Lower Avon Navigation

Description: Runs from Evesham (where it joins the Upper Avon Navigation) to Tewkesbury where in joins the Severn.

History: Was in the hands of the Perrotts of Craycombe, Fladbury until 1924 when William Fisher took over and formed the Lower Avon Navigation Company. Later it was transferred to John Whitehouse of Evesham, then , in 1949, to C D Barwell. On 1 August 1950 the Lower Avon Navigation Trust Ltd was formed to restore the river. Avon Lock at Tewksbury had two new gates fitted in 1952 and repairs were done to the lock chamber. In 1953 Chadbury lock rebuilt by the Royal Engineers. The following year Wyre lock, weirs and sluice gates extensively repaired and restored and in 1955 work started on deepening Pershore Lock, which was deepened by three feet, new gates fitted and the navigation arches of the old bridge deepened by 1956. Fladbury Lock was deepened by three feet in 1958 and in 1961 Cropthorne/Fladbury water gate was removed and the channel deepened. The whole navigation, from Evesham to Tewksbury, was formally reopened on 10 June 1962.
For more details see the History page

Waterway Group: This waterway is part of the River Avon (Warwick)

Navigation Authority: : Lower Avon Navigation Trust Ltd, Mill Wharf, Mill Lane, Wyre Piddle, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 2JF : Telephone 01386 552517 :

Related Articles

• Shakespeare's Avon
• Cruise the Bardic Ring

• Waterways to Stratford by Charles Hadfield & John Norris , Edition: 1st 176 pages, Published by David & Charles 1962 The History of the Avon, canal and tramway routes to Stratford.

• Gongoozlers at the Gate by Kathleen Balchin , ISBN 0 9530511 0 2 :144 pages, Published by Silverswan 1997 The author and her husband spent three years in the 1980s as lock keepers at Tewkesbury on the Lower Avon. This is an account of their time there. Order now from .

• Pearson's Canal and River Companion: Severn and Avon by Michael Pearson , Edition: Fifth ISBN 0 907864 99 6 :96 pages, Published by J M Pearson & Son 2003 This edition now also contains details of the Cotswold Canals (i.e. the Stroudwater and Thames & Severn canals) and the the River Thames above Oxford. Order now from .

• To Maintain and Improve by David H Burlingham , ISBN 0 7524 1756 8 :160 pages, Published by Tempus 2000 The history of the Lower Avon Trust and their restoraton work on the river. Order now from .

• The Canals of the West Midlands (2nd Ed) by Charles Hadfield , 352 pages, Published by Augustus M Kelley 1 1969

Related Videos

• The Lower Avon Navigation Trust - 50th Anniversary (1950 to 2000) 57 minutes approx., Produced by VideoActive A Celebration of the River Avon and the Trust that restored it and manages it today. This video tells the official story of the restoration, complete with photos supplied by those involved and concludes with a journey along the River. £1.00 from each video purchased will be donated, by VideoActive, to the Lower Avon Navigation Trust. Available on tape and DVD. Order on video tape from Order on DVD from

Related Photographs

• Lower Avon Navigation: Tewkesbury Lock
• Lower Avon Navigation: Pershore Lock Old bridge with boat coming through
• Lower Avon Navigation: Wyre Lock A lock full of boats
• Lower Avon Navigation: Between Wyre Lock and Fladbury Lock Cruiser on river
• Lower Avon Navigation: Fladbury Lock Fladbury Mill
• Lower Avon Navigation: Fladbury Lock Lock moorings
• Lower Avon Navigation: Bredon Mooring and holiday homes

Related External Web Sites

• Evesham Marina : Boat hire on the River Avon and the Stratford Canal.

Related Cruising Logs

• 24th June 1995
• 25th June 1995
• 2nd July 1997
• 18th August 1999
• 25th August 1999
• 21st June 2001
• 16th June 2005
• 17th June 2005

Other Related Pages

• Introducing Route Planning : An introduction to planning a cruise route.
• My Holidays on Inland Waterways - Cruise XIV : The Warwickshire Avon. By P Bonthron. First published 1916.
• Cruising Times

Lock Sizes and maximum craft dimensions: Lock sizes vary but the maximum craft size for navigating the whole waterway is: length 70 foot, beam 13 foot 6 inchs. NOTE: For more details of maximum lock and craft sizes and the basis of these figures see Craft and Lock Sizes Page

Lower Avon Navigation: Table of distances			Miles	Locks	Navigable (N)	Grid ref	OS Map No
Evesham Lock	Junction with Upper Avon		0.0	1	N	SP041438	150
Workman Bridge, Evesham			.1	1	N	SP040436	150
Chadbury Lock			1.9	2	N	SP025460	150
Fladbury Lock			4.8	3	N	SO998461	150
Wyre Lock			8.9	4	N	SO959469	150
Pershore Lock			9.9	5	N	SO952455	150
Nafford Lock			15.4	6	N	SO940418	150
Eckington Bridge			16.9	6	N	SO922423	150
Strensham Lock			19.9	7	N	SO915404	150
Bredon			20.9	7	N	SO920373	150
Twyning Fleet (Inn)			21.9	7	N	SO904365	150
Tewkesbury Lock	Also called Avon Lock		24.4	8	N	SO893331	150
River Severn Junction	Junction with River Severn		24.6	8	N	SO888331	150

NOTE: N and U in the Navigable column above indicates that the node is navigable or unnavigable. If a D appears here it means that navigation is difficult or restricted to smaller craft.

