Stourport Ring | |
---|---|
Map of the Ring | |
Specifications | |
Length | 74 miles (119 km) |
Locks | 105 |
Status | Canal ring |
Navigation authority | Canal & River Trust |
The Stourport Ring is a connected series of canals forming a circuit, or canal ring, around Worcestershire, The Black Country and Birmingham in The Midlands, England. The ring is formed from the River Severn, the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, the Stourbridge Canal, the Dudley Canals, the Birmingham Canal Navigations (Netherton Tunnel Branch Canal and Birmingham New Main Line) and the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.
The ring is 74 miles and includes 105 locks including 3 electrically operated river locks, 2 pairs of staircase locks and 2 broad locks. The route includes flights of locks at Tardebigge (x30), Stourbridge (x16) and the Black Delph at Brierley Hill (x8). The route also includes two of the longest navigable tunnels on the UK network, these being the Netherton and Wast Hills Tunnels.
The ring has an alternative longer route via Wolverhampton of 83 miles and 122 locks and does not include the Stourbridge or Dudley canals. This route uses the connection between the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, and the BCN Main Line at Aldersley Junction.
The ring is popular for cruising and has a number of narrowboat hire centres on the route including Alvechurch, Viking Afloat (Worcester), Anglo-Welsh (Tardebigge), Brook Line (Dunhampstead) and Black Prince (Stoke Prior).
Popular visitor attractions on or close to the Stourport Ring include Cadbury World, The Black Country Living Museum, the Severn Valley Railway, Kinver Edge, the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter, Brindleyplace plus the Merry Hill, Bullring and Mailbox shopping centres.
Popular overnight mooring places on the ring include Worcester city centre, Stourport Basin, Wolverley, Kinver, Merry Hill, Windmill End, The Black Country Museum (via short detour), Gas Street Basin, Hopwood, Stoke Works and Dunhampstead.
Based on travelling clockwise and starting at Worcester. Excludes the northern extension.
Lock Number | Waterway | Lock Name | Coordinates | OS Grid Ref |
1 | River Severn | Bevere Lock | 52°14′00″N2°14′27″W / 52.2333°N 2.2407°W | SO835593 |
2 | Holt Lock | SO820634 | ||
3 | Lincomb Lock | 52°19′18″N2°15′53″W / 52.3216°N 2.2646°W | SO821693 | |
4/5 | Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal | Stourport basin lower staircase | SO809710 | |
6/7 | Stourport basin upper staircase | SO809710 | ||
8 | Stourport York Street Lock 3 | 52°20′19″N2°16′43″W / 52.3386°N 2.2787°W | SO811712 | |
9 | Falling Sands Lock 4 | 52°22′03″N2°15′17″W / 52.3674°N 2.2548°W | SO827744 | |
10 | Caldwell Lock 5 | 52°22′42″N2°15′17″W / 52.3783°N 2.2548°W | SO827756 | |
11 | Kidderminster Lock 6 | SO829768 | ||
12 | Wolverley Court Lock 7 | 52°24′11″N2°15′09″W / 52.4031°N 2.2524°W | SO829784 | |
13 | Wolverley Lock 8 | 52°24′37″N2°14′59″W / 52.4102°N 2.2497°W | SO830791 | |
14 | Debdale Lock 9 | SO839801 | ||
15 | Whittington Lock 10 | 52°26′26″N2°13′02″W / 52.4406°N 2.2171°W | SO853825 | |
16 | Kinver Lock 11 | SO848834 | ||
17 | Hyde Lock 12 | SO848834 | ||
