Severn Tankers

Road traffic boomed in the 1920s. But instead of meaning decline for the Docks, the river and canal traffic actually increased. Oil and petrol were needed and Gloucester Docks helped supply it.

Severn Submarines and their Explosive Loads

The Monk Meadow Dock, built for unloading timber, was redeveloped to unload oil because the tankers were not allowed to moor in the main Docks. The oil trade reached its peak during the Second World War. Then there were no less than five War Office oil depots in Gloucester.

Companies such as Anglo American, British Petroleum, National Benzole, Regent Oil, Red Line, Russian Oil Products and Shell Mex ran the tankers. They started out as engine-less barges pulled by tugs, nicknamed the "Cow Mouths" and "Black Bats". From the 1930s larger tankers carrying up to 400 tons of oil, and fitted with diesel engines were pulling these barges. They were called "the Severn Submarines" because there was usually less than a foot between the deck and the water.

Being so low could make them dangerous, in 1961 the `BP Explorer' turned over in the Estuary killing five people. The cargo made them very dangerous indeed. In 1960 two tankers exploded and demolished part of the Severn railway Bridge. It was made even worse during the war when they carried very high-octane explosive aviation fuel. Although there were no fatalities when the tankers came through Gloucester, the Docks were nevertheless a tricky part of the journey for the tanker Captains heading for Stourport and Worcester. Getting through the lock gates to the river while towing a barge was not easy, and then there was a blind bend at Gloucester Quay and the very low old Westgate Bridge to negotiate.

After the War, the trade flourished. In the 1950s and 60s the tankers got bigger until the 1970s when 1,000 ton tankers could be accommodated at Gloucester. Despite these improvements, decline had already begun. A decade later the facilities had closed down for good. The Severn Tankers could never compete with the underground pipelines that now take fuel from sea to city.