Environment Agency
Welcome to Lydney Harbour your harbour @Lydney
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. Please 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.
The harbour is managed by the Environment Agency who are also the Statutory Harbour Authority and the 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 below.
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 caf. The caf 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. Please contact the harbour team for further information at least 24 hours prior to your planned visit.
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 at the harbour is prohibited except by arrangement with Lydney Angling Club. Please contact them for further details.
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 kingfishers and swans amongst other things.
Lydney Harbour is next to the River Severn in Gloucestershire.
Contacts
You can contact the harbour team by telephone or WhatsApp or by email or by post:
Telephone/WhatsApp: 07920 837248 (normal office hours only)
Email: hmlydney@environment-agency.gov.uk
Address: Harbour Office, Lydney Harbour, Harbour Road, Lydney, Gloucestershire, GL15 4ER
VHF: Not currently in use
Environment Agency: 03708 506 506.
Environment Agency 24 hour incident hotline: 0800 80 70 60
Find out aboutcall 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 this press release:
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 holders under the Code are individually and 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 holders have recently carried out training for this role and will shortly be appointing a designated person who will monitor and report on compliance with the Code. Contact details for the designated person will be announced soon.
The duty holder can be contacted via pmsc.dutyholder.lh@environment-agency.gov.uk for matters relating to safe marine operations. Normal operational matters should continue to be addressed to the harbour master.
There will be further updates on the website for the harbour and social media in due course (www.gov.uk/guidance/lydney-harbour) as we move towards compliance.
Port Marine Safety Code Designated Person
The Environment Agency is the Statutory Harbour Authority for Lydney Harbour and as such has a responsibility to ensure a safe environment for the general public, users of the harbour facilities and harbour staff at all times. 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:
By email: DP.Lydney@abpmer.co.uk
By post: Designated Person (PMSC) Lydney, ABPmer, Quayside Suite, Medina Chambers, Town Quay, SOUTHAMPTON, Hampshire, SO14 2AQ
By telephone: 023 8071 1892 or 023 8071 1889
The Designated Person and the Maritime Team at ABPmer:
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have detailed knowledge of the Port Marine Safety Code, the Guide to Good Practice for Port Marine Operations and accompanying Competency Standards;
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provide independent assurance to the Duty Holder that the marine safety management system required by the Port Marine Safety Code is working effectively; and
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at regular intervals, audit the Harbour Authoritys compliance with the Code. The Designated Person has direct access to the Duty Holder whenever this is deemed necessary.
Navigating Lydney Harbour
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 Springs0.6m
- Mean Low Water Neaps0.5m
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. Its only available at or within half an hour of high water. The tidal streams run across the entrance with considerable strength.
Boats a