18 | Stewponey Lock 13 | 52°27′42″N2°12′21″W / 52.4616°N 2.2059°W | SO850842 | |
19 | Stourbridge Canal | Stourton Bottom Lock | 52°27′49″N2°12′17″W / 52.4636°N 2.2047°W | SO861851 |
20 | Stourton Lock | SO862851 | ||
21 | Stourton Lock | SO864852 | ||
22 | Stourton Top Lock | 52°27′53″N2°11′56″W / 52.4646°N 2.1990°W | SO865852 | |
23 | Stourbridge Bottom Lock 16 | 52°28′22″N2°09′51″W / 52.4728°N 2.1643°W | SO889861 | |
24 | Stourbridge Lock 15 | SO890863 | ||
25 | Stourbridge Lock 14 | SO891863 | ||
26 | Stourbridge Lock 13 | SO892864 | ||
27 | Stourbridge Lock 12 | SO894865 | ||
28 | Stourbridge Lock 11 | SO895865 | ||
29 | Stourbridge Lock 10 | SO895865 | ||
30 | Stourbridge Lock 9 | SO896865 | ||
31 | Stourbridge Lock 8 | SO897866 | ||
32 | Stourbridge Lock 7 | SO897867 | ||
33 | Stourbridge Lock 6 | SO898867 | ||
34 | Stourbridge Lock 5 | SO899868 | ||
35 | Stourbridge Lock 4 | SO899868 | ||
36 | Stourbridge Lock 3 | SO900869 | ||
37 | Stourbridge Lock 2 | SO902871 | ||
38 | Stourbridge Top Lock 1 | 52°28′58″N2°08′37″W / 52.4829°N 2.1436°W | SO903872 | |
39 | Dudley Canal Line No. 1 | Delph Bottom Lock 8 | 52°28′32″N2°07′23″W / 52.4756°N 2.1230°W | SO917863 |
40 | Delph Lock 7 | SO917864 | ||
41 | Delph Lock 6 | SO918864 | ||
42 | Delph Lock 5 | SO918865 | ||
43 | Delph Lock 4 | SO918865 | ||
44 | Delph Lock 3 | SO919866 | ||
45 | Delph Lock 2 | SO920866 | ||
46 | Delph Top Lock 1 | 52°28′44″N2°07′06″W / 52.4790°N 2.1184°W | SO920867 | |
47 | Blowers Green Lock* | 52°29′51″N2°05′52″W / 52.4975°N 2.0979°W | SO934888 | |
Dudley Canal Line No. 2 | (no locks) | |||
Netherton Tunnel Branch Canal | (no locks) | |||
Birmingham New Main Line | (no locks) | |||
48 | Worcester and Birmingham Canal | Tardebigge Top Lock No 58* | 52°19′17″N2°00′39″W / 52.3214°N 2.0107°W | SO993692 |
49 | Tardebigge Lock No 57 | SO987689 | ||
50 | Tardebigge Lock No 56 | SO987688 | ||
51 | Tardebigge Lock No 55 | SO986688 | ||
52 | Tardebigge Lock No 54 | SO986688 | ||
53 | Tardebigge Lock No 53 | SO984686 | ||
54 | Tardebigge Lock No 52 | SO984686 | ||
55 | Tardebigge Lock No 51 | SO984685 | ||
56 | Tardebigge Lock No 50 | SO984685 | ||
57 | Tardebigge Lock No 49 | SO982683 | ||
58 | Tardebigge Lock No 48 | SO982683 | ||
59 | Tardebigge Lock No 47 | SO980683 | ||
60 | Tardebigge Lock No 46 | SO979683 | ||
61 | Tardebigge Lock No 45 | SO979683 | ||
62 | Tardebigge Lock No 44 | SO978682 | ||
63 | Tardebigge Lock No 43 | SO976682 | ||
64 | Tardebigge Lock No 42 | SO976682 | ||
65 | Tardebigge Lock No 41 | SO975682 | ||
66 | Tardebigge Lock No 40 | SO974682 | ||
67 | Tardebigge Lock No 39 | SO973681 | ||
68 | Tardebigge Lock No 38 | SO972680 | ||
69 | Tardebigge Lock No 37 | SO971680 | ||
70 | Tardebigge Lock No 36 | SO970679 | ||
71 | Tardebigge Lock No 35 | SO969679 | ||
72 | Tardebigge Lock No 34 | SO968678 | ||
73 | Tardebigge Lock No 33 | SO967678 | ||
74 | Tardebigge Lock No 32 | SO966678 | ||
75 | Tardebigge Lock No 31 | SO965679 | ||
76 | Tardebigge Lock No 30 | SO964679 | ||
77 | Tardebigge Bottom Lock No 29 | 52°18′36″N2°03′15″W / 52.3099°N 2.0542°W | SO962679 | |
78 | Stoke Top Lock No 28 | 52°18′28″N2°03′28″W / 52.3078°N 2.0578°W | SO961677 | |
79 | Stoke Lock No 27 | SO956672 | ||
