Gloucester and the Docks.

Gypsy Rover at Arlebrook House, Standish near Gloucester.

Arlebrook House CL

Last night we finally got what the weather girls had been forecasting, thunder and lightening with heavy rain, the latter lasting all night. This morning was just light shower’s until it came time for us to go and catch the bus, then the skies opened up again with more heavy rain. We sat it out for an hour by which time the rain stopped and we could walk up to the bus stop without getting saturated.

National Waterways Museum in Gloucester

Gloucester Dock's old steam powered dredger.

Today’s destination was Gloucester and the Dock’s. We never made it down the Gloucester and  Sharpness Canal in Gypsy Rover so we completed the task by road instead. Very similar to the Liverpool Docks with the old derelict warehouses and some which had been converted to apartments. We called into the British Waterways Museum  where the staff were put out that we weren’t actually visiting the museum. When we enlightened them to the fact we had lived the canal life for 4 years and visited all the other museum’s, their boatman’s cabin was nothing new to us. We did pick up some souvenir’s that we hadn’t seen in the other museum’s so they did get some support from us.

Llanthony Secunda Priory near Gloucester Docks.

Light ship from the Spurn sandbank from 1959-85.

On the river was the old lightship from the Spurn sandbank, Humber. This ship had a chequered career as a lightship from 1959 –85. It was then de-commissioned  and used as a tourist attraction in Guernsey, Conwy, Milford Haven and Ireland where it was laid up in 2001 until being rescued from a scrapyard in 2007. Over 3 years it has been restored and renovated to become a complimentary health business. The lightship part still works also.

A mediaeval gate house between the Abbey and Cathedral.

Gloucester Cathedral

Lunch time found us in the new Sainsbury’s supermarket over looking the canal where we had lunch watching the comings and goings on the canal which included 5 narrow boats, one wide beam, a day hire boat and of course the trip boat. Lovely stuff! As we left Sainsbury’s we realised that the Llanthony Road lift bridge was about to open to let the cruise boat through. After the boat had passed through and the bridge was lowered, we crossed over and had a chat with Murray, the BW bridge operator. Like us he was concerned of the way BW were going and that nothing seems to change but at least his job was safe as operating the bridge would not be a job for a volunteer.

Guess who? Yours Truly

Llanthony Lift Bridge by the National Waterways Museum in action

Replica's of the original tramway from Cheltenham to the Gloucester Docks.

Since arriving back at camp the heaven's have once more opened up but no thunder and lightening tonight. At least it will put a smile on the faces of all the farmers.