Hello, this is a blog kept on a day by day basis of my canoeing
adventure along the uk's River Severn. Myself, Dan and Tali ventured in a
two man aluminium canoe and a kayak along the river. After a bit of
planning we set off from the source of the river. I have never
experienced anything quite like this trip and having being brought up in
Manchester I was out of my depth at times.
Navigate our days using the tabs at the top, I hope you all enjoy!
Friday 10 August 2012
Wednesday 1 August 2012
An ended journey
Woke up after heavy rain all night, the electricity pylon was really noisey during the night.
We waited for high tide to pass and slid the boats into the river. The sandbanks look very different today and its easy to see how people would get stuck.
We travelled about 2 miles when Dan said that the canoe seemed to be taking on water. We pulled up in a flood gate dock and assessed the damage. Unfortunatley the metal had split next to the rivets on the bottom. End of a trip!
We spent 30 mins cleaning an area of the flood gate dock of thick sand, in order to unload and after walking the gear up to stairs we found ourselves in the beer garden of the whiteheart pub, broadoak. Our only probelm was that the pub didnt open for an hour and a half, oh well cant have it all.
We waited for the pub to open and our lift to arrive ( cheers Poppy ) and had a meal and few ales.
Overall this has been the most extreme trip I have ever done and proud of how far we have travelled - Pool Quay to Newnham. 11 Days paddling around 150 miles of river and 10 nights rough camping in spots we found along the way. I would recommend this trip to everyone. When we get chance we will post some more info on what we didnt wrong and right, what to take and not take. We will also try to plot on the map where we camped along the way.
Until the next one...
Monday 30 July 2012
Riding a wier
Woke up in the middle of the night, still asleep, pitch back and the ground below me was swaying ( land sickness apparently ) thought I was still in the canoe on the river and that we'd all fallen asleep paddling at night. I started scrambling on the ground for my paddle and shouting Dan to wake up. The commotion woke tali up who reassured me I was safe on in a field. Hahaha what a horrible feeling.
After a big breakfast we hit the river and quickly approached Maisemore wier where we avoided taking the canals on the left and took the wier to the right. ( no going back from here)
We pulled up on the left just next to the wier, in order to access the situation and a way around it. We met father and son, Tony and Luke who gave us some confidence to go down.
We hit the middle of the wier ( video to be uploaded ) and it was fine, canoe scrapped the bottom a little but still great feeling.
After 3 hours hard paddling we reached the Severn Boar pub on the right. There are no boats now on the river so no jetti to pull up. You can take the floodgate to dock but we tied in and scrambled to banks. ( take the floodgate if you do it )
The owners, Mark and Naomi were awesome. We had a couple of ales and an all day breakfast whilst Mark told us his knowledge of the river, the dangers and best way to do it. It will start to get rough from here and with the tide we could reach 15-20 mph in the canoe.... I was ready to call it a day.
We said good bye and they kindly refilled our waters and gave us some cereal bars for the trip. Great pub if you ever pass Minsterworth get yourself in there.
Back on the river we judged the tide a little off and had to battle against it for a couple of hours, before we pulled up off a sand bank on the right, we are a few miles from Newnham. The sand banks are deadly but luckily the sand wasn't too wet. It was a task to get up the bank in the rain. Avoid this.
We have pitched and it is now throwing it down, camped below an electricity pillon.
Loads of photos to upload when we get back.
Night guys
After a big breakfast we hit the river and quickly approached Maisemore wier where we avoided taking the canals on the left and took the wier to the right. ( no going back from here)
We pulled up on the left just next to the wier, in order to access the situation and a way around it. We met father and son, Tony and Luke who gave us some confidence to go down.
We hit the middle of the wier ( video to be uploaded ) and it was fine, canoe scrapped the bottom a little but still great feeling.
After 3 hours hard paddling we reached the Severn Boar pub on the right. There are no boats now on the river so no jetti to pull up. You can take the floodgate to dock but we tied in and scrambled to banks. ( take the floodgate if you do it )
The owners, Mark and Naomi were awesome. We had a couple of ales and an all day breakfast whilst Mark told us his knowledge of the river, the dangers and best way to do it. It will start to get rough from here and with the tide we could reach 15-20 mph in the canoe.... I was ready to call it a day.
We said good bye and they kindly refilled our waters and gave us some cereal bars for the trip. Great pub if you ever pass Minsterworth get yourself in there.
Back on the river we judged the tide a little off and had to battle against it for a couple of hours, before we pulled up off a sand bank on the right, we are a few miles from Newnham. The sand banks are deadly but luckily the sand wasn't too wet. It was a task to get up the bank in the rain. Avoid this.
We have pitched and it is now throwing it down, camped below an electricity pillon.
Loads of photos to upload when we get back.
Night guys
Reached navigable distance 130miles
Woke up and after a quick breakfast of sultana sponge fingers we got our gear and straight on the river.
After a couple of miles hard paddling we reached Tewkesbury wier, where the guy let us into the lock alongside a canal boat.
Heavy rain set in for the first time in eight days and after an hour we stopped in a pub on the right for a pint and as it was Sunday a carvary! At this point we had passed the recommended navigable distance of the severn.
We paddled again for over 2 hours through heavy rain and then blazing sun. So took a breather in a little riverside pub called the boat in ( Asheworth Quay) and talked to the locals and landlord about the dangers if the river passed Gloucester.