80 | Stoke Lock No 26 | SO958672 | ||
81 | Stoke Lock No 25 | SO956672 | ||
82 | Stoke Lock No 24 | SO955671 | ||
83 | Stoke Prior Bottom Lock No 23 | 52°18′05″N2°04′16″W / 52.3015°N 2.0710°W | SO952670 | |
84 | Astwood Top Lock No 22 | 52°17′17″N2°05′19″W / 52.2880°N 2.0886°W | SO940655 | |
85 | Astwood Lock No 21 | SO939654 | ||
86 | Astwood Lock No 20 | SO939653 | ||
87 | Astwood Lock No 19 | SO937652 | ||
88 | Astwood Lock No 18 | SO936650 | ||
89 | Astwood Bottom Lock No 17 | 52°16′41″N2°05′51″W / 52.2781°N 2.0974°W | SO934644 | |
90 | Offerton Top Lock No 16 | 52°13′14″N2°09′05″W / 52.2205°N 2.1514°W | SO897580 | |
91 | Offerton Lock No 15 | SO896580 | ||
92 | Offerton Lock No 14 | SO894580 | ||
93 | Offerton Lock No 13 | SO893580 | ||
94 | Offerton Lock No 12 | SO890578 | ||
95 | Offerton Bottom Lock No 11 | 52°13′04″N2°09′53″W / 52.2178°N 2.1646°W | SO888577 | |
96 | Tolladine Lock No 10 | SO877576 | ||
97 | Blackpole Lock No 9 | SO869576 | ||
98 | Bilford Top Lock | SO856570 | ||
99 | Bilford Bottom Lock | SO856569 | ||
100 | Gregory's Mill Top Lock | SO850565 | ||
101 | Gregory's Mill Bottom Lock | SO853553 | ||
102 | Blockhouse Lock No 4 | SO854546 | ||
103 | Sidbury Lock No 3 | SO852544 | ||
104 | Diglis Basin Lock No 2 | SO849538 | ||
105 | Diglis Basin Lock No 1 | 52°10′57″N2°13′22″W / 52.1826°N 2.2229°W | SO848538 |
During spring freshet the Severn can be closed to navigation, making the ring not fully navigable. There is also potential for some sections of the ring being temporarily unnavigable consequent to lack of water during a drought.
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan administrative, ceremonial and historic county, situated in the West Midlands region of England.
The River Severn, at 220 miles (354 km) long, is the longest river in Great Britain. It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales, discharging an average of 107 m3/s (3,800 cu ft/s) into the Bristol Channel at Apperley, Gloucestershire. It rises in the Cambrian Mountains in mid Wales, at an altitude of 2,001 feet (610 m), on the Plynlimon massif, which lies close to the Ceredigion/Powys border near Llanidloes. The river then flows through Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. The three county towns of Shrewsbury, Worcester and Gloucester lie on its course.
The Trent and Mersey Canal is a 93 1⁄2-mile (150 km) canal in Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire in north-central England. It is a "narrow canal" for the vast majority of its length, but at the extremities to the east of Burton upon Trent and north of Middlewich, it is a wide canal.
The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is a navigable narrow canal in Staffordshire and Worcestershire in the English Midlands. It is 46 miles (74 km) long, linking the River Severn at Stourport in Worcestershire with the Trent and Mersey Canal at Haywood Junction by Great Haywood.
Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) is a network of canals connecting Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and the eastern part of the Black Country. The BCN is connected to the rest of the English canal system at several junctions.
