| 0897 |
Upton upon Severn |
King Coenwulf mentions the
foundation of the town |
| 0973 |
Newtown |
Newtown came into existence. It was
known as Llanfair in Cedewain |
| 1154 |
Gloucester |
Construction began on the first
Westgate Bridge |
| 1171 |
Newnham on Severn |
King Henry II sailed from Newnham on
Severn for Ireland |
| 1189 |
Gloucester |
Construction completed on the first
Westgate Bridge |
| 1210 |
Gloucester |
Severn frozen over for up to four
miles above Gloucester |
| 1230 |
Gloucester |
First bridge at Maisemore
recorded |
| 1280 |
Llanidloes |
Foundation stone for town laid, the
first town on the River Severn |
| 1457 |
Newnham on Severn |
Records show that a ferry was here
in 1457 |
| 1460 |
Gloucester |
Ashleworth Court built |
| 1460 |
Gloucester |
Ashleworth Manor built |
| 1515 |
Gloucester |
Tithe barn built at Ashleworth |
| 1553 |
Severn |
King Henry VIII prohibited the
taking out of elvers from the Severn |
| 1558 |
Severn |
Queen Elizabeth I made the elver
prohibition order permanent |
| 1580 |
Gloucester |
Queen Elizabeth I grants Gloucester
a Port Status |
| 1605 |
Upton upon Severn |
Stone bridge built across the river
at Upton upon Severn |
| 1638 |
Coalbrookdale |
Furnace constructed by Basil Brooke
at Coalbrookdale |
| 1643 |
Ripple |
The Parliamentarians defeated in
battle |
| 1644 |
Newnham on Severn |
17 soldiers drown in Severn whilst
crossing river in a boat |
| 1651 |
Upton upon Severn |
Fierce battle fought on the 29th
August in Ripple field |
| 1677 |
Severn |
King Charles II also banned fishing
for elvers from the Severn |
| 1678 |
Bristol |
Abraham Darby I born |
| 1709 |
Coalbrookdale |
Abraham Darby I transfers his
business from Bristol to Coalbrookdale |
| 1711 |
Coalbrookdale |
Abraham Darby II born |
| 1713 |
Shrewsbury |
John Gwynn born |
| 1717 |
Coalbrookdale |
Abraham Darby I died |
| 1723 |
Quatt |
Sir John Wolryche died near Quatt
whilst swimming with horse in Severn |
| 1750 |
Coalbrookdale |
Abraham Darby III born |
| 1757 |
Eskdale |
Thomas Telford born |
| 1763 |
Gloucester |
Timber company of Price-Walker Ltd
established |
| 1763 |
Coalbrookdale |
Abraham Darby II died |
| 1768 |
Atcham |
John Gwynn's bridge preserved as a
monument |
| 1774 |
Shrewsbury |
English Bridge built [Completely
rebuilt between 1925 & 1927] |
| 1775 |
Llandrinio |
Llandrinio Bridge built |
| 1775 |
Ironbridge |
First meeting held to discuss a
river bridge |
| 1778 |
Severn |
King George II allows elvers to be
taken from Severn |
| 1779 |
Ironbridge |
Construction began on the world's
first Iron Bridge |
| 1780 |
Coalport |
First wharf built at Coalport |
| 1780 |
Coalport |
Wooden bridge built over the Severn
at Coalport |
| 1781 |
Ironbridge |
Iron Bridge opened to traffic on 1st
January |
| 1781 |
Worcester |
Worcester Bridge opened [rebuilt
1847 & 1932] |
| 1785 |
Gloucester |
8 people drowned from ferry at
Maisemore after day out at fete |
| 1786 |
Shrewsbury |
John Gwynn died |
| 1786 |
Coalport |
Tar Tunnel at Coalport dug out |
| 1786 |
Severn |
Royal Humane Society formed due to
high death rate on Severn |
| 1789 |
Coalbrookdale |
Abraham Darby III died |
| 1790 |
Powys |
Thomas Penson born |
| 1792 |
Gloucester |
