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Arch. Survey of Severn bank
River Severn bank-side survey: Worcester to Tewkesbury
A new survey was undertaken in 2007-8 focussing on the history of the river
between Worcester and Tewkesbury. This included fieldwork undertaken by boat.
The River Severn is historically the longest river in the country, as well as having
the longest navigable length. River transportation was a principal means of inland
communication in the past and this lasted into the later 19th century. On the
banks of the River Severn there were once major inland ports such as Worcester,
and many other smaller quays. Canals boosted this system from the mid 18th
century; these being a very substantial extension of the pre-existing river
navigation system. The building of locks at Tewkesbury and Diglis raised water
levels to provide improved conditions for navigation from the 1840s.
The river would, therefore, have contributed to the lives of those along its banks
in a variety of ways, typically by supplying goods and work through the cheap
transport that it provided, or by directly providing food through fish-traps, or by
boosting food production through the operation of water meadows. Today,
however, the river is mainly the domain of pleasure boats.
Summary of survey results
Several old finds from the river itself are of great interest because of their
antiquity and because they suggest that the river had a role in the prehistoric
period as a place for votive offerings. Bronze Age weapons have been dredged
from the river just below Diglis (Worcester), from the Teme/Severn confluence,
between Kempsey and Pixham ferries, and at Pixham.
Much of the early history of the river is shrouded in mystery but it begins to
emerge again in the Middle Ages when there are documentary references to the
importance of the river trade on the Severn and, in addition to the quayside at
Worcester, there were smaller quays, for instance at HanleyCastle, and Uptonon-
Severn. Additional quays may also possibly be expected at Clevelode and
Saxons Lode as the ‘lode’ element has been interpreted as indicating a place
where goods could be loaded or unloaded.
Ferries have also been associated with the river from the medieval period
onwards, for instance at Upton. They have also been identified at the Ketch, at
Uckinghall, Kempsey, at Pixham, Clevelode, and Rhydd, though some of sites
may have developed later when the river level was raised through the navigation
improvement works in the 19th century. Some of these may, therefore, have
succeeded earlier fords, which were once a feature of some parts of the river.
Based again on historical evidence several sites of fisheries are known, for
instance at Timberdine (in south Worcester), Powick, Severnstoke and Ripple,
where fish could be trapped. The enormous expanses of flat ground in large
sweeping curves of the river (often termed ‘hams’) lent themselves to the
development of water meadows (for example, at Ripple).
More industrial use of the river comprised the transport of heavy goods, such as
the earthenware pots made at HanleyCastle in medieval times and the porcelain
made in Worcester from the mid 18th century. And industry appeared on its
banks in the form of brick and tile works in the 18th century and later, for instance
just below Diglis, near Pixham, and at Upton. The brickwork structure observed
during the survey by boat was probably part of the loading stage for this type of
works at Mythe Hooke.
The sunken and part-submerged barges that can still be seen at Diglis,
Clerkenleap (Worcester), and at Saxon’s Lode also relate to the long history of
the commercial navigation of the river.
In World War 2 the River Severn played an important part by enabling the
stockpiling of fuel brought in by river, as well as performing a strategic role as
part of a defensive loop around Birmingham (‘the Severn Stop Line’). Oil was the
last regular cargo brought up the river in bulk for delivery to depots on the south
side of Worcester and near Upton-on-Severn.
However, the barge traffic has now resumed with the conveyance of aggregates
from Ripple to Saxon’s Lode.
Conclusion
In spite of the somewhat limited extant archaeological remains on the river banks,
there is a rich documentary legacy. In addition there is still the prospect that
much more evidence of the ancient use of the river remains on the river bed itself
could be revealed, where exploration by diving has previously uncovered
archaeological remains.
This work in 2007-8 has been made possible by a grant from the
Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) administered through English
Heritage. Thanks are especially due to the Worcester Sub-Aqua Club who
kindly provided and manned the boat used in the field survey. It is intended
that a full report will be made available in due course.