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Exhibition celebrates Britain's longest river

Maisie LillywhiteGloucestershire
News imageIan Robertson A surfer salutes on the still water at dusk as he stands next to his surfboard. The sky and the river appear orange due to the haze.Ian Robertson
Surfers are a common sight on the river during the Severn Bore

The geography and communities surrounding Britain's longest river are being celebrated in a new exhibition.

The River Severn is in the spotlight at the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester until 14 April, with a photography exhibition, model boat trail and activities focussing on the waterway.

Starting off as a trickle in the Welsh Cambrian mountains, the Severn travels for 220 miles before emptying into the Bristol Channel, meandering through Gloucestershire on the way.

Richard Jefferies from Cheltenham Camera Club - members of which captured the photographs - said the exhibition presents "a snapshot of the river and its communities at the end of the first quarter of the 21st Century".

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Almost 300 images of the River Severn's course were taken by members of the camera club, covering its course from the source near Llanidloes in Wales to the line between the Avon and the Usk.

While the images follow the Severn's journey from source to mouth, the model boat trail showcases its traffic, and will begin on 14 February.

News imageDavid Elder A black and white image of a carved wooden pillar on a rustic stone paved area, surrounded by rugged grassland in the Cambrian mountains on a cloudy day.David Elder
The source of the Severn, which sits high in the Cambrian mountains in mid Wales
News imageAleks Gijka A small wave in a river curls around on itself as it hits dry rushes on a bank, creating a round curl beneath it resembling an eye.Aleks Gijka
The Eye of the Severn Bore draws photographers to the river in Gloucestershire

The photographs capture everything from boats resting on river banks in Framilode, to surfers standing on the still river under a hazy orange sky.

Surfing is a popular Severn pastime, with boards often spotted atop the Severn Bore, a world-famous tidal surge which can reach up to two metres in height.

News imageMark Wardle Part of a wooden boat wreckage sticks out of the grass on a river bank. There are some hills on the other side of the river. It is a sunny evening and the area is glowing in the sun, with a few clouds overhead in the pink-ish sky.Mark Wardle
History can be found on the banks of the River Severn, including this wooden boat wreckage at Purton, home to the UK's largest ship graveyard

David Snell, a Canal and River Trust volunteer, has produced seven boat-shaped crafts for the model part of the exhibition, taking visitors on an imaginary journey from Bridgnorth in Shropshire to Oldbury-on-Severn in South Gloucestershire.

The models - each about 40cm (15ins) long - range from narrow boats and a canoe to a coaster (short for coastal trading vessel), a steel barge (used for dredging work) and Clyde Puffer (a small coal-fired and single-masted cargo ship).

News imageMartin Fry The sun sets over the river, producing an orangey red reflection on the water. The trees lining the river are in blossom, and reeds are poking out from the banks.Martin Fry
The sun sets above the River Severn at Wainlodes

Jefferies, who led the project, said: "We've attempted to cover all aspects of life which depends (or depended) on the Severn for its existence…towns and villages, communities and people, industries, wildlife, flora and fauna.

"The images highlight the contrast…lively and bustling on the one hand, with oases of calm on the other. History and modernity side-by-side."

News imageIan Robertson A drone image of a flat valley surrounding a river glowing in a patch of sunshine on a cloudy day. There are fields bordered by trees and bushes, with hills seen in the distance.Ian Robertson
This view of the River Severn from above was taken near Minsterworth
News imageMartin Fry A grass bank on the edge of a river, where small boats have been left. There is a low stone wall, with a house the other side of it. Houses and a pub can be seen further down the river, in the distance, along with hills. The sky is blue with clouds scattered across it.Martin Fry
The river is a key feature of many Gloucestershire villages, including Framilode

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