North of Upton-upon-Severn

During the few hours I spent walking along the riverbank, I saw several different boats (and a solitary rower). The Severn Way was blocked at one point with heavy machinery loading sand onto barges, which then shuttled it to a location downstream. The barges (with names such as ‘ELVER’ and ‘PERCH’) look as if they are about to sink once fully-laden and sit very low in the water. A couple of canal boats were moored up and I took the opportunity to make a quick sketch.

Walking north from Upton, I passed through a vast floodplain meadow that was full of dandelions and large old trees. Looking back towards the town, the view is dominated by the ‘Pepperpot’ bell tower of the church and a row of poplars.

 

There was a point on the path where a small stone beach had formed rather than the usual sticky mud and I was able to dip my boots into the river. Very peaceful, rippling water, which reminded me of the Wye. On the opposite bank there are some boat houses of varying shape, size and splendour, with some sitting rather precariously next to water. The have to endure regular flooding as this section of river has burst its banks on numerous occasions in recent years.

The path leaves the river for a long stretch as it passes through a wood and around a grand house and stables. After a period of walking on the road and a long march through a typically ‘English’ scene of fields striped by a plough with a stone church perched on the horizon, I met the river once more.
 
At some point, I intend to walk from Upton all the way to Worcester in one go, so this was a good indicator to the changing environments and viewpoints on offer.