On the Severn

 Wednesday July 7 Stourport to Worcester (13 miles, 7 locks)

Worcester Cathedral through the arch of Worcester Bridge

We had a relaxed start to our day and waited for showers to abate, before we set off down the two wide locks onto the River Severn. We descended with a hire boat, and enjoyed the river as we passed the mile to Lincomb Lock, past caravan parks and Stourport Marina.

The hire boat stopped at Hampstall Inn, which had been recommended to us for its food. We continued along three more bosky miles, past the large Lenchford Inn to Holt Lock. John rang them on the way, as the lock keepers have no view upriver.

Below Holt Lock are two more riverside pubs with mooring pontoons, The Holt Fleet and the Wharf Inn, after which we followed the quiet, wooded banks for three miles to the Droitwich Barge Canal river lock on a bend, just over half a mile before Bevere Lock. 

Eight wide locks take boats up to Droitwich, where the wide Barge Lock in Vines Park (where you can moor safely) a further seven narrow locks take you up to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.

We  continued the final four miles through Bevere Lock. All three river locks drop you only about 5-7 feet, so the boat is not pulled about much by water. We used ropes around vertical metal wire risers to hold Annie against the lock wall.

You have a long introduction to Worcester, past the racecourse, rowing club, under Sabrina Bridge and the old stonework of Worcester Bridge, cricket ground and Cathedral!

Passing Diglis Locks, John turned Annie upstream and moored to the lock pontoon while Liana opened the bottom gates by herself. They were new and heavy. We were then asked to wait for a hire boat, which duly arrived and entered the lock with aplomb.

We moored on the right on the canal, close to the basin, before the water point, as we need to turn tomorrow. John got his secateurs out, as the tap was overgrown by ivy!

We had a long walk into and around the town centre, did some shopping, then walked back along the riverside (for a change?) and around the basin, back to Annie. We stopped off for a drink at the Diglis Hotel.

Wimbledon, reading and the England v Denmark match kept us busy, after steak for tea.