The Droitwich

[RichM]

Reading yesterday was below 1.8 metres, having come up with overnight rain. We were to tall so reversed back one lock and winded.

So I have still not made it through!

 

Nice to bring a topic back from the dead. I did the Droitwich about a month ago. Nearly got decapitated by this bloomin bridge. Not as bad as going through Droitwich on the barge canal where people annoyingly decide they want to cross every time you go to swing a bridge!! Not a canal I will be rushing back to lol

[Sea Dog]

Nice to bring a topic back from the dead. I did the Droitwich about a month ago. Nearly got decapitated by this bloomin bridge. Not as bad as going through Droitwich on the barge canal where people annoyingly decide they want to cross every time you go to swing a bridge!! Not a canal I will be rushing back to lol

I know what you mean - I'm debating whether to head down there tomorrow myself. The first lieutenant hates those swing bridges and the able bodied blokes who watch her struggle with them whilst they moan about her delaying their walk, the lack of moorings even to stop at for lunch between the town and the river, blooming reeds, heavy lock gear and, of course, that culvert. There was about 2.0 meters headroom last evening though, and the restoration was such a sterling effort that it seems rude not to travel it as often as possible to celebrate the fine folks that made it happen. Hats off to them.

[ditchcrawler]

I think the town has made a great effort with the canal, nice park, lots of moorings and handy for the town

[Sea Dog]

I think the town has made a great effort with the canal, nice park, lots of moorings and handy for the town

Absolutely. From there to the Severn is harder work than it should be is what I'm saying, but I'm also suggesting it shouldn't put us off. Restoration is expensive, time consuming and difficult: we shouldn't let it go unrewarded by infrequent use which precipitates decline.

 

Talked myself into that route tomorrow now, haven't I - assuming I can squeeze under that M5 culvert!

[jacko264]

We are hopefully going though the canal but off the Severn in july

Graham

[Dave123]

Moorings above Hawford locks would be beneficial for overnighting before joining or coming off the Severn.

 

And for visiting themug.co.uk in Claines :-)

 

Somebody must have been listening as there are now good moorings above the 2 Hawford locks! Avoiding an awkward night on the river pontoon below the locks (as we had to do a couple of years ago)

[PaulG]

 

Somebody must have been listening as there are now good moorings above the 2 Hawford locks! Avoiding an awkward night on the river pontoon below the locks (as we had to do a couple of years ago)

Good news!

 

I like the Droitwich. You need a sense of humour sometimes in Vine Park at the swing bridges, but if you ask for help, most people are happy to oblige.

Remember that the canal there is relatively "new", and people don't like to interfere in things that they don't really understand.

 

I like going through the reeds - keep expecting to meet Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn coming the other way!

 

Some of the gates on the Barge Canal are boody tough to get moving, though. They seem much harder than the Avon gates, which must be at least as big.

[Sea Dog]

Good news!

 

I like the Droitwich. You need a sense of humour sometimes in Vine Park at the swing bridges, but if you ask for help, most people are happy to oblige.

Remember that the canal there is relatively "new", and people don't like to interfere in things that they don't really understand.

 

I like going through the reeds - keep expecting to meet Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn coming the other way!

 

Some of the gates on the Barge Canal are boody tough to get moving, though. They seem much harder than the Avon gates, which must be at least as big.

I'd agree with all that, though I'd just add that the reeds were much more restrained when we came down last week. Heavy lock work, otherwise a pleasure.

[Richard Fairhurst]

The last time we did the Droitwich canals (Jubilee holiday last year) there was a volunteer lockie at the top of the Hanbury flight. He'd walked up the towpath from the town, and so he was able to let us know the reading on the guage at the M5 tunnel before we started down the flight.

 

I'm pretty sure one of the new CRT river level warning 'screens' has been fitted at Hanbury, so you can see what the levels are like before starting on the flight. Don't know if it's operational yet, though.

