Find out more about our Diglis Island & Fish Pass tours and drop-in sessions.

We run two types of visit at Diglis: 90 minute tours of Diglis Island & Fish Pass, and drop-in sessions at Diglis Fish Pass.

Dates are released periodically throughout the visitor season. View our tour and drop-in dates on the Events page of our website.

Scroll down for more info about the different types of tours available.

Important information about tours and events

Our visitor season runs between March and October, subject to weather and river conditions.

Further dates will be added throughout the visitor season.

Our 90 minute tours of Diglis Island & Fish Pass must be booked. Please book via our Events page which takes you through to Eventbrite.

Please ensure you double check you have selected the CORRECT DATE on Eventbrite before booking your tickets.

We are also run drop-in sessions at Diglis Fish Pass only. These do not need to be booked, but you can see the list of available dates on our Events page.

We work with our brilliant group of volunteer Diglis Island Guides to provide our tours and events. We offer public visits based around their availability.

If you would like to become a volunteer Diglis Island Guide, please register your interest via our Volunteering webpage.

Two types of visit:

90-minute tours of Diglis Island and Fish Pass

Joining a tour gives you a unique opportunity to step onto the private manmade island in the Severn and learn all about its history. Discover how the industrial history of the River Severn impacted wildlife and what our project has done to restore river connectivity for migrating fish.

Each tour group is then guided on a 15 minute walk around the towpath, crossing the Diglis bridge, to visit the 100m-long deep-vertical slot fish pass (at time of construction, the biggest in England and Wales!).

On the terrace of the fish pass you will learn all about this impressive structure and how it works to create a swim way for fish around the weir that blocks their path. Visitors can then descend 3 flights of stairs down to the underwater viewing gallery for a chance to see any wild fish in the river that may be swimming past.

We add new tour dates throughout the visitor season (March – October). Dates are based around our volunteers’ availability.

Drop-in sessions at Diglis Fish Pass

Want to pop in and visit just the fish pass? On select days you can do just that! These visits do not need to be booked. Just turn up to one of our drop-in sessions and explore the fish pass. On busier days we operate using a ticket system, which is first come first served. Pick up your ticket at the fish pass entrance on the day.

Drop-in dates are available to view via our Events page.

Take in the impressive feat of modern engineering that is Diglis Fish Pass. This is one of 4 huge structures that allow a swim way for fish around the weirs which block their passage. On the fish pass terrace you can see how the fish pass works to slow down the water and provide a shallower gradient for migratory fish. Did you know, 25 species of fish were recorded using the pass by the end of 2022?

Then descend into the underwater viewing gallery for a view into the fish pass itself. A 2m by 2.5m window provides a lens into the River Severn, with the opportunity to spot wild fish swimming past!

PLEASE NOTE: Diglis Fish Pass is not open for visitors all the time. We run drop-in sessions on specific dates, which are published on our Events page when available.

View tour dates on our Events page

90-minute tours of Diglis Island and Fish Pass

What does the tour include?

Your visit starts by crossing the lock gates onto the manmade island in the middle of the River Severn. See inside the renovated Victorian workshop and find out about the hidden history of this island. Learn how a rare species of fish – the twaite shad – was impacted when navigation weirs such as Diglis weir were built on the River Severn. We will also explain how modern engineering has allowed us to finally restore access upriver for shad to reach their traditional spawning grounds.

Next, the tour group are guided on a 15 minute walk along the riverside path to our new Diglis fish pass. This is a huge structure – 100m long, 8 metres wide and 5 metres deep. At the time of construction it was the biggest deep vertical slot fish pass in England and Wales! You’ll have the chance to see how water flows through this structure and provides a swim way past the weir for river fish. The tour culminates with your opportunity to descend down beneath the surface of the river into our unique underwater viewing gallery. If you are lucky you may spot some wild fish swimming through the pass!

Our tours are provided thanks to the support our volunteer Diglis Island Guides generously giving up their time. Tour dates are based on these volunteers’ availability.

