Canal & River Trust

Gloucester & Sharpness Canal

16 miles of navigable water, 4 locks, 1 named marina or mooring. Passes Gloucester, Quedgeley.

Will your boat fit?

BoatSizeFits?
Narrowboat57ft × 6ft 10inFits
Long narrowboat70ft × 6ft 10inFits
Widebeam60ft × 10ftFits
Widebeam60ft × 12ftFits
Dutch barge70ft × 14ft 6inFits

Length and beam against Canal & River Trust. “Some sections” means your boat is too big for at least one section or lock. Draught and headroom aren't checked here: see the table below.

GloucesterQuedgeley

Published size limits

Maximum boat sizes in metres, from the Canal & River Trust's waterway dimensions (page last edited 26 Mar 2026). “–” means the Trust doesn't give a figure.

SectionLengthBeamDraughtHeadroom
River Severn into Sharpness Docks only91.4416.75––
Sharpness Docks to Gloucester Docks649.63.532
Gloucester Docks to River Severn through Gloucester Lock41.156.41.837.5

Marinas and moorings

Each opens its Check a Mooring page: what's nearby on the water and ashore.

Services on the water

Mapped within 150 m of the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal in OpenStreetMap. Volunteers map these, so there are gaps.

Water points 3

  • Purton Ships Graveyard Water Point
  • Sharpness Old Dock Water Point
  • Water point

Elsan disposal 1

  • Purton Ships Graveyard Pump Out

Pump-out 1

1 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Boat fuel 0

None mapped.

Rubbish disposal 6

6 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Winding holes 0

None mapped.

Questions

Can a widebeam go on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal?

Yes. A 60ft × 10ft widebeam is within every published limit on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.

Will a 57ft narrowboat fit on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal?

Yes. A 57ft × 6ft 10in narrowboat is within every published limit on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.

How long is the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal, and how many locks does it have?

About 16 miles of navigable water on our map, with 4 locks mapped in OpenStreetMap.