History

Royal Air Force Station Saul
Wycliffe College is an independent private school in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire.
The College has a Boat House at Saul Junction. In 1943 Wycliffe College Boat House was requisitioned by the Royal Air Force as a World War II construction & maintenance facility for highspeed motor launches. The vessels were used in Air Sea Rescue and Flying Boat Operations. Before completion and commissioning, the boats were moored under trees along the Stroudwater Arm. The Company of Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation charged mooring fees of one shilling a week per boat. Sergeant Eric Blackman was in charge of the facility until the RAF closed and vacated the site on Friday 1 December 1944.
Eric Blackman wrote a book entitled Airman at the Helm.  A section of the book describes life in Saul for RAF personnel in the 1940s.
Jolly times were had it seems!
Whilst the book is out of print a small number are available on Amazon.
Click here to purchase a copy
Alternatively, click here to download an extract written by Eric Blackman in 2003

Stroudwater Navigation Swing Bridge
Saul Junction
The Stroudwater Pedestrian Swing Bridge, originating from the 1800s, was refurbished in 2021. Canal & River Trust contracted the restoration work to RW Davis Ship and Boat Builders, at Saul Junction.
Funding was provided by The Association for Industrial Archaeology’s Small Grants Scheme. The historic timber structure had deteriorated in recent years. Since the opening of Saul Marina, the bridge has been left open – in what is referred to as the ‘off position‘ thereby allowing the passage of the increased boat traffic.
To celebrate its restoration the bridge was swung briefly into the ‘on position‘, to allow pedestrian access for this photo opportunity.
The personnel on the bridge are, from left to right, the now retired Bridge Keeper, Christopher Kirkham, Morgan Cowles – CRT Heritage & Environment Manager, Gillian Harrison – CRT Press Liaison Officer, David Viner – CRT Heritage & Environment Manager (Retired September 2020), Craig Glassonbury – RWD Shipyard Manager and RWD proprietor Phil Trotter and his dog ‘Rollo’.

Click here to view Morgan Cowles’ 24-page Record of Photos & Refurbishment

Stroudwater Navigation — Wallbridge Terminus — Stroud
The Stroudwater Navigation opened in 1779 and climbed through thirteen locks from the River Severn at Framilode to a terminus basin at Wallbridge in Stroud. This painting of Wallbridge Wharf shows the terminus of the Stroudwater on the right. The first lock of the Thames & Severn Canal can be seen on the left.  The scene was painted in 1931 by the 15 year old Stroud Central School pupil, John Cook. On leaving school in 1932, John was employed as a sign painter at Stroud Brewery.    The tall chimney locates that brewery. (Photo of painting courtesy of Neil Herapath)

James Smart of Chalford
This book, written by local historian and author Hugh Conway-Jones is the story of coal merchant and carrier James Smart of Chalford and his associates in the 1880s and 1890s. Regularly using the Stroudwater and Thames & Severn canals, Smart’s narrowboats also traded up the River Severn to the Midlands and over the Cotswolds to the Thames Valley and Wiltshire. His barges traded down the Severn and around the upper Bristol Channel. The story is based on over 1000 surviving letters, postcards and telegrams written to James Smart by his employees, suppliers and customers. These documents have been linked to related voyages recorded in the tonnage books of the relevant canals. The story provides a wonderful insight into the lives of Victorian barge and boat operators and shows how James Smart coped with managing his far-flung business in the days before the telephone.
Click on the image to purchase the book from the Cotswold Canals Trust online shop.

Click here to view the Picture Gallery illustrating more history of Saul Junction