Gloucester Prison opened. Build work
had begun in 1787 |
| 1792 |
Montford |
Thomas Telford's first bridge opened
in Montford, Shropshire |
| 1793 |
Gloucester |
Construction of Gloucester &
Berkeley Canal authorised by Parliament |
| 1793 |
Gloucester |
Construction began at Gloucester of
building the Gloucester & Berkeley Canal |
| 1793 |
Coalport |
Hay Incline Plane opened at
Coalport, Shropshire |
| 1793 |
Shropshire |
Shropshire Canal opened |
| 1794 |
Gloucester |
Work began on building the
Gloucester Dock basin |
| 1794 |
Coalport |
Coalport established as a
village |
| 1795 |
Severn |
February 11th recorded as the
highest flood the River Severn has experienced |
| 1795 |
Shrewsbury |
Welsh Bridge opened |
| 1795 |
Coalport |
Coalport Bridge damaged by
floods |
| 1796 |
Buildwas |
New bridge designed by Thomas
Telford built at Buildwas |
| 1799 |
Gloucester |
Lack of money meant work ceased on
building the Gloucester & Berkeley Canal |
| 1799 |
Gloucester |
Construction of Gloucester Dock main
basin completed |
| 1799 |
Coalport |
28 china workers drowned in Severn
at Coalport whilst crossing the river on ferry |
| 1801 |
Bewdley |
Bewdley Bridge, designed by Thomas
Telford, opened |
| 1802 |
Newnham on Severn |
Fare paying ferry began from Newnham
on Severn to Arlingham |
| 1809 |
Newnham on Severn |
3 men drowned in river off Newnham
on Severn |
| 1809 |
Gloucester |
The old Westgate Bridge demolished.
Construction began of new one |
| 1810 |
Bullo Pill |
Bullo Pill Dock opened for the
export of Forest of Dean coal |
| 1810 |
Lydney |
Lydney Docks developed as a
port |
| 1810 |
Newnham on Severn |
A scheme was proposed for the
construction of a tunnel under the Severn at Newnham |
| 1810 |
Bridgnorth |
Bridgnorth Bridge rebuilt to a
design by Thomas Telford. [Also rebuilt in 1960] |
| 1810 |
Coalport |
Chain making began at Coalport |
| 1812 |
Gloucester |
Gloucester Lock opened from dock
basin into the River Severn |
| 1812 |
Newnham on Severn |
On Friday 13th November water broke
into the tunnel workings |
| 1813 |
Lydney |
Lydney canal built |
| 1817 |
Gloucester |
Work began again on building the
Gloucester & Berkeley Canal with Telford as consultant |
| 1817 |
Severn |
Sir John Fowler born |
| 1818 |
Severn |
Severn flooded 5 times and longest
drought on record in the UK |
| 1818 |
Tewkesbury |
In separate accidents 2 Naval
Officers and a small boy drowned in the Severn at Tewkesbury |
| 1818 |
Gloucester |
Small drydock constructed in
Gloucester Docks |
| 1818 |
Coalport |
Coalport Bridge built on the
original wooden structure of 1777 |
| 1818 |
Coalport |
Coalport Bridge now constructed of
iron |
| 1821 |
Lydney |
Tidal Basin built at Lydney
Docks |
| 1821 |
Newtown |
Montgomeryshire Canal reached
Newtown, where it terminated |
| 1821 |
Caersws |
Stone bridge built at Caersws,
Powys |
| 1824 |
Gloucester |
Barge Arm opened in Gloucester
Docks |
| 1826 |
Gloucester |
North Warehouse built. Once occupied
by Priday Metford & Co |
| 1826 |
Llanidloes |
Long Bridge built of stone at
Llanidloes |
| 1826 |
Tewkesbury |
Mythe Bridge has early construction
problems. Thomas Telford brought in to assist |
| 1827 |
Gloucester |
Building of the Gloucester &
