The end of the canal - Sharpness

Densie moored at Sharpness

View from the mooring across the Severn

We travelled the remaining 4 miles of the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal to Sharpness this morning, well as far as one can go without entering the commercial port. It was a wonderful trip, the weather was perfect with blue skies and the scenery superb with good views over the Severn. There was even some bird watching as a common tern ahead of us dived into the water and flew out with a small fish in its beak.

On this stretch of the canal there are some interesting sights - the Purton "timber ponds" where logs were stored afloat prior to onward shipment and the few remains of a railway bridge across the Severn. Unfortunately a vessel collided with the bridge in 1959, badly damaging it. The bridge was subsequently demolished and the metalwork sold.

After refilling our water tank we turned round and moored in an attractive spot overlooking the Severn. As it was not yet lunchtime we decided to try to walk to the commercial port of Sharpness. The route took us via the old tidal basin, now a marina and alongside the Severn. The tide was just about to turn and the swirling waters made very obvious the dangers of the river. The people on the boat moored next to us last night were talking about their plans to take their narrowboat from Sharpness across the river to Lydney later in the week. From what we saw this morning, I dont think we will join them!

The path continued through a meadow down to an isolated row of houses facing onto various dusty dock based works, which was as close to the harbour we could get. Glancing at the sky we saw a bird, obviously a raptor, being mobbed by gulls. We had brought our binoculars and were able to confirm the bird as a peregrine falcon, the first time I have seen one other than at well publicised nesting sites (usually cathedrals).

Our original plan was to start on our way back to Gloucester his afternoon, but the weather was so good and the cider that had accompanied our lunch was affecting our motivation so we decided to stay. It was a good opportunity for Denise to do some boat maintenance. Densie has wooden doors exposed to the sun and rain. Unless they are regularly varnished, water seeps in and turns the light brown wood an unpleasant dull grey. We also tried to clean some green algae off our blue boat cover, with some success.