Gloucester & Sharpness Canal
In 1794 work began on the construction of Gloucester Docks and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. The canal was originally planned between Gloucester & Berkeley, however, it was decided that it would be better to exit into the Severn at Sharpness. The canal was completed and opened in 1827 and was designed as a broad port-serving ship canal.
Work began in 1794 on building Gloucester dock basin and completion of the main basin was in 1799. Gloucester Lock opened from the dock basin into the River Severn in 1812.
Today there are 56 Grade II listed buildings or structures along the canal, including mileposts, locks, warehouses, houses and the bridge keeper's cottages with their classic neo classical facades and fluted Doric columns.
Character
From Gloucester Docks in the north to Sharpness in the south, the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal passes through a variety of different landscape character areas. The main characteristic landscape of the canal are the willow pollards that run predominately from Fretherne to Sharpness.
Protection areas
The Gloucester & Sharpness Canal has a range of statutory and non-statutory wildlife sites of international, national and local importance. The whole of the canal is designated as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS) in Gloucestershire and other areas of reference are County Wildlife Sites (CWS). One of the major protected areas along the canal are the salt marshes along the southern part of the canal.
The estuary and its associated mud flats and salt marshes from Tites point River Severn to below Sharpness are designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Protection Area for birds (SPA) and a Ramsar Site (a wetland of international importance).
At Purton on low tides the geological fish bone rocks of international importance that form part of the protected status can be seen.
On the salt marshes there are remnants of the lighters that were used for ferrying cargo up and down the canal. These remnants now provide protection for the salt marsh as well as wildlife shelter and habitat.
Other County Wildlife Sites along the canal are Purton timber ponds once used to store the timber that was a dominant trade of the canal. These ponds are designated due to the bird life that they support both in the summer and winter, a key species is the cetti's warbler, other warblers that are present are both the reed and sedge warblers.
The canal is the only boundary between the salt marshes and the ponds. Another important KWS is further north just outside Gloucester at Monk Meadow. The flora at this site is diverse and notable species present are the Bee Orchid and Grass Vetchling.
Protected fauna and flora
Among the protected fauna species that can be found along the canal and in adjacent water courses are otters and water voles. There are various locations along the canal where these species have left evidence of their presence.
Water voles have been identified only on adjacent water courses. The reason for the sightings not being on the canal could well be due to the retaining bank protection on the sides of the canal which is made of steel piling.
Otters have been located to the southern part of the canal where it is more rural and not so urbanised.
Flora that is evident on the canal includes the Wasp Orchid and Bee Orchid.
Water Quality
The water quality in the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal is largely determined by the input it receives from adjacent watercourses. The largest input is the River Severn which connects to the canal via locks at Gloucester and Sharpness. Impounding pumps, situated at Gloucester, draw water from the River Severn to supply the canal for its various uses. The main natural feeder streams are the River Cam and the River Frome which enter the canal from the east. Other inputs to the canal come from smaller watercourses, land drains and storm water drains in Gloucester. The water quality in the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal is good which makes it suitable to extract and treat for public supply, to support high-class coarse fisheries and use for water-based recreation such as angling and boating.