Sharpness Locks

We pottered off for our roast lunch at the Dockers Club this time into the lounge bar where all the dining tables were already laid out for two, four or six people. A choice of, beef, pork, or chicken was served with roast pots and a very large dish of five types of vegetables. As the main course was so delicious we tried the treacle sponge pudding with custard which was also excellent, as everything being freshly prepared and piping hot. Needless to say the place was packed so the five staff were kept extremely busy. We heard from several sources on the grapevine on our cruise down here that their meals were good, now we can recommend them too! Visitors are asked put 50p each into a box in the hallway to enter the club. Drinks and food are very reasonably priced, there is also TV, Darts, Snooker, gaming machine and a Skittle Alley available there.

ps. Be sure to book for Sunday lunch as there are limited spaces

As it was a beautiful hot sunny day we walked down to the picnic area from where there are views across the estuary and the two bridges over the Severn. I poked the camera through the high fence to get this shot of a dredger resting on the mud on the side of the large Tidal Lock as they seemed to be draining the water out into the channel. The gates between the inner lock and tidal lock were also open. The older silos can be seen in the centre of the picture and the white ones hold cement.

The fifty year old Lightship Sula was moored above the inner lock looking quite stunning after her recent re-paint.

She now has planning permission to moor between Gloucester Docks and High orchard Bridge. if you are interested you can read all about her at       www.lightshiptherapies.net

When we passed by, the Shetland Trader was being relieved of her cargo on the quayside next to these two cranes. All around the docks are the remains of the many railway lines still in place, evidence of a very busy dockyard in the past. Now the dockyards are mainly used for storage of Cement, Coal, Timber, Scrap Metal, Fertilizers, Animal Feed and Minerals.

There are several rows of cottages on either side of the Locks and a small shop. The ones above were probably where the dockworkers used to live.

Bottle was lucky enough to catch a Greater Crested Grebe this morning, as it came past diving continuously for food, with it’s two youngsters.