George Billington Lock
George Billington lock in early 1972.
George Billington lock, the first on the navigation when approaching from Evesham, was the third of the new locks to be built. It was constructed in November and December 1969, with the chamber completed and gates hung by the 15th December 1969. This new lock took the place of the lower Harvington lock, the remains of which can be found on the left bank a few hundred metres downstream. The water level up to Harvington lock is now controlled by the weir/ford that crosses from Anchor Meadow to the Fish and Anchor Inn, at Offenham.
Following the completion of the lock, a water main was lowered under the upstream lock cut and a bridge built to accommodate a right of way across Anchor Meadow. The remains of lower Harvington weir were removed in January 1970 and a substantial programme of dredging undertaken to provide a navigable depth above and below George Billington lock.
On the 30th May 1970 the first boat, Stan Clover’s tug Sharpness, navigated up to and through the George Billington lock, minutes after the downstream lock cut had been opened up to the river.
This photograph is one of a series showing the construction of the navigation works for two periods during the ‘restoration’. The first period covers May 1969 to the end of July 1970, during which time the first three locks; George Billington, Harvington (Robert Aickman) and Marlcliff (I.W.A.) were built. The second period was June 1971 to June 1972 which spanned the construction of Barton (Elsie & Hiram Billington), Luddington (Stan Clover) and Stratford (Colin P. Witter) Locks.
The Upper Avon from Evesham to a junction with the Southern Stratford Canal, in Stratford on Avon, was restored to through navigation by the Upper Avon Navigation Trust between 1969 and 1974, when it was formally re-opened by the Queen Mother. The navigation had been abandoned in the 19th Century and very little of the former navigation works remained. It was made navigable again by building nine new locks and three new weirs and by dredging a substantial length of the river to provide a navigable depth.
George Billington Lock
George Billington lock in early 1972.
George Billington lock, the first on the navigation when approaching from Evesham, was the third of the new locks to be built. It was constructed in November and December 1969, with the chamber completed and gates hung by the 15th December 1969. This new lock took the place of the lower Harvington lock, the remains of which can be found on the left bank a few hundred metres downstream. The water level up to Harvington lock is now controlled by the weir/ford that crosses from Anchor Meadow to the Fish and Anchor Inn, at Offenham.
Following the completion of the lock, a water main was lowered under the upstream lock cut and a bridge built to accommodate a right of way across Anchor Meadow. The remains of lower Harvington weir were removed in January 1970 and a substantial programme of dredging undertaken to provide a navigable depth above and below George Billington lock.
On the 30th May 1970 the first boat, Stan Clover’s tug Sharpness, navigated up to and through the George Billington lock, minutes after the downstream lock cut had been opened up to the river.
This photograph is one of a series showing the construction of the navigation works for two periods during the ‘restoration’. The first period covers May 1969 to the end of July 1970, during which time the first three locks; George Billington, Harvington (Robert Aickman) and Marlcliff (I.W.A.) were built. The second period was June 1971 to June 1972 which spanned the construction of Barton (Elsie & Hiram Billington), Luddington (Stan Clover) and Stratford (Colin P. Witter) Locks.
The Upper Avon from Evesham to a junction with the Southern Stratford Canal, in Stratford on Avon, was restored to through navigation by the Upper Avon Navigation Trust between 1969 and 1974, when it was formally re-opened by the Queen Mother. The navigation had been abandoned in the 19th Century and very little of the former navigation works remained. It was made navigable again by building nine new locks and three new weirs and by dredging a substantial length of the river to provide a navigable depth.