Lydney Harbour

Lydney Harbour is next to the River Severn in Gloucestershire.

Contacts

Harbour master: David Frodin

Telephone: 07920 837248 (normal office hours only)

Email: hmlydney@environment-agency.gov.uk

Address:  Harbour Office, Lydney Harbour, Harbour Road, Lydney, Gloucestershire, GL15 4ER

Twitter: @hmlydney

VHF Channel 37 (Monitored only during expected movements)

Environment Agency: 03708 506 506.

Environment Agency 24 hour incident hotline: 0800 80 70 60

Find out about call charges.

Annual mooring licences 2023/2024 - existing customers only

We are sending out our renewal proposals and information about the new terms and conditions for mooring at Lydney Harbour to our customers in the post and by email. You will also receive details of how you can securely manage your account online and pay by card at the harbour or over the telephone. We very much appreciate your cooperation as we develop the harbour.

Please can all customers send in updated contact details including name, full postal address, telephone number, email address and boat name.

Email: hmlydney@environment-agency.gov.uk

Text message or WhatsApp: 07920837248

Please note - we are currently not accepting applications for new mooring licences but hope to do so later this year once new moorings have been installed.

Lydney harbour mooring licence 2023/2024 terms and conditions

• Terms and conditions for annual mooring licences at Lydney harbour

Please note - we are not currently accepting new applications for annual mooring licences within the harbour.  These terms and conditions are for the information of our existing customers and to inform future ones.  You may contact the harbour master by email to be added to the waiting list for an annual mooring.

Powered watercraft (PWC)

A new order regarding powered watercraft (PWC) applies in all UK waters including those managed by Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHAs).   It extends the ability of the statutory harbour authority for Lydney Harbour to regulate the use of powered watercraft in their harbour limits through Harbour Directions.  Further information is in this press release:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/warning-for-powered-watercraft-users-as-new-legislation-comes-into-force

Port Marine Safety Code – Duty Holder

Lydney Harbour is ‘on a journey’ towards compliance with the Port Marine Safety Code for UK harbour authorities.  The Environment Agency is the statutory harbour authority for Lydney Harbour.  As part of compliance with the Code, a duty holder has now been appointed.  The duty holders under the Code are individually and collectively accountable for compliance with the Code and their performance in ensuring safe marine operations in the harbour and approaches to the harbour.  The duty holders have recently carried out training for this role and will shortly be appointing a designated person who will monitor and report on compliance with the Code. Contact details for the designated person will be announced soon.

The duty holder can be contacted via pmsc.dutyholder.lh@environment-agency.gov.uk for matters relating to safe marine operations.  Normal operational matters should continue to be addressed to the harbour master.

There will be further updates on the website for the harbour and social media in due course (www.gov.uk/guidance/lydney-harbour) as we move towards compliance.

Port Marine Safety Code – Designated Person

The Environment Agency is the Statutory Harbour Authority for Lydney Harbour and as such has a responsibility to ensure a safe environment for the general public, users of the harbour facilities and harbour staff at all times. This is achieved through the implementation of the Marine Safety Management System. The Environment Agency has appointed an independent Designated Person to monitor compliance with the requirements of the Port Marine Safety Code. The Designated Person for the Environment Agency at Lydney Harbour is Captain Trevor Auld of ABP Marine Environmental Research (ABPmer) Ltd.  All port and harbour users, including Harbour Authority staff have direct access to the Designated Person. Concerns regarding marine safety in the port or harbour, in the first instance, should be raised with the Harbour Master (or for Authority staff with your direct line manager). If additional, independent advice regarding the matter is required, any reasonable concerns can be brought to the attention of the Designated Person by any of the following methods:

By email: DP.Lydney@abpmer.co.uk

By post: Designated Person (PMSC) ‘Lydney’, ABPmer, Quayside Suite, Medina Chambers, Town Quay, SOUTHAMPTON, Hampshire, SO14 2AQ

By telephone: 023 8071 1892 or 023 8071 1889

The Designated Person and the Maritime Team at ABPmer:

• have detailed knowledge of the Port Marine Safety Code, the Guide to Good Practice for Port Marine Operations and accompanying Competency Standards;

• provide independent assurance to the Duty Holder that the marine safety management system required by the Port Marine Safety Code is working effectively; and

• at regular intervals, audit the Harbour Authority’s compliance with the Code. The Designated Person has direct access to the Duty Holder whenever this is deemed necessary.

Navigating Lydney Harbour

Approaches to the harbour are shown on British Admiralty chart 1166, position Latitude 51^o42’.6 North and Longitude 2^o30’.5 West.

The harbour consists of an outer basin, inner basin and a disused canal.

There are no suitable anchorages close to the harbour.

Water height approaching the harbour

The approaches to Lydney are subject to very strong tidal streams and the area outside the harbour dries at low water.

Datum relating to Lydney

Chart Datum is 1.83m below Ordnance Datum Newlyn.

Lydney Sill is 0.13m below Ordnance Datum Newlyn.

Tidal Heights in relation to Chart Datum

• Mean High Water Springs (MHWS) 9.3m
• Mean High Water Neaps (MHWN) 5.6m
• Mean Low Water Springs 0.6m
• Mean Low Water Neaps 0.5m

The depth over the outer basin sill is 7.6 metres at MHWS and 3.9 metres at MHWN.