When we get to Gloucester we can either take the canals to the left of climb round the wier and joint the severn again to the right. The river is now tidal and we should feel it's effects more and more from here although not really noticeable at the moment.
We stopped shortly after in a field on the right, pitched, built a fire and around 12am decided to call in a night.
After a couple of miles hard paddling we reached Tewkesbury wier, where the guy let us into the lock alongside a canal boat.
Heavy rain set in for the first time in eight days and after an hour we stopped in a pub on the right for a pint and as it was Sunday a carvary! At this point we had passed the recommended navigable distance of the severn.
We paddled again for over 2 hours through heavy rain and then blazing sun. So took a breather in a little riverside pub called the boat in ( Asheworth Quay) and talked to the locals and landlord about the dangers if the river passed Gloucester.
When we get to Gloucester we can either take the canals to the left of climb round the wier and joint the severn again to the right. The river is now tidal and we should feel it's effects more and more from here although not really noticeable at the moment.
We stopped shortly after in a field on the right, pitched, built a fire and around 12am decided to call in a night.
Sunday 29 July 2012
Making some ground.
Woke up in a sheep field. Fasted breakfast ever. Cold hotdog sausages on bread with pub ketchup and mustard.
Dan was already up having a fish so we packed our tents and got on the river around 9.30am.
We passed through Worcester today and three wiers. At the first lock we got asked for a boat license, we didn't have one but the lock keeper was good and let us through. He also rang to the next lock we would hit to get us through there ok.
We stopped shortly after the first wier on the right, a pub called The grimly. Where we had half an ale and then carried on into Worcester.
Hardest days paddling today, we made about 20+ miles and to a town called Upton upon severn. It was very windy this evening so we pulled into the town and had a couple of pints and a pub lunch. Our boats were tied safe so we sat indoors and I charged my phone. Nice pub called the kings head. It was about 11pm when we got back on the river, so had to be careful and stopped about 1/4 mile away in a field in the right. Dragged the boats up, pitched our tents and hope we aren't in a cow field.
Sorry for the lack of pictures, we've taken loads but hard to upload them.
Dan was already up having a fish so we packed our tents and got on the river around 9.30am.
We passed through Worcester today and three wiers. At the first lock we got asked for a boat license, we didn't have one but the lock keeper was good and let us through. He also rang to the next lock we would hit to get us through there ok.
We stopped shortly after the first wier on the right, a pub called The grimly. Where we had half an ale and then carried on into Worcester.
Hardest days paddling today, we made about 20+ miles and to a town called Upton upon severn. It was very windy this evening so we pulled into the town and had a couple of pints and a pub lunch. Our boats were tied safe so we sat indoors and I charged my phone. Nice pub called the kings head. It was about 11pm when we got back on the river, so had to be careful and stopped about 1/4 mile away in a field in the right. Dragged the boats up, pitched our tents and hope we aren't in a cow field.
Sorry for the lack of pictures, we've taken loads but hard to upload them.
Saturday 28 July 2012
Lawnmowers and ales
Rudely awaken this morning to lawnmowers cutting the grass around us! 4 Guys with remote controlled grass cutters. We didn't rush, had breakfast, washed the canoe and dried our clothes in the sun.
We had a quick swim again in the river avoiding guys with chainsaws cutting down trees. Great morning still.
We headed down the river to Bewdley, where we went for a couple of pints on the right before the bridge ( cock and magpie ) where Lucy kindly refilled our waters and got a picture with us outside the pub.
From Bewdley we headed onto Stourport where we looked at camping on left at Birmingham camping club but decided against the £12.50 per tent and camp no fire policy.
We carried on through Stourport and stopped at the Angel pub on the left as we could have a pint and watch the canoes. Dan bought fish and chips and we walked through the carnival there to drop off the rubbish. ( resisted the fairground doughnuts and rides on the bumpercars )
As we crept upto Stourport wier it had past 7pm and the locks were shut, so had to unload and carry everything round. (very efficient now, only took 20mins with everything)
Getting dark we stopped at the next place just after the wier called the Hamstall Inn, had an ale found out there was no where to camp officially for a few miles and the next wier is in 2miles. Still in good spirits and pitch black we found a place a mile after on the right. Pulled the canoe up a fishing bay and in a field. Too dark to know what else is here....
We have travelled about 90 miles from the start and have a few wiers tomorrow to get through.
Over and out.
We had a quick swim again in the river avoiding guys with chainsaws cutting down trees. Great morning still.
We headed down the river to Bewdley, where we went for a couple of pints on the right before the bridge ( cock and magpie ) where Lucy kindly refilled our waters and got a picture with us outside the pub.
From Bewdley we headed onto Stourport where we looked at camping on left at Birmingham camping club but decided against the £12.50 per tent and camp no fire policy.
We carried on through Stourport and stopped at the Angel pub on the left as we could have a pint and watch the canoes. Dan bought fish and chips and we walked through the carnival there to drop off the rubbish. ( resisted the fairground doughnuts and rides on the bumpercars )
As we crept upto Stourport wier it had past 7pm and the locks were shut, so had to unload and carry everything round. (very efficient now, only took 20mins with everything)
Getting dark we stopped at the next place just after the wier called the Hamstall Inn, had an ale found out there was no where to camp officially for a few miles and the next wier is in 2miles. Still in good spirits and pitch black we found a place a mile after on the right. Pulled the canoe up a fishing bay and in a field. Too dark to know what else is here....
We have travelled about 90 miles from the start and have a few wiers tomorrow to get through.
Over and out.
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