I left Tewkesbury on the last stretch of the River Avon,
and headed west towards the River Severn. A short distance downstream, was the
rather large Upper Lode Lock. Once I'd gone through this lock, mooring would
become more difficult, and I would need to keep on going.
So I'm now traveling down the tidal part of the River Severn, south of Tewkesbury
and I'm on my way to Gloucester. Main priority, is to keep up with the flow, and
watch out for floating debris. I'd been advised by the lock-keeper that
floating debris could be small branches, right the way up to fridges, or even whole
trees, that naturally move on the tides from out at sea. I was pleased I'd
opted for a more powerful engine, as I could really feel the water flowing.
It's been okay so far, I haven't hit anything, which is always a bonus! It's a long
time to stand on your feet, on the stern of a boat. It took me two and a half
hours continuously heading south, but finally I turn the corner, and there was Gloucester Lock.
Currently sat inside Gloucester Lock.
We're just waiting for a cruiser to come in, and then they'll close the doors,
and float us up to the canal. This is the start of the Gloucester and Sharpness
Canal, and the sheer size of everything, was very impressive. Obviously with this
being a big lock, It's taking a long time to fill up.
The lock opens out into Gloucester Docks. Once the deepest and widest in the world,
it's now lined by brick warehouses. This warehouse, positioned to the north of the
main basin, was the first to be built, and was completed in time for the canals
opening in 1827. They were built to store grain, transported in large ships and
they needed to be strong to store the huge quantities of cargo. Within the basin
there are a number of mooring pontoons, all with 48-hour limits. Nearby, a water,
pump out, waste, and sanitary disposal. A number of restaurants and a gym line the
basin, so plenty of entertainment. The Main Basin became so busy during the
1840s, ships queued up waiting in the canal for places to offload their cargo.
So Victoria Dock was built in 1849, which is now home to long-term moorers.
Within walking distance to the main city of Gloucester, with all the normal
amenities, to the north of the city is the grand Gloucester Cathedral.
It's the burial place of King Edward II, and Walter de Lacy. Harry Potter
fans may recognise various corridors of the Cathedral, as it was one of the
principal filming locations for Hogwarts. I came down to the Gloucester area as it
was the closest I could get to my mum, who lives in South Wales. I was really
nervous about showing her my new boat, as I knew how concerned she'd been for many
months. [Mum] I'm Jono's mum, and here I am, doing something for the first time in my
life, I never thought would happen. I'm actually steering my son's pride and joy,
his own narrowboat. When he first told me that he wanted to,
sell his house, and buy a narrowboat, I must admit, I nearly had hysterics. We had a
few strong words, I must admit, when I thought of the years I had spent
supporting him in every way. But then, after months of trying to understand the
appeal of a floating home, when I saw his first YouTube video, and realised, what a
happy, healthy, and confident person he had now become, obviously loving his new
lifestyle. I began to think very differently.
So it was the power of YouTube, and Episode 1 of this channel, that changed her mind. She saw me in
action, she could see how I'd changed my life, and how I thoroughly enjoy my new lifestyle
afloat. Unlike today, when the weather's been a bit on and off all day, it was a
fantastic day, and we thoroughly enjoyed going up and down the canal and enjoying the
Gloucestershire countryside. Plus, she wants to come back again! Thanks mum, and
phew! Come on Mol.
So what next, well I'm going to carry on right to the very end
of Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, where I'm going to turn around, film and
document everything all the way back up to Gloucester, and then for the second
time I'm going to head out onto the River Severn. But this time travel north, and
go past Worcester, and then I'm going to go back up onto the canal past
Wolverhampton, and then I'm going to end up somewhere on the Shropshire Union Canal.
In the next episode I discuss another essential to living afloat, and
that's water. How I store it on board, and how I use technology, to monitor my usage.
Don't forget to click Subscribe to follow my journey. See you next time.