Berkeley Canal completed |
| 1827 |
Newtown |
Long Bridge, designed by Thomas
Penson, opened at Newtown |
| 1828 |
Holt |
Holt Bridge, designed by Thomas
Telford, opened |
| 1830 |
Gloucester |
Biddles Warehouse built |
| 1831 |
Gloucester |
Thomas Telford's famous Over Bridge
opened at Gloucester. Now preserved as a monument |
| 1833 |
Gloucester |
Shiptons Warehouse built |
| 1834 |
Gloucester |
Lock Warehouse built. Now occupied
by the Antiques Centre |
| 1834 |
Gloucester |
The Pump House, near the drydocks,
was built |
| 1834 |
Severn |
Thomas Telford died |
| 1838 |
Gloucester |
Pillar Warehouse built |
| 1839 |
Aust |
Aust ferry sank with all hands
lost |
| 1840 |
Gloucester |
Reynolds, [or Sturges] Warehouse
built |
| 1840 |
Gloucester |
Vinings warehouse built |
| 1843 |
Llandinam |
The first iron bridge built in
Montgomeryshire. Designed by Thomas Penson |
| 1844 |
Bevere |
Bevere Island Bridge built in
Worcestershire |
| 1845 |
Gloucester |
Customs House built in Commercial
Road |
| 1846 |
Gloucester |
Phillpotts Warehouse built |
| 1846 |
Gloucester |
Kimberley Warehouse built |
| 1846 |
Gloucester |
Herbert Warehouse built |
| 1848 |
Gloucester |
Offices located at top of Commercial
Road built |
| 1848 |
Arlingham |
On the 29th August the vicar of
Arlingham drowned at the age of 40 years old |
| 1848 |
Shrewsbury |
Railway Station built on top of
Bridge over Severn |
| 1849 |
Gloucester |
Victoria Basin opened in Gloucester
Docks |
| 1849 |
Gloucester |
Weighbridge house in Southgate
Street built |
| 1849 |
Gloucester |
Mariners Church in the docks
built |
| 1849 |
Gloucester |
Victoria Warehouse built |
| 1851 |
Gloucester |
Albert Warehouse built |
| 1852 |
Gloucester |
Llanthony Quay built for the
Gloucester & Dean Forest Railway |
| 1852 |
Abermule |
The Brynderwen Bridge, designed by
Thomas Penson, opened |
| 1853 |
Gloucester |
The large drydock built in
Gloucester Docks |
| 1855 |
Newnham on Severn |
Elijah Rowles Phillips drowned in
the Severn [see also 1875] |
| 1858 |
Tewkesbury |
Upper Lode Lock built |
| 1859 |
Powys |
Thomas Penson died |
| 1859 |
Newton |
Newtown to Llanidloes Railway
completed |
| 1861 |
Gloucester |
Britannia Warehouse built |
| 1861 |
Upper Arley |
Victoria Railway Bridge now used by
the Severn Valley Steam Railway |
| 1861 |
Coalport |
L&NWR Railway opened at
Coalport |
| 1862 |
Gloucester |
Foster Oil & Cake Mill
built |
| 1862 |
Gloucester |
The original Llanthony Bridge
built |
| 1863 |
Gloucester |
Great Western Warehouse built |
| 1864 |
Bewdley |
First train passed over Dowles
Bridge on the 5th August |
| 1864 |
Saxons Lode |
Railway line opened on the 16th
May |
| 1866 |
Newnham on Severn |
Henry Brace aged 18yrs drowned in
the Severn on the 28th June |
| 1868 |
Caersws |
Train derailed at Caersws falling
into Severn killing driver and fireman |
| 1869 |
Gloucester |
Albert Warehouse converted to a
flour mill |
| 1870 |
Gloucester |
Alexandra Warehouse built |
| 1870 |
Gloucester |
Llanthony Lock Keepers house
built |
| 1871 |
Gloucester |
Maisemore Weir built |
| 1871 |
Gloucester |
Llanthony Weir built |
| 1873 |
Gloucester |
Llanthony Warehouse built |
| 1873 |
Severn Estuary |
Construction began of the Severn
