Visitor Moorings at Upton upon Severn

[Guest]

I shall be travelling down the Severn from Worcester to Gloucester and understand that I can moor at Upton. I can see on Google Earth that there is a pontoon north of the bridge. Does anyone know if this is the the Visitors' Moorings?

 

Thanks

[Tony Brooks]

Yes - If there is space. Otherwise its pay up and look big in the marina. I have managed to moor on the wall by the pub/hotel behind the steamers berth BUT beware some of it is private, as far as I know only the downstream end belongs to the pub.

[frangar]

You can moor on the inside of the pontoon on a narrow boat. I thought there were some free visitor moorings in the marina but I might be wrong about that.

 

The moorings do fill up quick so don't leave it too late in the day.

 

Cheers

Gareth

[Dave_P]

Other than those pontoons, you can moor on the big 'steps' below the pub which have mooring rings. but be just be careful. If the river level drops you may we find yourself stranded on the step. Those steps seem to me to be the most inappropriate mooring solution but I have used them myself.

[NickF]

Last year we managed to breast up just downstream of the bridge on the town side of the river.

 

 

(We were in the Alvechurch boat)

 

Just further downstream there are moorings marked up for patrons of one of the pubs.

 

The only other time I have been to Upton we were invited to breast up to a boat on the pontoon. On both occasions we arrived quite late (about 7.30pm) and it was the friendly people on the boats that moored locally that helped us find somewhere to moor.

 

Have a great trip!

[Mrs Trackman]

Is it not normal to breast up on rivers? I ask because lack of potential mooring spots puts me off boating on rivers and I'm never sure if it's acceptable. There's few places to moor on the Severn.

[john6767]

You can moor on the inside of the pontoon on a narrow boat. I thought there were some free visitor moorings in the marina but I might be wrong about that.

 

The moorings do fill up quick so don't leave it too late in the day.

 

Cheers

Gareth

We moored there last year on the inside at the downstream end, however as the pillar that supports the pontoon is on the inside and there was a small launch that looked permanently moored at the upper end you would not have got a boat much longer that 50ft (which we are) on the inside. If that launch is not there perhaps you would get 60ft or so on the inside. I think much longer would overlap on the pillar and could be a bit tricky to moor, so possibly best to stick to the outside in a long boat. At the upstream end the trees were overgrown so you would have struggled to get on the inside at that end.

 

If you moor on the steps watch out for the river level fluctuating, we took refuge at Upton as the river went up 5ft, and a boat on the steps got hung up as the level dropped again.

[frangar]

We moored there last year on the inside at the downstream end, however as the pillar that supports the pontoon is on the inside and there was a small launch that looked permanently moored at the upper end you would not have got a boat much longer that 50ft (which we are) on the inside. If that launch is not there perhaps you would get 60ft or so on the inside. I think much longer would overlap on the pillar and could be a bit tricky to moor, so possibly best to stick to the outside in a long boat. At the upstream end the trees were overgrown so you would have struggled to get on the inside at that end.

 

If you moor on the steps watch out for the river level fluctuating, we took refuge at Upton as the river went up 5ft, and a boat on the steps got hung up as the level dropped again.

That's true...we moored as you did but are also 50ft....I wasn't aware anything should be moored there permenatly...there was a bit of a fuss when CRT gave permission for a trip boat to operate from there...it's on here somewhere....I and others voiced our concern and CRT backed down...It would be interesting to find out if something else had been allowed to moor there permenatly as like you have said moorings especially rising ones are rare on the river.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[john6767]

That's true...we moored as you did but are also 50ft....I wasn't aware anything should be moored there permenatly...there was a bit of a fuss when CRT gave permission for a trip boat to operate from there...it's on here somewhere....I and others voiced our concern and CRT backed down...It would be interesting to find out if something else had been allowed to moor there permenatly as like you have said moorings especially rising ones are rare on the river.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

I would not have thought that anything should be moored there permanently either, but that boat certainly seemed to have been there some time.

[upton]

The pontoon & steps moorings both have notices from the Canal & Rivers Trust stating they are for 24 hours only now. Volunteer wardens 'police' them.

 

I've seen about 7 abreast during festivals on both mooring points.

 

We would love to provide more moorings, but we don't really have anywhere to put them.

 

Jackie

 

Folk Festival 2014

 

Blues Festival 2014

[Sea Dog]

I visited Upton a couple of times last summer. I managed a night, maybe two, on the pontoon in the photo, but there were unoccupied long-termers there, some undergoing work by the look of it, so I was lucky to squeeze in. Maybe that's changed now reading Jackie's post above?

