Sharpness or bust.

We spoke to the Gloucester Pilots today to see when they were expecting us to leave for Portishead. It seems that they think it may be okay on Monday. I then phoned the Sharpness Lock Head to see when we would have to be there for them to open the low level bridge to let us into the Dock. The HW is about 0745 in the morning so they reckon 0600 will be a good time. It sounds like a long day. After that we decided to set off for Sharpness to get some milk and check things out.

After numerous bridges, all swung for us in good time, we approached Sharpness and saw the remains of the rail bridge across the Severn.

One of the 22 limestone pillars that was 1269 long and was built in 1879 to bring coal from the Forest of Dean. This round tower had a steam boiler with in it that drove the machinery for opening the moving section over the canal.

The bridge from above with Sharpness Docks in the distance. The navigable channel is on the west side where the longer spans are. Over the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal was a swing bridge.

On 25th October 1960 the Harkers tanker barges Arkendale H and Wastdale H missed the lock for Sharpness where they were heading in dense fog and a full running tide. They got driven on to pier 17 and the collision brought down two of the spans. One dropped on the barges and they caught firs. One was carrying oil and the other petrol. Five people were killed in the incident.

Looking to the east bank and the two spans down.

The two barges still smouldering the day after. Bother these wrecks can still be seen at low water. There were plans to rebuild it but after a further span dropped it was decided to demolish. This was started in 1967 and completed in 1970.

We filled up with water and then went for a walk to find a pint of milk.

This is the entrance to the docks. The high level bridge is first and then is the low level bridge that has to opened so that we can get to the locks. To the right is the old arm that went to a half tide basin and a lock down into the river. This has long been disused.

This is the lock into the old basin and gives you some idea of the rise and fall of the tide here abouts.

Looking back down the arm across the half tide basin. Where the boats start is the inner lock gates. This meant that the water in the canal could be maintained but ships in the half tide basin could pass through the outer gates when ever there was sufficient water for them to transit.

The Old Arm was the site of the mooring of the training ship 'Vindicatrix' where lads were trained for the Merchant Navy and 70,000 passed through it doors.

'Vindicatrix' was built in 1893 as the 'Arranmore' and was a 3 masted square rigged ship. It was sold to the German's in 1910 and in WWI was used as a U Boat mothership. After the war it was given to the UK as a war prize and eventually became a training ship in Sharpness in 1939 when the training ship at Gravesend in London had to be closed due to the bombing. At first everybody lived aboard but numbers swelled and a camp was built on the land with lessons run on the ship its' self. It was run just like a ship and discipline was very strict.

The camp and ship remained until 1966 when the school was closed. The ship was towed to Newport for demolition and although there are still some of the buildings discernible in the scrub of the headland it is this monument that really indicates it was ever here.

On the west side of the dock is a small shop that sells little bits and pieces and this was the headquarters of the school. The next nearest shop is on the east side, going over the high level bridge and going straight on over the old railway sidings and then turning right at the big ex-pub, down the road past the Pier View Hotel, children's playground and village hall to the junction turn left and just up there is the post office stories.

The view of the docks from the high level bridge. The ship on the left had just finished loading grain from the silo. It is the standard Russian ship 'Sormovskiy 3067' from St. Petersburg. On the right is the 'Bonay' that had just finished discharging animal feed pellets. Shis registered in Liepaja which, as if you didn't know, is in Latvia. They will be sailing out on this evenings tide.