Railway Tunnel |
| 1873 |
Severn |
Elver fishing banned causing a
public outcry |
| 1874 |
Sharpness |
Sharpness [New] Docks opened |
| 1875 |
Newnham on Severn |
2 brothers drowned in Severn,
[brothers of Elijah Rowles Phillips, see 1855] |
| 1875 |
Sharpness |
Foundation stone of new Railway
Bridge laid on the 3rd July |
| 1876 |
Severn |
Act of Parliament passed to allow
elver fishing in the Severn |
| 1878 |
Sharpness |
First fatality on the Severn Railway
Bridge. John Tomkins of Ruardean died on the 8th January |
| 1879 |
Sharpness |
William Aston of Lydney killed on
the 1st March on the Severn Railway Bridge |
| 1879 |
Sharpness |
Thomas Roberts of Viney Hill killed
on the 3rd June on the Severn Railway Bridge |
| 1879 |
Gatcombe |
Thomas Shaw was drowned when his
boat overturned in the Severn |
| 1879 |
Sharpness |
First train travelled over the
Severn Railway Bridge with a private party on board |
| 1879 |
Sharpness |
The Severn Railway Bridge was
officially opened on the 17th October |
| 1886 |
Gloucester |
Priday Metford & Co began
milling in the City Flour Mills |
| 1886 |
Severn Estuary |
The Severn Railway Tunnel was opened
with a length of 4.75 miles long |
| 1887 |
Sharpness |
Sailing ship PRINCE VICTOR lost off
Sharpness with cargo of oil |
| 1888 |
Gloucester |
Gloucester Quay wall built |
| 1889 |
Newnham on Severn |
2 boys aged 7yrs & 9yrs drowned
in the Severn on the 17th July |
| 1892 |
Gloucester |
Gloucester Lock deepened for the use
by larger vessels |
| 1892 |
Gloucester |
Monk Meadow Dock built |
| 1892 |
Newnham on Severn |
George T Widdows aged 13yrs drowned
in the Severn |
| 1898 |
Severn |
Sir John Fowler died |
| 1899 |
Gloucester |
Downings Malt House built |
| 1900 |
Gloucester |
GWR Railway line at Hempsted
opened |
| 1907 |
Coalport |
The interchange at Coalport of the
Shropshire Canal with the Severn closed |
| 1907 |
Coalport |
Hay Incline Plane closed |
| 1910 |
Naval |
HMS GLOUCESTER commissioned |
| 1910 |
Sharpness |
Sharpness [Old] Dock ceased to be
used |
| 1912 |
Ironbridge |
Blists Hill furnace closed |
| 1916 |
Frampton on Severn |
Cadbury's factory at Frampton on
Severn opened |
| 1916 |
Newtown |
Newtown badly flooded |
| 1919 |
Gloucester |
Construction of concrete ships began
at Hempsted, the CRETERAMPART, etc. |
| 1922 |
Naval |
HMS GLOUCESTER scrapped and bell
presented to the city on 28th January |
| 1922 |
Gloucester |
Construction ceased of concrete
ships at Hempsted |
| 1922 |
Newtown |
Newtown again badly affected by
floods |
| 1922 |
Jackfield |
Jackfield footbridge opened |
| 1923 |
Severn |
Act of Parliament passed prohibiting
the spearing of freshwater fish in the Severn |
| 1924 |
Gloucester |
Last vessel passed through Llanthony
Lock |
| 1925 |
Gloucester |
First cargo of petroleum came to
Gloucester by barge |
| 1926 |
Bullo Pill |
Bullo Pill Dock ceased trading |
| 1926 |
Severn |
All worked stopped on the river
during the General Strike |
| 1926 |
Coalport |
Coalport China Works closed |
| 1927 |
Worcester |
Petroleum began to be transported to
Worcester and Stourport by barge |
| 1927 |
Newtown |
Parsons Bridge swept away by
floods |
| 1928 |
Aust |
Storm carried away pier at Aust.
