Frampton on Severn put-in (Stroud)

The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal was built to let seagoing vessels bypass a dangerous, tidal stretch of the River Severn; construction began in 1794 and the canal fully opened in 1827. Much of its central stretch is wide and lock-free, and it remains a working commercial waterway, taking vessels up to 64 metres long, 9.6 metres wide and 3.5 metres in draught between Sharpness and Gloucester Docks. This launch sits at Saul Junction, where the canal meets the older Stroudwater Canal, and lies on the route used by tall ships and other heritage vessels travelling up to Gloucester.

South of the junction, the towpath gives far-reaching views across to the Severn Estuary and the Forest of Dean. On the far bank stands the former Cadbury's factory, opened in 1916 to combine local milk with cocoa and sugar into chocolate crumb for onward transport by barge to Birmingham; further along, Frampton Church marks the old crossing at Splatt Bridge. Saul Lodge, built for the canal company's clerk in the canal's early years, still stands close to the junction itself.