Guidance

Lydney Harbour

Information on harbour approach, moorings, fees and safety information.

From:
Environment Agency
Published
14 June 2014
Last updated
16 October 2024 — See all updates

Lydney Harbour is next to the River Severn in Gloucestershire. The harbour is managed by the Environment Agency who are also the:

  • Statutory Harbour Authority
  • duty holder under the Port Marine Safety Code

The harbour is not manned 24/7. Contact details for the harbour team and the Environment Agency are on this page. 

Visiting the harbour

We look forward to seeing you around the harbour and hope that you enjoy your visit.  Wellies are strongly recommended during wet periods. Keep an eye out for the resident kingfisher and swans amongst other things. Do stay safe near the water.

You are very welcome to visit and enjoy the harbour but you do so at your own risk. The harbour is a working environment and you are advised to be aware of the multiple hazards. There are various warning and mandatory and prohibition signs around the harbour which you should follow.

Facilities

You are welcome to use the car park at your own risk for the duration of your visit. There are a limited number of parking spaces available. 

There are limited facilities for our guests such as a small visitor information centre and toilets and café. The café and public toilets are only open during the day.

Staff and visitors  and contractors coming to the site are required to complete a site induction and sign in before undertaking any work or activities. Contact the harbour team for further information at least 24 hours prior to your planned visit.

Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act

Areas of the harbour are scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. A monument which has been scheduled is protected against ground disturbance or unlicensed metal detecting. Written consent must always be obtained before any work on a scheduled monument can begin.

It is against the law to:

  • disturb a scheduled monument by carrying out works (outside Class Consents) without written consent
  • cause reckless or deliberate damage to a monument
  • use a metal detector or remove an object found at a monument without a licence from Historic England

Conviction for these offences can lead to fines.

Fishing

Fishing at the harbour is prohibited except by arrangement with Lydney Angling Club. Contact them for further details.

Contacts

Harbour team

You can contact the harbour team by:

  • telephone: 0203 025 3940 (normal office hours only)
  • WhatsApp: 07920 837248 (normal office hours only)
  • email: [email protected]
  • post: Harbour Office, Lydney Harbour, Harbour Road, Lydney, Gloucestershire, GL15 4ER

VHF

VHF: Channel 37/16 (from one hour before and one hour after high water when vessel movements expected only)

Environment Agency contact details

Environment Agency: 03708 506 506

Environment Agency 24 hour incident hotline: 0800 80 70 60

Find out about call charges

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 the press release - 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 holder for Lydney Harbour is the Environment Agency Area Director West Midlands. The duty holder under the Code is individually and/or 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 holder has carried out training for this role. 

The duty holder can be contacted via [email protected] or [email protected] for matters relating to safe marine operations. Normal operational matters should continue to be addressed to the harbour master team. There will be further updates here in due course as we move towards compliance.

Port Marine Safety Code – Designated Person

The Environment Agency is the Statutory Harbour Authority for Lydney Harbour. As such it has a responsibility to ensure a safe environment at all times for the:

  • general public
  • users of the harbour facilities
  • harbour staff

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:

  • email: [email protected]
  • post: Designated Person (PMSC) ‘Lydney’, ABPmer, Quayside Suite, Medina Chambers, Town Quay, Southampton, Hampshire, SO14 2AQ
  • 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
  • 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.

Port Marine Safety Code

Marine Safety Management System

The Marine Safety Management System will be published on this page in early in 2025.

Safety plan for Marine Operations

The safety plan for marine operations will be published on this page in by the end of 2024.

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

You need to check Admiralty chart 1166. The harbour master can also give you guidance. Local notices to mariners for the safety of navigation will be published on this page. Contact the harbour team for details of any currently in force notices to mariners when planning your arrival/departure to or from Lydney harbour.

Information regarding passage planning to and from Lydney harbour is also available on the:

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

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 is not 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 90 minutes 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.

Moorings at the harbour

We are not currently issuing new mooring licences at Lydney harbour or accepting new marine customers.

We appreciate your interest and cooperation whilst we develop the harbour for new customers.

Further information will be published on this page in due course.

If you wish to be added to the waiting list for a mooring licence or berth then complete request for mooring/berth request form.

If you are unable to do this online then contact the harbour team.

All current customers must ensure that they have provided updated contact details including name, full postal address, telephone number, email address and boat name.

You can login to your customer portal to update your details and view your account : Lydney Harbour’s online portal

Read our terms and conditions for our current annual mooring licence holders.

There are a limited number of moorings available in the inner harbour for annual and monthly and visiting leisure customers. 

Harbour dues/fees and mooring charges: 2024 to 2025

Visiting commercial vessels

£4 per metre per day.

Visiting leisure vessels

£25 per night or £25 per visit if less than 24 hours

Annual mooring charge

£75 per metre per year.

Mooring charge for less than one year

£75 per metre per year pro rata by arrangement.

Examples are a:

  • 20m commercial vessel visiting for one night would pay £80
  • 25m commercial vessel annual mooring would cost £1875
  • 9m leisure vessel mooring charge for 30 days would pay £56.25
  • 12m visiting leisure vessel visiting for 2 nights would pay £50

These fees include harbour dues and VAT.  Fees are payable immediately on receipt of the relevant invoice. The Environment Agency has the right to exercise a general lien upon any vessel and/or her gear and equipment, whilst in or upon the limits of the harbour, until such time as the monies due to the Environment Agency in respect to such vessel shall be paid.

See our terms and conditions for our current annual mooring licence holders.

Exemptions from harbour dues and mooring charges apply for:

  • tenders clearly identified as a tender boat to a vessel already paying fees and
  • boats of the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA), the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Marine Management Organisation (MMO), Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) and other emergency services vessels while on duty

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

All annual and monthly mooring leisure craft are currently moored to mooring buoys in the inner harbour. There are no permanent alongside moorings for leisure craft. Access to vessels at their moorings is by tender vessel (owner provided or by arrangement with the local yacht club or harbour master). You should consider this when choosing whether to apply for a mooring at Lydney – there may be more suitable harbours for your needs. There is also very limited access to fresh water or engineering services or waste disposal. The terms and conditions above are for the mooring of vessels only. We aim to assist our customers and marine users as much as possible within the limits of what is reasonable and safe within the operating parameters of the harbour at the present.

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

Updates to this page

Published 14 June 2014
Last updated 16 October 2024 + show all updates

  1. Updates to sections 1) Port Marine Safety Code – Duty Holder 2) Port Marine Safety Code – Designated Person 3) Plan your passage into the harbour 4) Moorings at the harbour. Added 2 new sections - 1) Port Marine Safety Code – Marine Safety Management System 2) Port Marine Safety Code – Safety plan for Marine Operations

  2. Updated contact details: telephone number, WhatsApp Business phone number, and VHF channel information.

  3. Changes have been made to the harbour dues/fees and mooring charges 2024/25.

  4. New paragraph added to the information about mooring at the harbour.

  5. The welcome, contacts and moorings information has been amended.

  6. New section added: Port Marine Safety Code – Designated Person

  7. The address for Lydney Harbour has been added to the contacts page.

  8. Lydney harbour mooring licence 2023/2024 terms and conditions added.

  9. Information on the Port Marine Safety Code added.

  10. Info added - 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: [email protected] 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.

  11. First published.

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