Highlights

Step on this manmade island in the Severn and discover its hidden heritage.

Learn about the industrial history of the River Severn, why weirs were built, and what they meant for wildlife.

Hear the story of the courageous twaite shad, once prolific but now endangered, this fish makes an epic migration onto the River Severn every year to spawn.

Find out how our project is restoring the fortunes of shad through fish passes and how this will help all kinds of fish and the wider ecology of the river.

See the biggest fish pass of its kind in England and Wales with a unique underwater viewing gallery for your chance to spot wild fish swimming past!

The Victorian lock-making workshop

Diglis Underwater Fish Window

Practical Information

The tour lasts approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.

It starts on Diglis Lock Road, in front of the lock gates (see here for location) and finishes on the opposite side of the river at the fish pass (see here for location).

The best postcode to use is WR5 3BS. If you are using Sat Nav, please make sure you are heading for Diglis Island not Diglis Marina!

The tour includes a walk of just under 1 kilometre from the island to the fish pass, around the towpath.

The tour is largely an outdoor event – and will take place in all weathers (unless unsafe to do so) so please dress appropriately and bring a raincoat as necessary!

Diglis is a pleasant riverside stroll or short cycle from Worcester City Centre. Or, if you need to drive, tour visitors can park in the compound on the corner of Diglis Dock Road and Navigation Road for the duration of the tour only. The compound will be closed and locked after the tour.

There are toilets for visitors on the Diglis Island but not at the fish pass.

Full accessibility information is available here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the trip suitable for children?

Please be aware that young children may not find the 90-minute heritage tour on Diglis Island as interesting as the adults. Families with young children may prefer to attend a drop-in session at Diglis Fish Pass.

Will I see fish?

The fish using our fish pass are wild creatures and unfortunately we cannot guarantee when they will show up for tours. We do see more fish moving upriver in the spring when the water is warmer. The best time of year to see fish is April and May, during the spring migration. Twaite shad themselves migrate onto the river from late April or early May and leave the river around June.

Is the tour accessible for wheelchair users?

Diglis Island – the lock gates are accessible via ramps although this may vary depending on your mobility and your wheelchair. The full accessibility statement is available here but please feel free to contact us with any further questions.

Fish Pass – the underwater viewing gallery can only be accessed via a staircase of 36 steps. We are currently developing some additional video materials on tablets for visitors who are unable to use the stairs down to the window.

Can I bring my dog?

We allow well-behaved dogs onto Diglis Island and Diglis Fish Pass terrace, however we do not allow dogs into the underwater viewing gallery (with the exception of service dogs).

Diglis Fish Pass drop-in sessions

Our drop-in sessions do not need to be booked. Take a look at our Events page and look for ‘Diglis Fish Pass Drop-in Session’ to see the dates and times available.

Our weekend drop-in sessions are usually our busiest. On busy days we operate using a ticket system. A ticket guarantees a 20 minute slot in our underwater viewing gallery. Tickets can be picked up from the fish pass entrance on the day. These are first come first served, and you can take a ticket for later in the day.

During your 20 minute slot, you will be welcomed into the viewing gallery by one of our brilliant Diglis Island Guides, who will explain more about the project and the fish we see through the window. You might also be lucky and spot some Severn swimmers for yourself!

Take a look at photos from our Instagram page below, showing photos from Diglis Fish Pass!

View drop-in dates on our Events page

Diglis Island & Fish Pass Tours

Find out more about our Diglis Island & Fish Pass tours and drop-in sessions.

Important information about tours and events

Two types of visit:

90-minute tours of Diglis Island and Fish Pass

Drop-in sessions at Diglis Fish Pass

90-minute tours of Diglis Island and Fish Pass

What does the tour include?

Highlights

The Victorian lock-making workshop

Diglis Underwater Fish Window

Practical Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the trip suitable for children?

Will I see fish?

Is the tour accessible for wheelchair users?

Can I bring my dog?

Diglis Fish Pass drop-in sessions

Tour location

Volunteering