The Stour is a river flowing through the counties of Worcestershire, the West Midlands and Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England. The Stour is a major tributary of the River Severn, and it is about 25 miles (40 km) in length. It has played a considerable part in the economic history of the region.
Stourbridge is a market town in the West Midlands, England. Situated on the River Stour, it was the centre of British glass making during the Industrial Revolution. The 2011 UK census recorded the town's population as 63,298.
The Shropshire Union Canal, nicknamed the "Shroppie", is a navigable canal in England. The Llangollen and Montgomery canals are the modern names of branches of the Shropshire Union (SU) system and lie partially in Wales.
The Worcester and Birmingham Canal is a canal linking Birmingham and Worcester in England. It starts in Worcester, as an 'offshoot' of the River Severn and ends in Gas Street Basin in Birmingham. It is 29 miles (47 km) long. There are 58 locks in total on the canal, including the 30 Tardebigge Locks, one of the largest lock flights in Europe. The canal climbs 428 feet (130 m) from Worcester to Birmingham.
A canal ring is the name given to a series of canals that make a complete loop.
The Stourbridge Canal is a canal in the West Midlands of England. It links the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal with the Dudley Canal, and hence, via the Birmingham Canal Navigations, to Birmingham and the Black Country.
The Dudley Canal is a canal passing through Dudley in the West Midlands of England. The canal is part of the English and Welsh connected network of navigable inland waterways, and in particular forms part of the popular Stourport Ring narrowboat cruising route.
Stourton is a hamlet in Staffordshire, England a few miles to the northwest of Stourbridge. There is a fair amount of dispute over the pronunciation, being pronounced 'stower-ton', 'stir-ton' or 'store-ton' by different people from the area. The nearest sizeable villages are Wollaston and Kinver, the nearest hamlets are Prestwood and Dunsley. It lies on the River Stour. The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and Stourbridge Canal meet at Stourton Junction, which places Stourton on the Stourport Ring, a navigable waterway popular with narrowboat holidaymakers.
The BCN Main Line, or Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line describes the evolving route of the Birmingham Canal between Birmingham and Wolverhampton in England.
The Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN), a network of narrow canals in the industrial midlands of England, is built on various water levels. The three longest are the Wolverhampton, Birmingham, and Walsall levels. Locks allow boats to move from one level to another.
Tardebigge Locks or the Tardebigge Flight is the longest flight of locks in the UK, comprising 30 narrow locks on a two-and-a-quarter-mile (3.6 km) stretch of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal at Tardebigge, Worcestershire. It raises the waterway 220 feet (67 m), and lies between the Tardebigge tunnel to the North and the Stoke Prior flight of six narrow locks to the South. The Tardebigge Engine House is also on this stretch.
Kings Norton Junction is the name of the canal junction where the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal terminates and meets the Worcester and Birmingham Canal at Kings Norton, Birmingham, England.
The Wednesbury Oak Loop, sometimes known as the Bradley Arm, is a canal in the West Midlands, England. It is part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN), and was originally part of James Brindley's main line, but became a loop when Thomas Telford's improvements of the 1830s bypassed it by the construction of the Coseley Tunnel. The south-eastern end of the loop was closed and in parts built over, following the designation of the entire loop as "abandoned" in 1954, including the section which was filled in at the beginning of the 1960s to make way for the Glebefields Estate in Tipton.
Delph Locks or the Delph Nine are a series of eight narrow canal locks on the Dudley No. 1 Canal in Brierley Hill, in the West Midlands, England. They were opened in 1779, and reopened in 1967 following restoration of the Dudley Canal and the Stourbridge Canal in a joint venture between the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal Society and the British Waterways Board.
The Avon Ring is a canal ring which is located to the south west of Birmingham in England, and connects the major towns of Stratford-upon-Avon, Evesham, Tewkesbury, Worcester and the southern outskirts of Birmingham. It consists of stretches of four waterways, and is heavily locked, with a total of 129 locks on its route of 109 miles (175 km).