 

Upper Avon

Description: Runs from Stratford to Evesham where it joins the Lower Avon.

History: Before the restoration of navigation the last barge is said to have navigated this part of the river in 1873.
For more details see the History page

Waterway Group: This waterway is part of the River Avon (Warwick)

Navigation Authority: : Upper Avon Navigation Trust Ltd, Mill Wharf, Mill Lane, Wyre Piddle, Pershore Worcs., WR10 2JF: Telephone 01386 552517 :

Junction of the Stratford upon Avon Canal and Avon

Related Articles

• Shakespeare's Avon
• Cruise the Bardic Ring

Related Books

• Waterways to Stratford by Charles Hadfield & John Norris , Edition: 1st 176 pages, Published by David & Charles 1962 The History of the Avon, canal and tramway routes to Stratford.

• Pearson's Canal and River Companion: Severn and Avon by Michael Pearson , Edition: Fifth ISBN 0 907864 99 6 :96 pages, Published by J M Pearson & Son 2003 This edition now also contains details of the Cotswold Canals (i.e. the Stroudwater and Thames & Severn canals) and the the River Thames above Oxford. Order now from .

• The Canals of the West Midlands (2nd Ed) by Charles Hadfield , 352 pages, Published by Augustus M Kelley 1 1969

Related Photographs

• Upper Avon: Stratford Bridge Boat on Avon approaching canal basin lock
• Upper Avon: Stratford Bridge Boats in basin lock - swans going out of lock
• Upper Avon: Stratford Bridge Trip boat by the Royal Shakespeare Theatre
• Upper Avon: Luddington Lock
• Upper Avon: E & H Billington Lock
• Upper Avon: Stratford Lock Colin P Witter Lock
• Warwickshire: Stratford-upon-Avon Ferry across the Avon
• Warwickshire: Stratford-upon-Avon Boats and RSC Theatre
• Warwickshire: Stratford-upon-Avon River Avon
• Warwickshire: Bidford-on-Avon

Related External Web Sites

• Evesham Marina : Boat hire on the River Avon and the Stratford Canal.

Related Cruising Logs

• 21st June 1995
• 23rd June 1995
• 4th July 1997
• 15th August 1999
• 17th August 1999
• 23rd June 2001
• 20th June 2005

Other Related Pages

• Introducing Route Planning : An introduction to planning a cruise route.
• My Holidays on Inland Waterways - Cruise XIV : The Warwickshire Avon. By P Bonthron. First published 1916.
• Cruising Times

Lock Sizes and maximum craft dimensions: Lock sizes vary but the maximum size of craft navigating the river is length 70 foot, beam 12 foot 6 inches. NOTE: For more details of maximum lock and craft sizes and the basis of these figures see Craft and Lock Sizes Page

Upper Avon: Table of distances			Miles	Locks	Navigable (N)	Grid ref	OS Map No
Stratford Bridge	Junctions with Higher Avon Navigation and Stratford upon Avon Canal		0.0	0	N	SP205547	151
Stratford Lock			.5	1	N	SP202542	151
Weir Brake Lock			.6	2	N	SP198535	151
Luddington Lock			3.3	3	N	SP166523	151
Binton Bridge			5.1	3	N	SP144530	151
W A Cadbury Lock	Previously Welford Lock		6.3	4	N	SP143520	151
Pilgrim Lock	Previously Grange Lock. Now named after the Pilgrim Trust.		8.0	5	N	SP118515	150
E & H Billington Lock	Previously Barton Lock		8.9	6	N	SP107513	150
Bidford Bridge	Bidford-upon-Avon		9.5	6	N	SP099517	150
I. W. A. Lock	Previously Marlcliffe Lock		10.8	7	N	SP088506	150
Robert Aickman Lock	Previously Harvington Lock		13.6	8	N	SP066477	150
George Billington Lock	Previously Offenham Lock. Now named after a man whose donation enabled volunteers to build the lock. He died of an incurable disease within a week of the locks opening.		14.3	9	N	SP064471	150
Offenham			16.0	9	N	SP049457	150
Evesham	Junction with Lower Avon Navigation		18.3	9	N	SP041438	150

NOTE: N and U in the Navigable column above indicates that the node is navigable or unnavigable. If a D appears here it means that navigation is difficult or restricted to smaller craft.

 

 

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.