You can work out the depth of water over the sill by deducting 1.2 metres from the depth shown on the gauge at Sharpness Dock at the head of Bristol Channel.

Harbour procedures

The entrance to Lydney Harbour can be difficult to navigate. It’s only available at or within half an hour of high water. The tidal streams run across the entrance with considerable strength.

Boats approaching Lydney should switch their radio to VHF channel 37. All boat movements are controlled by the harbour master, via VHF radio or mobile phone and with a minimum of 24 hours prior notice. Boats may enter Lydney Harbour when a low intensity orange flashing light is displayed at a height of 2.5m from a stand on the north side of the entrance to the outer basin. This light is visible when abeam of the north pier, at a range of half a nautical mile.

If you are able to you should also monitor VHF radio channel 13 (Sharpness Radio) to check inter-ship communication and communication with Sharpness Dock to avoid potential collision with commercial boats bound to or from Sharpness Dock.

To ensure the safety of navigation of all boats in the River Severn, the main channel must be recognised as a narrow channel in the context of The International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea. Rule 9 of these regulations, about narrow channels, is particularly important for all boats using the River Severn and Lydney Harbour.

You should note that large or commercial boats on the river may have restricted navigation and be unable to take action to avoid a collision because of the narrow channel and severe tides.

Plan your passage into the harbour

We recommend you plan your passage to or from Lydney Harbour taking account of the weather, times of high and low water, available depths and hazards. Check Admiralty chart 1166. The harbour master can also give you guidance.

Basin and lock dimensions

The harbour outer gates have a width of 10.1 metres.

The outer basin is 82.3 metres long with an average width of 22.7 metres and depths of 7.3 metres at high water springs.

The lock to the inner basin is 7.3 metres wide and has depths of 4.1 metres at the upper gate sill.

The inner basin is 231.7 metres long and 32 metres wide.

Pilotage

Pilotage isn’t compulsory within Lydney Harbour.

Pilotage is compulsory in Gloucester Harbour if your boat is 30m or more long. You can get details from the Gloucester Harbour Trustees.

Boats entering Lydney Harbour

You should approach the dock on a westerly heading from the main channel of the River Severn, from a point north of Bull Rock. Then cross the Sanigar Sands toward the main pier of Lydney Dock.

How you approach will depend on the height and location of any off lying sandbanks. The sandbanks vary in level and may be up to 1 metre above the height of Lydney entrance sill.

The outer basin at the harbour is used to tow moor inbound boats and pre-position outbound boats as required so full use can be made of the times the tidal allows passage over the sill.

Notice of arrival and departure time

You should contact the harbour master to give notice of when you plan to arrive at or leave the harbour so the harbour gates can be opened.

A minimum of 24 hours notice of arrival and departure is required. The harbour is not manned continuously. The harbour master normally works only normal office hours Monday to Friday and so contact should be made as early as possible.

Boats leaving the harbour should be ready to enter the lock one hour before high water. The harbour is operational from one and a half hours before high water until high water.

Insurance

All boats entering Lydney Harbour must have a minimum of third party marine insurance. People using Lydney Harbour do so at their own risk; the Environment Agency accepts no responsibility for any loss or injury.

Harbour approach and entry

On both flood and ebb of the tide there is a strong flow across the entrance to the harbour, up to about 6 knots. There is slack water between the entrance piers. There is also slack water on the in-coming tide north of Lydney pier extending as far as Fairtide rock.

You should plan to arrive off Lydney no earlier than 20 minutes before high water. Take care not to arrive off the entrance too early on tide and ensure that there’s sufficient under keel clearance over Lydney and Saniger sands.

We recommend that if you are approaching from the south west you use the main navigational channel until mid way between Bull Rock Beacon and Berkeley Pill. Then steer a course for Lydney Harbour entrance making allowance for tidal influence.

If you are approaching from Sharpness head for Lydney north pier making allowance for tidal influence and making use of the slack water mentioned above. During the summer months there may be small yachts on drying moorings in this area.

Give a wide berth to the fish trap marked on the chart 2 miles south west of Lydney. At some states of tide it will be just below water level. We recommend that you don’t leave the main channel unless you have local knowledge of the area.

Large commercial ships using the nearby docks at Sharpness and the River Severn are confined to the main navigation channel. This is recognised as a narrow channel and skippers of small craft should act prudently and with due regard to the International Rules for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea to avoid hampering the movement of larger boats.

Information for small boats travelling between Sharpness and Bristol is available from Gloucester Harbour Trustees. This includes information for boats travelling to Lydney. Information is also in Arrowsmith’s Bristol Channel tide table, available to buy online or from book sellers .

Facilities in the harbour

A limited number of moorings are installed and maintained by the Environment Agency within the inner basin of the harbour. No new permanent moorings will be issued until furher notice. The harbour is undergoing a period of upgrade works. At present there are very few moorings available for visiting vessels but some will be available when upgrade works to the outer harbour have been completed.

Mooring charge for boats under 9 metres:

• monthly charge £22.50

• annual charge £270

Mooring charge for boats 9 metres and over:

• monthly charge £36

• annual charge £432

The Environment Agency harbour master controls all moorings within the harbour area. Allocation is determined though discussion between the harbour master and the boat operator/owner.

Lydney Yacht Club leases premises and the slipway adjacent to Lydney Harbour.

There are occasional dinghy rallies in the harbour.