Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.

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 :

Cropthorne Mill beside Fladbury Lock on the Lower Avon

Related Articles

• Shakespeare's Avon
• Cruise the Bardic Ring

Related Books

• Waterways to Stratford by Charles Hadfield and John Norris, Edition: 1st, 176 pages, Published by David & Charles, in 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, in 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 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 .
• To Maintain and Improve by David H Burlingham, ISBN: 0 7524 1756 8, 160 pages, Published by Tempus, in 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, in 1969,

Related videos

• The Lower Avon Navigation Trust - 50th Anniversary (1950 to 2000) , 57 minutes 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 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: Wyre Lock Cruiser on river
• Lower Avon Navigation: Fladbury Lock Cropthorne Mill beside Fladbury Lock
• Lower Avon Navigation: Fladbury Lock Lock moorings
• Lower Avon Navigation: Bredon Mooring and holiday homes

Related External Web Sites

• Sankey Marine River Avon marina services.

Related Cruising Logs

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

Other Related Pages

• Cruising Times
• Introducing Route Planning
• My Holidays on Inland Waterways - Cruise XIV

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	1	N	SP041438	150
Workman Bridge, Evesham			0.1	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.

 

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.