Out into the country.

We were off about 1000 and trickled down towards Llanthony Bridge and very soon the lights were flashing and the bridge started to lift. Once the light had changed to green we were off down towards Sharpness. We fitted under the next bridge so there was no problems.

Llanthony Bridge lifting off for us. Through the hole you can see the Lightship and the next high level bridge.

This lightship was built in 1959 at Beverley near Hull for the Humber Conservancy Board and called LV 14 and was moored off Spurn Point until 1985. It was sold several times but now appears to be permanently moored here and the crew accommodation has been converted to therapy rooms. It is currently on sale but I can't find how much for.

As you leave Gloucester there are more warehouse and mills waiting conversion into something useful for this day and age.

This bridge is hand operated by the operator working a windlass. I had to give him a blast on the whistle to get him to open up.

Just as we went under Netheridge High Level Swing Bridge we saw these cygnets. I would love to know why that one got the ride?

On the left bank there are views across to the slope of the Cotswolds. Some of the canal is on slightly elevated embankments so you get good views. I checked if there were any Seven Bore waves due but there are none in June. If there had been there is a good spot to see them just after Rea swing bridge.

We stopped for water at Sellars Bridge and then just past, at the site of an old swing bridge is one of the bridge houses that are found along the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. This one has been extended out to the left as the original was just a little than the Doric arch that was original.

The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal was opened in 1827 as the Severn became very difficult to navigate up to Gloucester. Before that the Stroudwater Canal, built in 1779, ran from Framilode to Stroud. There was a lock down to the Severn and a basin before setting off inland. When the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal was cut a junction was made at Saul. The Stroudwater Canal was finally abandoined in 1954 but the Cotswold Canals Trust are looking to re-open it. However the length from Saul to the Severn will not be restored. We moored up short of the junction with good views to both sides.

We went for a walk down to the Severn at Epney and then along to Familode. This was the view of the Severn down towards the sea with views of the high ground of the Forest of Dean in the distance.

The Church at Familode has been restored by the hard work of the locals and they have done a great job. There are many paintings including the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments and the Creed along with others. The larger painting were done on tin plate and it seems that there was a mill in the area that opened in 1760. There were two water wheels driving a rolling mill and later a Boulton and Watt steam engine was added driving an other and a cold rolled mill too. They were producing 23000 boxes of tin plate a year. It was all finished after 1824.

The Stroudwater Canal Lock and Basin are now under a private garden now bu the canal is almost still in water as can be seen. There is a long line of cottages right next to the towpath.

 These are the mile posts on the canal G loucester 7 miles and S harpness 9 miles.

I have had a few encounters with animals today after my pigeon whispering at the New Inn in Gloucester.

Fledgling sparrow wouldn't get out of the way.

Fledgling raven would get out of the way either, and like herons just kept moving ahead of us rather than behind us. We managed to chase it back to where it had come from.

When we got back to the boat we could here bleating and could just see a ewe with her head stuck in a wire fence below us. I couldn't put up with the row all night so a managed to clamber down the steep bank and got over a ditch to free her. All is quiet now.