The EA website seems to concentrate on whether the river's going to flood, not whether it's navigable or not. We've got a little bit of river experience now but not that much and I get a bit nervous.

 

Cheers muchly in advance

 

In the Green Ange. I am in Stourport Basin as we speak!

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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I tried to post last night, but somehow lost it, (the dog was chucking up at the time, so that's my excuse!....)

 

In your circumstances, if there is any doubts, for the sake of three phone calls, I'd have a quick word with the lock-keeper at each of the locks involved.

 

Doubt there will be an issue, but if there could be, who better to tell you!

 

Joshua has done better than the post I managed to lose, as he has actually found you the numbers to call! :cheers:

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Ange Veteran

Ange

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Many thanks for all the contributions and advice, particularly Joshua for saving us the trouble of having to find out the relevant telephone numbers :cheers:

 

(I'm just over half way through my first week and the job's going really well thank you)

 

Dave going to do the research while I'm at work over the next couple of days and might even decide to go for it single handed.

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Kiwidad Proficient

Kiwidad

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Many thanks for all the contributions and advice, particularly Joshua for saving us the trouble of having to find out the relevant telephone numbers :cheers:

 

(I'm just over half way through my first week and the job's going really well thank you)

 

Dave going to do the research while I'm at work over the next couple of days and might even decide to go for it single handed.

 

I will walk 30 yards to the boards tomorrow morning before we leave, and post what they are

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Ange Veteran

Ange

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Kiwidad has been to check for you and the red light is NOT on :-)

 

Thank you :)

 

We're at Stourport now - dead chuffed how close we can get the car to the boat! Not a very good photo but the light was poor:-

 

314108_4801069866648_1198872534_n.jpg

 

A certain forum member commented on Facebook that we need a roof rack and stuff on the roof for the car to match the boat :D

 

Dave's doing boaty stuff tomorrow while I'm at work to make Iona river ready, then we're doing the Severn on Saturday.

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Ange Veteran

Ange

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I hope that the clock does not wake you every hour :(

Hmm it just chimed the midnight hour so I think it may! We were in Kidderminster last night and the clock chimed ever quarter of an hour, but then went silent when it got late. I don't think this one is going to!

 

Still I suppose the name "Stourport Clock Basin" should have been fair warning :D

 

I see you knicked both our boat and car parking spots :P

 

Use it or lose it mate :P

 

How come the Severn doesn't have a similar River Conditions website for boaters as the Thames?

 

http://riverconditions.environment-agency.gov.uk/

 

I thought the same! I saw a linky to the Thames site while I was trying to find out about the Severn and searched for a similar one to no avail,

 

I wish! But at least there are 3 webcams now, although only two are on the navigable part.

See My link

Some handy linkys there - thank you!

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Ange Veteran

Ange

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Enjoy the trip guys

:captain:

 

Thank you!

 

We've arrived safely, it was pleasantly uneventful :) According to Canalplan it was a 4 hour journey, it took us 2 1/2 hours with a nice bit of flow pushing us along.

 

The river was well in the green at Stourport but it's in the amber here at Diglis locks.

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