Sea Change

This illustration was made for a University of Worcester research project, called ‘Sea Change’. I designed it in response to an article in The Guardian highlighting how water companies regularly discharge huge quantities of raw sewage into England’s rivers.



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Lydney Harbour

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When driving back to Malvern from Chepstow in September, I made a quick detour to Lydney Harbour. The ugly industrial area that I passed through didn’t fill me with much hope, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a small harbour filled with an eclectic collection of vessels, some of which seemed to have been stationary for some time. Two huge gates held in the water and gave protection from the Severn’s tides. An Ice Cream van was doing good business and families were strolling around, enjoying the wide views across the Severn. A friendly old chap was engaging as many people as possible, drawing attention to a stone monument that was placed there to commemorate the Severn Railway Bridge disaster. On a foggy night in 1960 two barges collided, creating what must have been an apocalyptic fireball, they then smashed into and destroyed the railway bridge that spanned the river. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severn_Railway_Bridge I was aware of this terrible event, but having a clear view ...
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Worcester Bridge to Bevere Island

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Walking north from Worcester I followed the Severn Way passing by numerous houses, sunken boats, through meadows and a pub garden (which was unfortunately closed due to the Covid-19 lockdown). A fair variety of trees, other plants and birds on this stretch...and the bright autumnal light helped give the river a more inviting colour than its usual muddy brown. As soon as the paved section of the path ended, I was pretty much alone for the majority of the journey, but there was the occasional walker sliding their way through the mud. The path gets alarmingly close to the water’s edge on several occasions and this along with the mud resulted in a slow, careful pace. Bevere Island  has a picturesque weir and a bridge that is on the verge of being considered a ruin. Being on the other side of the river would have helped as it may have given me a better view of the island. The history of this location isn’t necessarily obvious from its appearance but it has reputably been a place of sanc...
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Harry the Coracle Man

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These images are based on the account of Harry Rogers, a man who lived on the banks of the River Severn in a house he built himself. There he made coracles and expertly navigated the river in this spherical craft to salvage whatever the water presented.  The coracle is an ancient form of boat that can be carried over land and manoeuvred with a single paddle. According to Wilford Byford-Jones (who interviewed Rogers in the 1960s), numerous animals could be found in his house and garden including a jackdaw and a fox cub called Billy!     References   Byford-Jones, W., (1967).  Severn Valley Stories.  Shropshire: Shropshire Star and Journal Ltd.
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