Ferry service in decline |
| 1929 |
Severn |
John Harker Limited began trading on
the Severn with the JANET A |
| 1930 |
Ironbridge |
Iron Bridge closed to traffic |
| 1933 |
Newtown |
Work began on rebuilding Parson's
Bridge |
| 1935 |
Severn |
Severn & Canal Carrying Co began
carrying petroleum products on their barges |
| 1936 |
Newtown |
Newtown badly flooded |
| 1937 |
Ripple |
100 acres of land at Ripple used by
the RAF for storage of petroleum |
| 1937 |
Gloucester |
GWR Railway line at Hempsted
closed |
| 1939 |
Gloucester |
John Harker Ltd and the Severn &
Canal Carrying Co formed Gloucester Shipyard |
| 1940 |
Gloucester |
Construction began of the new Castle
Meads Power Station |
| 1941 |
Naval |
HMS GLOUCESTER lost in action off
Crete |
| 1946 |
Severn Estuary |
Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust started
with Sir Peter Scott |
| 1946 |
Sharpness |
Sharpness Shipyard started by John
Harker Limited |
| 1947 |
Ironbridge |
Worst floods recorded at the
Ironbridge Gorge |
| 1948 |
Gloucester |
DARLEYDALE H, [tanker barge],
lengthened at Gloucester Shipyard |
| 1950 |
Severn |
Severn River Board formed from the
defunct Catchment Board |
| 1950 |
Ironbridge |
Tolls removed from the Iron
Bridge |
| 1952 |
Coalport |
Last passenger train from Coalport
on the L&NWR |
| 1952 |
Jackfield |
Jackfield Tile Works closed |
| 1954 |
Gloucestershire |
Stroudwater Canal closed |
| 1958 |
Tirley |
Haw Bridge knocked down by tanker
barge DARLEYDALE H. Skipper killed |
| 1960 |
Newtown |
Newtown again suffered disastrous
floods |
| 1960 |
Sharpness |
On the 25th October two tanker
barges ran into the Severn Railway Bridge killing 5 crew men |
| 1961 |
Severn Estuary |
Tanker barge BP EXPLORER overturned
killing 5 crewmen |
| 1962 |
Gloucester |
Priday Metford vacated North
Warehouse and allowed to deteriorate |
| 1963 |
Severn |
Severn River Board took delivery of
their new barge RIPARIAN |
| 1963 |
Ironbridge |
The GWR at Ironbridge closed |
| 1964 |
Powys |
Construction began of the Clywedog
Dam |
| 1964 |
Newtown |
Newtown suffering from yet more
flooding |
| 1965 |
Gloucester |
New timber yards built at Monk
Meadow Quay |
| 1966 |
Newtown |
Severn River Authority begin a flood
defence scheme for the town |
| 1967 |
Powys |
Construction of the Clywedog Dam
completed |
| 1967 |
Sharpness |
Training ship VINDICATRIX towed away
for scrapping at Newport |
| 1968 |
Oldbury |
Oldbury Nuclear Power Station began
producing electricity for the National Grid |
| 1968 |
Sharpness |
Severn Railway Bridge
demolished |
| 1969 |
Severn |
Regent tanker barges ceased trading
on the Severn |
| 1969 |
Severn |
Bowker & King Limited began
trading in the Bristol Channel |
| 1970 |
Jackfield |
Maws Tile Works at Jackfield
closed |
| 1972 |
Gloucester |
Construction began of a new Westgate
Bridge |
| 1974 |
Gloucester |
Construction completed of the new
Westgate Bridge |
| 1975 |
Gloucester |
John Harker Limited ceased trading
on the Severn |
| 1977 |
Severn Estuary |
Severn Auxiliary Rescue Association
[SARA] formed |
| 1983 |
Jackfield |
Marshall Osborne foundry at
Jackfield closed |
| 1985 |
Llandinam |
Llandinam won the best kept village
in Wales title |
| 1987 |
Gloucester |
Llanthony Warehouse opened as the
National Waterways Museum |
| 1989 |
Severn |
The Severn Way [East Bank]
officially opened |
| 1992 |
Powys |
First Bridge on the Severn opened by
Lady Hooson |
| 1992 |
Shrewsbury |
Three bridges built over the Severn
on the huge Shrewsbury Bypass |
| 1992 |
Severn Estuary |
Construction began on the Second
Severn Crossing |
| 1994 |
Gloucester |
Priday Metford & Co closed down
the flour mill at the City Flour Mills |
| 1996 |
Severn Estuary |
The Second Severn Crossing
officially opened on the 5th June by HRH Prince Charles |
| 1999 |
Gloucester |
Construction began on replacing
Westgate Bridge with new bridge |
| 2007 |
Gloucester |
20th July: 90mm of rain fell over
city and caused widespread local flooding. |
| 2007 |
Tewkesbury |
22nd July: Mythe Waterworks out of
action due to Severn flood levels. Gloucester and Cheltenham without domestic
water for some time. |
