Seven of the UK's best canal walks thetimes.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thetimes.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Decay and ruin have had a bad press. They can be fascinating, as visitors to the Purton Ships Graveyard by the River Severn in Gloucestershire have attested to.
Whether you’re hoping for a leisurely long weekend or action-packed mid-week break in gorgeous Gloucestershire, SoGlos has handpicked some perfect ideas for spending three days in the county.
Whether you’re hoping for a leisurely long weekend or action-packed mid-week break in gorgeous Gloucestershire, SoGlos has handpicked some perfect ideas for spending three days in the county.
Handpicked by the team of journalists at SoGlos, The Gloucestershire Bucket List is the definitive collection of 100 ultimate things to do in the county.
1. Arlingham There are a variety of walks available, taking in different parts of the horseshoe. Notable features in the area include Hock Cliff, famous for its fossils. Arlingham s two pubs, The Red Lion and The Old Passage, are worth a visit while you are in the area. 2. Purton Hulks One of the Purton Hulks on the banks of the River Severn The ships graveyard on the banks of the Severn at Purton is a remarkable sight, and steeped in history. This area is a favourite of photographers and it is not hard to see why. The footpath down to Sharpness Marina runs between the Severn and the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal.
Photographers have snapped some brilliant images of the ship graveyard Purton Hulks in Berkeley over the last few years, a fantastic location for a day out in the sun. Dan Rose, Nik Hill and Sue Cobb captured the rusting hulls and chains of purposely abandoned ships that were beached to reinforce the bank of the River Severn. In 1909, the river bank in Purton collapsed, leaving the Gloucester and Sharpness canal open to erosion from the Severn’s strong currents. The solution: to beach barges, trows and schooners on the bank and make holes in them, allowing the tides to deposit silt inside.