What's going on at Lydney?

bitbaltic

bitbaltic

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On the pontoons the other day I heard that Lydney was closed to visiting yachts for the foreseeable future, and the club website seems to confirm this (www.lydneyyachtclub.com):

The reason for this is lack of water from the Lyd but more obviously a massive leak in the harbour gates allowing the outer harbour to almost dry.
Click to expand...

Seems a pity as we're cruising this week and would liked to have visited..... The Bristol Channel doesn't need a second Watchet. Does anybody know what's happening and if the situation will get fixed?

Cheers
 
Called in at Lydney on Sunday afternoon, driving home from a weekend camping in the Cotswolds. Luckily got there right at low tide. The outer basin is indeed drained down and a slow stream of water is escaping the lock gates. A lonely yacht is sitting there on mud and there's a chain all around the basin with signs saying it has been 'drained for maintenance'. No suggestion if/when it will be repaired/available.

The inner basin seems fine and there were various folk there working on local boats but it does not appear to have much in the way of spare moorings so I suppose this is why it can't accommodate visitors. There is a very considerable collection of hulks in the upper part of the basin!

There were LOADS of people there for a a scenic walk with kids/dog, in fact we struggled to get a parking space, it's a pity there isn't more of a facility for them.

IMG_0643.jpg
 
Apparently Lydney harbour is water-tight once more :triumphant:. Lydney Rally is this coming weekend 9/10 July. It's always a great weekend that I take care not to miss.

Entering Lydney is such a buzz. The satisfaction of having done it one more time without hitting anything!
 
Had a wander down there last week. the lock gates seem to be in place for normal working together with the flood gates at the entrance to the basin. Chatted with one boat owner but about his boat rather than what was happening to the harbour. Most of the boats seem to be approaching the end of their lives and in serious need of tlc.

j
 
Couldn't move out in the Bristol Channel without falling over Lydney boats this weekend. Actually, that's a gross exaggeration, but one Lydney boat did pick up the visitor's mooring alongside us in Ilfracombe harbour Saturday night, and when we returned to Swansea the following morning found another waiting for us in Swansea Marina a few berths along from ours :)
 
We visited by road yesterday, hoping to bring our boat up in the next couple of weeks. There's been lots of stuff in the local (Forest of Dean) press about how wonderful things are going to happen at Lydney but they haven't happened yet. The outer gates are stuck 3/4 open, too narrow for me to risk coming in at high tide (14'6" beam on our boat). The inner basin spillway can't seem to cope with the flow of water so the lock is full and water is spilling in some volume over the gates - that can't be good for them. Quite a few of the boats in the inner basin seem derelict - are they paying their dues? One of them has sunk and others seem down on their lines. I do hope the day comes when we can make a proper visit and stay for a while. That day seems a long way off at the moment.
 
I sailed up from Thornbury last Saturday, and we motored in through the gates about 40 minutes before high water, and moored up for a coffee.
The gates were both a bit more than half open, but there was no one around at the club to ask for news.
Still one of my favourite places!
 
We took Calstar up for their Oktoberfest last year. Outer gates were stuck half open of course, but they put us up overnight with five other boats in the inner lock. Hospitality, as always, was wonderful. Very hungover for the trip back to Portishead the following morning :)
 
A few photographs:

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scapegoatsanon.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/night-sail
 
Not surprising piccies. Silt very rapidly builds up so if the lock isnt dredged every so often the gates get stuck. Bullo pill is like that or was last time I went there.
 
Of course. Seeing the dock empty and all that silt explains the gates being jammed half open.
Great photos!
I wonder how deep the mud is now. Would a keel boat sit upright in the mud by one of the ladders? Or is there some rubbish hidden in the mud? I'll try and load the photo I took last Saturday when I get a chance.
 
Sold! - Docks bidder named
Wednesday, 13 July 2016 By Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Review in Local People

TWO years after it was put up for sale, a preferred bidder has been chosen to take over Lydney Docks.
Current owners the Environment Agency narrowed the search down to two local bidders and recently agreed Richard Cook, of Severn and Wye Smokery at Chaxhill, was the man to take the historic asset forward.
Mr Cook said: “We are very honoured and excited to be chosen as the preferred bidder as custodians of Lydney Harbour. It’s too early to say what our plans are for the harbour but we plan to engage with the community, council representatives and the Environment Agency to revitalise an asset that will encourage people to visit one the Severn Estuary’s historic and scenic landmarks.”
Negotiations around the details of the transfer and the associated harbour authority responsibilities are expected to take a while to complete.
Land and water team leader at the Environment Agency, Dane Broomfield said: “In the meantime, we will continue to manage and operate the harbour and work closely with Mr Cook to ensure solid foundations are put in place to support his proposals and secure a smooth transition.
“We are committed to supporting the economic regeneration of the Lydney area through our involvement in the Lydney Coastal Community Team and look forward to hearing Mr Cook’s vision and plans for the harbour and the surrounding area. We have also written to Mark Harper MP to advise him of the situation.
“We will continue to protect the community through the operation and maintenance of the flood risk assets on site throughout the transfer to the new custodian, and once the transfer has been completed.
“Until we have completed negotiations, we are unable to disclose any details of financial arrangements or plans for the area. Any works to the harbour or surrounding area will still be subject to normal planning permission, regulation and consultation process.”
Particularly keen to see how the transfer goes is Rob Campbell who formed ‘The Working Group’ as a way of safeguarding the future of Lydney Docks in 2014.
At the time the Environment Agency said the winning bidder needed £100,000 to carry out improvements and maintenance, which the group attempted to get through fundraising.
Last December the harbour received a cash injection of up to £50,000 as part of the government’s £3m revival fund, after the Forest Council submitted a successful grant application on behalf of the Lydney Coastal Community Team (LCCT).
Mr Campbell said: “The Working Group sincerely hopes that the development around the historic area and canal are to the advantage of the local and, in fact, national community.
“It is of national historic value and therefore an important part of our heritage and it’s hoped that this element is considered to be very important to the new owner.”
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£50,000 Injected! must be some left to get the gates sorted?
Maybe the deal has not been finalized by Mr Cook?
 
I thought the time had come to get some facts so I contacted the harbourmaster whose name and numbers are published on the Lydney Yacht Club website. I should have started there. He was friendly and helpful and I now know the truth. The outer gate motors and mechanism are still in working order but the gates are jammed by silt and cannot be moved. The exact width of the remaining gap between the gates has not been measured but the lock is 30' wide and the gates are about half open. The Environment agency has done nothing to remove the silt but they are now talking about doing something. The inner lock is in working order and is available if needed, and there is some space in the inner basin for visiting boats which can also be accommodated overnight in the lock (as mentioned above).

The harbourmaster was willing to do anything he could to help me and I was really looking forward to visiting Lydney but I would be foolish to try and squeeze our 14'6" beam between the outer gates. I hope there will be another opportunity in the future.
 
Was the outer lock dredged or scoured in Ye Olde Days? We have a few harbours on the Solway, which also has a large tidal range and plenty of mud - which were designed to be washed out by water kept pent up from a burn and then released at low water. Wigtown, Palnackie and Kingholm (Dumfries) all worked this way.
 
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