Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.

Gloucester & Sharpness Ship Canal

Description: Runs from almost 17 miles from Gloucester to Sharpness.

History: Promoted by Acts of 1793, 1797,1805, 1818, 1822 and 1825.Opened 1n 1827. Originally called the Gloucester & Berkley Canal its southern terminus was changed to Sharpness in 1818.
For more details see the History page.

Navigation Authority: MD's Office: Southern Waterways, General Manager: South West Waterways, Alexandra Warehouse, West Quay, The Dock, Gloucester GL2 2LG : Telephone 01452 318000 : Fax 01452 318076 :

Gloucester Docks

Related Books

• The Canals of South and South East England by Charles Hadfield, ISBN: 0 7153 4693 8, 393 pages, Published by David & Charles, in 1969, Order now from .
• The Gloucester & Sharpness Canal and Robert Mylne by Christopher Gotch, ISBN: 0 9518011 12, 200 pages, Published by Lantern Press, in 1993, This book has been extensively researched but is definitely pro Mylne in its presentation and conculsions. An A4 softback book. Illustrated.. Order now from .
• The Gloucester & Sharpness Canal by Hugh Conway-Jones, ISBN: 0 7524 1709 6, 128 pages, Published by Tempus, in 1999, Canal history in old photographs. Part of the Images of England Series.. Order now from .
• Nicholson/Ordnance Survey Guide to the waterways - 2 by Not known, ISBN: 978-0-00-728161-9, 170 pages, Published by Nicholson, in 2009, Severn, Avon and Birmingham. Includes the BCN, Gloucester & Sharpness, Severn, Staffordshire & Worcester Canal, Stourbridge, Dudley, Stratford-on-Avon and Worcester & Birmingham canals.. Order now from .
• Pearson's Canal Companion: Severn and Avon by Michael Pearson, Edition: Sixth, ISBN: 978 09 5491165 2, 96 pages, Published by J M Pearson & Son, in 2006, 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 Gloucester & Sharpness Canal by Hugh Conway-Jones, Edition: 2nd, ISBN: 0 7524 2789 X, 192 pages, Published by Tempus, in 2003, An illustrated history of the canal.. Order now from .

Related photographs

• Gloucester & Sharpness Ship Canal: Gloucester Docks Bantam Tug "Walsall" in the Waterways Museum
• Gloucester & Sharpness Ship Canal - Gloucester Waterways Museum - The Docks
• Gloucester & Sharpness Ship Canal: Patch bridge

Related External Web Sites

• The National Waterways Museum The major waterways museums located at Gloucester Docks, Ellesmere Port and Stoke Bruerne.
• Saul Canal Festival Saul Canal Festival is the new title for what was once known as the Saul Junction Boat Gathering.
• Gloucester Quays Details of the plans to develop the land beside the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal adjacent to Gloucester Docks.
• R W Davis Company A company that has been building boats at Saul Junction since 1887.
• The Gloucester - Sharpness Canal Page Things of interest on and near the Gloucester to Sharpness Canal for boaters and other visitors.
• Saul Junction Boat Owners Club Located at Saul Junction, where the Stroudwater meets the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.
• Gloucester Docks and the Sharpness Canal This site highlights the main features of Gloucester Docks and the 16 mile ship canal link to Sharpness and the sea. Brief details are given about the history of what can be seen today, with many comparisons of old and current views.
• Simpsons Boats Narrowboat builder based at Sharpness.

Related Cruising Logs

• 27th June 1995
• 23rd June 1997
• 1st July 1997
• 20th August 1999
• 16th June 2001
• 11th June 2005

Other Related Pages

• Cruising Times
• My Holidays on Inland Waterways - Cruise II

Lock Sizes and maximum craft dimensions: Length 240 foot, beam 30 foot. NOTE: For more details of maximum lock and craft sizes and the basis of these figures see Craft and Lock Sizes Page

Gloucester & Sharpness Ship Canal: Table of distances			Miles	Locks	Navigable (N)	Grid ref	OS Map No
Gloucester Lock	Junction with River Severn Bascule Bridge over the Lock		0	1	N	SO826185	162
Gloucester Docks	Water area of 14 acres		0.1	1	N	SO827183	162
Llanthony Road Bridge			0.4	1	N	SO826181	162
Monk Meadow Dock			0.6	1	N	SO823175	162
Monk Meadow Wharf			0.9	1	N	SO822172	162
Hempstead Bridge			1.5	1	N	SO819164	162
Sims Bridge			2.4	1	N	SO809155	162
Rea Bridge			2.8	1	N	SO805151	162
Quedgeley Oil Depot			4	1	N	SO795141	162
Sellars Bridge	Pilot Inn		4.1	1	N	SO796135	162
Hardwicke Bridge site			4.9	1	N	SO789127	162
Parkend Bridge			6.1	1	N	SO777106	162
Site of Pegthorne Bridge	Bridge removed		6.8	1	N	SO767103	162
Saul Junction	Junction with Stroudwater Canal Junction with the Stroudwater Canal, which is currently being restored.		7.8	1	N	SO756093	162
Sandfield Bridge	Grain Silos		8.1	1	N	SO753090	162
Fretherne Bridge	Cadbury's Factory		8.9	1	N	SO746085	162
Splatt Bridge			9.8	1	N	SO742067	162
Cambridge Feeder Branch			11	1	N	SO738051	162
Ryalls Bridge			11.1	1	N	SO737050	162
Patch bridge			11.9	1	N	SO727043	162
Purton Upper Bridge			14.3	1	N	SO692042	162
Purton Lower Bridge			14.4	1	N	SO691044	162
Purton Timber Pond			15	1	N	SO684040	162
Severn Railway Bridge Site	Former railway crossing		15.3	1	N	SO678033	162
Junction with Old Line			15.4	1	N	SO674030	162
High and Low Level Swing Bridges	Sharpness Docks entrance, water area 20 acres.		15.5	1	N	SO673027	162
Sharpness Lock			15.9	2	N	SO669022	162
Tidal Basin Gates	Junction with River Severn		16.3	2	N	SO667021	162

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.