Bevere Lock

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Many thanks to The Canal and River Trust for facilitating this camera's location and capitally funding its installation. Bevere Lock is situated in Worcestershire, adjacent to Grimley. It holds historical significance as Bever Island, which dates back to 1051 when King Hardicanute dispatched officials to Worcester to collect the Danegeld tax. Regrettably, these officials were assaulted and killed. Consequently, troops arrived several months later to punish the rebels. However, the rebels, having received a warning, managed to escape to Bevere or Camp Island. Following the pillaging and burning of the city, the soldiers pursued the rebels to the camp. Despite four unsuccessful attacks, a truce was eventually reached. The citizens were permitted to return home after paying a fine.Centuries later, the island became a refuge for those seeking to escape the city and avoid the plague. At Bevere, the fish pass on Bevere Weir is designed as a 100m bypass channel. This channel enables fish, including the endangered twaite shad, to swim up a gradually sloped rock-ramp channel around the weir. Blocks integrated into the channel's base serve to slow down the water and disrupt the flow, creating suitable conditions for fish to navigate comfortably.Weirs pose significant obstacles to natural fish migration along the river. The implementation of fish passes benefits various species, such as twaite shad, salmon, lamprey, and eels. Restoring healthy populations of native fish yields positive impacts on the broader river ecosystem and its wildlife.Navigation weirs were installed on the River Severn in the 1840s to facilitate the transportation of industrial materials and goods between the black country and the docks at Gloucester. However, these weirs had devastating consequences for river wildlife, particularly twaite shad. This annual river visitor, commonly known as the 'May Fish,' traditionally migrated from the sea to reach their spawning grounds far up the River Severn before the construction of weirs obstructed their path.