[NickF]

Pretty canal. Only mooring is in the basin which has very narrow pontoons, in the short time we were there we saw 2 children go in by stepping backwards off the pontoons. Water in the basin but no loo emptying.

I love it and there was water in the basin when we went too. (might have been tricky without!)

[___]

I'm pretty sure one of the new CRT river level warning 'screens' has been fitted at Hanbury, so you can see what the levels are like before starting on the flight. Don't know if it's operational yet, though.

The board shows the level on the Severn whereas the question was about the clearance in the M5 tunnel. I am surprised that Kiwidad couldn't make it through last weekend. It hasn't rained much recently until the past 24 hours.

 

I love it and there was water in the basin when we went too. (might have been tricky without!)

Mrs Trackman meant there is a water point at Netherwich Basin.

 

JP

[Richard Fairhurst]

The board shows the level on the Severn whereas the question was about the clearance in the M5 tunnel.

 

Ah, ok. Hadn't noticed that the board was intended to show Severn levels when we last passed (it hadn't been switched on at the time!).

[Sea Dog]

The board shows the level on the Severn whereas the question was about the clearance in the M5 tunnel.

Don't the two sets of lamps give an indication of both the Severn and the Salwarpe JP? Not that it necessarily helps much, they've spent quite a lot of time either off or glowing merrily through tape stuck over them if my experience of that sign is anything like typical. Nice idea if/when it works though.

[___]

Don't the two sets of lamps give an indication of both the Severn and the Salwarpe JP? Not that it necessarily helps much, they've spent quite a lot of time either off or glowing merrily through tape stuck over them if my experience of that sign is anything like typical. Nice idea if/when it works though.

Maybe it does. Thinking about it there are two sets of lights. Will have a look next time I pass.

 

JP

 

Edit to add that the M5 tunnel isn't on the Salwarpe though; it's one lock above it so even if I was wrong I was right. Probably...

Edited June 11, 2016 by Captain Pegg

[David Mack]

Edit to add that the M5 tunnel isn't on the Salwarpe though; it's one lock above it so even if I was wrong I was right. Probably...

The M5 culvert is on a tributary stream of the Salwarpe.

[___]

The M5 culvert is on a tributary stream of the Salwarpe.

Indeed. It's the Body Brook. The key point though was that even if the board at Hanbury does show the Salwarpe level that won't help with the state of the water levels through the M5 culvert. In reality it's about each individual boat.

 

JP

[RichM]

Out of interest, why was this seemingly modern bridge built so low? Surely they could have pushed the boat out a bit to provide more clearance? Or was there a technical or engineering limitation?

 

IIRC there's also a poorly designed bridge on this canal which looks like it was constructed largely of large corrugated pipes around the whole diameter of the bridge. I'm sure it can be rather interesting if you get a bit too close to the edge...

I guess it perhaps boils down to limited budgets no doubt. - Perhaps I've answered my own question. That aside it's an interesting reminder of how quality of things built hundreds of years ago often surpasses that of what we see built today.

Edited June 11, 2016 by Armitage Shanks

[Ange]

Out of interest, why was this seemingly modern bridge built so low? Surely they could have pushed the boat out a bit to provide more clearance? Or was there a technical or engineering limitation?

 

 

From what I remember reading when the canal was restored when the M5 was built they were going to build over the at the time disused canal without any expectation that it would one day be restored. The canal society lobbied furiously and this was the compromise - not ideal but at least it allowed the eventual reopening of the canal. We need someone knowledgeable like Magpie Patrick to confirm this.

 

We squeezed under it with our "roof furniture" in the cratch and had to take the tiller pin off.

 

One thing that struck me was the number of locals remarking on how great it was to see boats again - one lady stood patiently by a swing bridge while I apologetically held it open for our boat and two that were following us. It made a pleasant change not to be seen as a nuisance.

[David Mack]

Out of interest, why was this seemingly modern bridge built so low? Surely they could have pushed the boat out a bit to provide more clearance? Or was there a technical or engineering limitation?

