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.
| Stourport Ring | |
|---|---|
 Map of the Ring | |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 74 miles (119 km) |
| Locks | 105 |
| Status | Canal ring |
| Navigation authority | Canal & River Trust |
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.
List of all locks on the ring with their map references
editBased 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″N 2°14′27″W / 52.2333°N 2.2407°W | SO835593 |
| 2 | Holt Lock | SO820634 | ||
| 3 | Lincomb Lock | 52°19′18″N 2°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″N 2°16′43″W / 52.3386°N 2.2787°W | SO811712 | |
| 9 | Falling Sands Lock 4 | 52°22′03″N 2°15′17″W / 52.3674°N 2.2548°W | SO827744 | |
| 10 | Caldwell Lock 5 | 52°22′42″N 2°15′17″W / 52.3783°N 2.2548°W | SO827756 | |
| 11 | Kidderminster Lock 6 | SO829768 | ||
| 12 | Wolverley Court Lock 7 | 52°24′11″N 2°15′09″W / 52.4031°N 2.2524°W | SO829784 | |
| 13 | Wolverley Lock 8 | 52°24′37″N 2°14′59″W / 52.4102°N 2.2497°W | SO830791 | |
| 14 | Debdale Lock 9 | SO839801 | ||
| 15 | Whittington Lock 10 | 52°26′26″N 2°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″N 2°12′21″W / 52.4616°N 2.2059°W | SO850842 | |
| 19 | Stourbridge Canal | Stourton Bottom Lock | 52°27′49″N 2°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″N 2°11′56″W / 52.4646°N 2.1990°W | SO865852 | |
| 23 | Stourbridge Bottom Lock 16 | 52°28′22″N 2°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″N 2°08′37″W / 52.4829°N 2.1436°W | SO903872 | |
| 39 | Dudley Canal Line No. 1 | Delph Bottom Lock 8 | 52°28′32″N 2°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″N 2°07′06″W / 52.4790°N 2.1184°W | SO920867 | |
| 47 | Blowers Green Lock* | 52°29′51″N 2°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″N 2°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″N 2°03′15″W / 52.3099°N 2.0542°W | SO962679 | |
| 78 | Stoke Top Lock No 28 | 52°18′28″N 2°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″N 2°04′16″W / 52.3015°N 2.0710°W | SO952670 | |
| 84 | Astwood Top Lock No 22 | 52°17′17″N 2°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″N 2°05′51″W / 52.2781°N 2.0974°W | SO934644 | |
| 90 | Offerton Top Lock No 16 | 52°13′14″N 2°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″N 2°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″N 2°13′22″W / 52.1826°N 2.2229°W | SO848538 |
- From Blowers Green to Tardebigge top lock, the ring is at the Birmingham Level for 27 miles.
Navigability
editDuring 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.
See also
edit
References
edit- Pearson's Guide to the Stourport Ring & the BCN 6th Edition ISBN 0-9545383-1-5