 

When looking at Nick F's picture, there's wall moorings a little further down too (by the Swan Inn iirc) but as stated, not great in times of rise and fall. The trip boat is moored on a pontoon too, but each time I visited the other potential mooring on there was taken up by a canoe-like paint cat contraption.

 

Tingdene Marina offer free overnight moorings under an agreement with Upton Parish Council according to Nicholson's who say free tickets are available from local shops and the tourist info kiosk (in the rather nice church building). When you ask, you'll be met with wry smiles - it seems this is not actually the case!

 

Upton is a lovely little place and imho deserves full boaty support when they're not under water!

[sueb]

As already said you can moor up to seven deep. Just got to educate those ditch dwellers who don't like to do that.

[Keeping Up]

As already said you can moor up to seven deep. Just got to educate those ditch dwellers who don't like to do that.

 

It's not always a matter of education. Sometimes the crew (or in our case the dog) can't get across intervening boats, unless they all happen to be cruiser sterns and nicely lined up.

[NickF]

 

It's not always a matter of education. Sometimes the crew (or in our case the dog) can't get across intervening boats, unless they all happen to be cruiser sterns and nicely lined up.

Landing the dog from our mooring pictured in my earlier post was interesting, we had to pass her out of the side hatch onto the stern deck of the boat alongside. (which was unoccupied). Not easy with a 25kg labrador but we managed and it was only a night!

[john6767]

So is the 24 hour limit new since the summer. I certainly did not see that then, we were there 3 days, but then we could not move as the river was in flood. There were 2 boats there mooring unattended all the time we were there. I guess there are time like the festivals when 24 hours in not going to be enough.

Edited January 15, 2015 by john6767

[Mrs Trackman]

Thanks everyone for your answers. Somewhere else must go back to. My Grandmother was in service in Upton at the age of 13 before the first world war. I found the house I think she was in and from what I saw Upton can hardly have changed since then......except for the horrendous traffic, crossing the road was a nightmare when we visited.

[upton]

The time-limited mooring has always been in place I think, but now it is being policed and new notices are on the pontoon and the steps.

 

The 'canoe-like paint cat contraption.' has gone!

 

The Marina says for overnight moorings: 'Our current tariff is £1.70 per metre per night including electricity. We ask that visitors phone the Marina Office on 01684 594287 to book a berth and, if possible, pay by card over the phone.'

 

Hope this helps!

 

Jackie

[IanM]

Other than those pontoons, you can moor on the big 'steps' below the pub which have mooring rings. but be just be careful. If the river level drops you may we find yourself stranded on the step. Those steps seem to me to be the most inappropriate mooring solution but I have used them myself.

 

Only if the river level is 'up'. There is quite a bit of wall before the steps actually start.

 

Upton Upon Severn - River Severn by Ian Mulford, on Flickr

 

Just don't arrive there in the dark as we did, finding the mooring rings on the steps can be a bit tricky!

[Dave_P]

 

Only if the river level is 'up'. There is quite a bit of wall before the steps actually start.

 

Upton Upon Severn - River Severn by Ian Mulford, on Flickr

 

Just don't arrive there in the dark as we did, finding the mooring rings on the steps can be a bit tricky!

and if the level was up recently, the steps will be treacherously slippery.

[john6767]

The time-limited mooring has always been in place I think, but now it is being policed and new notices are on the pontoon and the steps.

 

The 'canoe-like paint cat contraption.' has gone!

 

The Marina says for overnight moorings: 'Our current tariff is £1.70 per metre per night including electricity. We ask that visitors phone the Marina Office on 01684 594287 to book a berth and, if possible, pay by card over the phone.'

 

Hope this helps!

 

Jackie

That sign was certainty not on the pontoon in June, so it is very new. Not unreasonable I guess given the lock of moorings.

 

The marina are having a bit of a laugh with that pricing, that would be £25 per night for us at 50ft. Also, if you are longer than 50ft it would be cheaper to pay CRT the £25 per night if you want to stay longer than 48 hours.

[Mrs Trackman]

The time-limited mooring has always been in place I think, but now it is being policed and new notices are on the pontoon and the steps.

 

The 'canoe-like paint cat contraption.' has gone!

 

The Marina says for overnight moorings: 'Our current tariff is £1.70 per metre per night including electricity. We ask that visitors phone the Marina Office on 01684 594287 to book a berth and, if possible, pay by card over the phone.' [/size]

 

Hope this helps![/size]

 

Jackie[/size]

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the information

Marina prices sound a lot. My family regularly pay those sort of prices for travel lodge type of room.

[upton]

The sign(s) have only gone up in the last few weeks. There was a very small one attached to the rail.