Modern? Its about 50 years old and dates from the construction of the M5. We are very lucky that the culvert rthat was provided was (just) large enough to accommodate narrow boats. The full story was given here a couple of years ago by the late Max Sinclair.

 

IIRC there's also a poorly designed bridge on this canal which looks like it was constructed largely of large corrugated pipes around the whole diameter of the bridge. I'm sure it can be rather interesting if you get a bit too close to the edge...

That's under the railway. British Rail were going to replace the life-expired bridge with an embankment. As the canal was legally abandoned at the time thet were under no obligation to do anything else. Although he canal was not then under active restoration, BR were persuaded to build a navigable crossing - of sorts. The 'armco' as it is known is too small to allow full size wideboats to get any further up the canal, was put in too high (meaning square-chine wideboats may touch the edges) and with the towpath built on the wrong side. The last was put right during the restoration.

[Dave_P]

I got stuck in the tunnel about 10m in with my stern still sticking out. I very carefully reversed out and moved things on my roof towards the stern. Then tried again and just got through with the top of my roof box brushing the tunnel roof.

 

When I got to Droitwich the basin looked pretty uninspiring to me. The lockie at Hanbury had told me there were no other moorings beyond, but I was feeling rebellious so I pressed on. Found a truly delightful spot further on where I stayed for two weeks (I'm not saying exactly where). Then I found another delightful spot another couple of miles on again and stayed another 2 weeks.

 

Then there's a floating pontoon on the river at Hawford which is one of the few Severn moorings which aren't on a manned lock or at a pub. Would be a lovely place to stay a few days except you can't get off the pontoon on foot. You'd need a little tender/kayak/coracle to stay a while. Hawford, is in my opinion the loveliest way onto the Severn - so peaceful and remote feeling. Writing this is making me want to start heading off that way right now. If only I didn't have to go to work tomorrow

[___]

Found a truly delightful spot further on where I stayed for two weeks (I'm not saying exactly where)

 

Just past the sharp turn at Salwarpe where there is a wall on the offside?

 

 

Then I found another delightful spot another couple of miles on again and stayed another 2 weeks

 

On the offside above Ladywood Top Lock?

 

JP

[Pennie]

Just past the sharp turn at Salwarpe where there is a wall on the offside?

 

 

I moored there for a few days, it was absolutely delightful except for the lack of sunlight for power

[Dave_P]

Just past the sharp turn at Salwarpe where there is a wall on the offside?

 

 

 

 

On the offside above Ladywood Top Lock?

 

JP

1. Maybe. But shhhhh!

 

2. No. But thanks ;-)

[Tim Lewis]

That's under the railway. British Rail were going to replace the life-expired bridge with an embankment. As the canal was legally abandoned at the time thet were under no obligation to do anything else. Although he canal was not then under active restoration, BR were persuaded to build a navigable crossing - of sorts. The 'armco' as it is known is too small to allow full size wideboats to get any further up the canal, was put in too high (meaning square-chine wideboats may touch the edges) and with the towpath built on the wrong side. The last was put right during the restoration.

 

 

It is more likely the Rugby Club access bridge, indeed a nasty cheap example of construction Picture - David might recognise the steerer :-)

 

 

Tim

[___]

It is more likely the Rugby Club access bridge, indeed a nasty cheap example of construction Picture - David might recognise the steerer :-)

 

Tim

 

Quite possibly so. Both bridges have issues. At the bridge pictured (which is now also the access to Droitwich Spa Marina) the profile is such that if a boat isn't central then the head of the steerer is in danger of hitting the edge of the metal sheets on entry. I don't know if this ever happened but within a couple of years of opening floating barrages were installed down both sides to ensure that boats have to be centrally positioned.

 

In the case of the railway bridge on the approaches to the town centre from the Barge Canal the bridge hole is circular and perhaps 10 to 12 feet wide at water level. However a tow path has been constructed on one side meaning that boats are always off centre and very close to the bottom/edge of the channel on one side where the circular profile results in the navigable channel being extremely shallow.

 

JP