This trip is a short and pleasant one, giving the paddler a brief and easy experience around the beautiful old town of Tewkesbury, using both the main river and a side stream.
Start: Lower Lode is reached from the centre of Tewkesbury by heading south, as signposted, towards the A38. At the obvious Council Offices on the right side, fork right down a minor road. Lower Lode is signposted and reached after half a mile. There is a picnic spot here, and also at the pub over the other side of the river. Tewkesbury is near Junction 9 on the M5, and it has the usual facilities such as toilets and cafes, etc.
There is not any easy way off the water during this trip, so make sure you want to do it before setting off.
Lower Lode is a public launch point, slipway and parking area (the name is used for both the ferry point and the stream which emerges here into the River Severn). In summer months, a small passenger ferry plies back and forth here, mainly to the pub on the opposite bank. Two factors will affect the time to paddle the trail: any possible wind and the flow of the river.
Do not attempt if the river is very high, as paddling against the flow will be difficult or impossible. If there is a high wind against you, paddling this distance would be very difficult. The official tidal limit is at Maisemore Weir, 5 miles below Haw Bridge, above Gloucester. BUT, at spring high tides, the tidal effect can be felt up to Tewkesbury. Therefore, paddling during or just after stormy weather is not advised.
The Severn is one of the longest rivers in England, rising in Wales, and giving well over 100 miles of very paddleable water. It does not end in an industrial conurbation as do the Thames and Trent, and the towns upon its lowest reaches are all worth visiting: Worcester, Tewkesbury, and Gloucester. With experience, a very enjoyable paddling-camping trip can be had upon the Severn. Below Stourport, the Severn is canalised, and then one comes across a series of very large weirs at islands, each with an attendant lock on the other side.
As the river valley broadens out near Worcester, the river is subject to great flooding in wet winters, one of the main reasons for there being few villages or towns on the river. This trip overcomes two of the main problems in paddling the lower Severn – that of the very high banks and difficulty of access, and also undertaking a short trip, as access points from roads can be few and far between.
Tewkesbury is a gem of a town, with its Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary being the second-largest parish church in England. It was consecrated in 1121.
Further useful information can be found on the following websites:
