A SEVERN trow may once again glide across the river and estuary if enthusiasts are able to proceed with a ship building project next week. Of the hundreds of craft which plied these waters for centuries, only a single and heavily restored specimen survives – and it isn't based here.

Trows were, as described by Colin Green in his recent book "Severn Traders," the workhorses of the Severn and Wye. Flat bottomed, to be able to cope with the shallows and settle on the mud at low tide, they had a usually square sail but were also hauled upriver by gangs of boatmen.

Colin and others are meeting next week to form, if there is sufficient backing, a River Severn Society for those interested in the traditions of the river. Other sponsors of the get-together are Brian Bailey from Frampton-on-Severn and Dymock cheese maker and conservationist Charles Martell.

Attenders will also decide how best to embark on the trow scheme. Basic questions include its optimum size, type, method of construction, possible sources of finance and eventual ownership and use.

The meeting is on Tuesday at 7.30pm in the Gloucester Docks Marketing Pavilion inside the Southgate Street entrance. Those interested can contact Colin Green on 01633 421349 or Charles Martell on 01531 890637.