History of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal

Designed by James Brindley as part of the 'Grand Cross' scheme to link the rivers Mersey, Trent, Severn and Thames, the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal was opened from Stourport to Great Haywood in 1772, a little over 46 miles long. It is popularly known as the Staffs & Worcs, with the 'Worcs' pronounced as in Worcester.

The Staffs & Worcs is an early 'contour canal' and follows the land contours through the valleys of the rivers Stour, Smestow, Penk and Sow. It meets the River Severn at an impressive series of basins, at what once was the hamlet of Lower Mitton - but, on the canal's arrival, took the name of Stourport. This was later extended to include reference to both rivers, as Stourport-on-Severn.

The canal was an immediate commercial success, and remained prosperous for longer than most waterways. The carriage of Cannock coal became a staple, and trade continued on some stretches until well into the 1960s. The line was not restricted to industrial usage and once there were more than 100 watermills along its length. It makes connections with the Birmingham Canal Navigations at Aldersley, the Shropshire Union Canal at nearby Autherley and the Stourbridge Canal at Stourton. The derelict Hatherton Branch at Calf Heath, that once connected with the northern Birmingham Canal Navigations, is being restored; the former Stafford Branch is now an unnavigable culvert; and the short Hazelstrine Branch is home to a boat club.

A derelict lock at Pratt's Wharf near Stourport denotes the link with the River Stour and is a reminder of a time when steel was taken by boat from the nearby rail interchange to the Wilden Ironworks. Negotiating a laden narrowboat on a flooded Stour must have been a perilous experience. The last traffic 'down the brook' ended around 1949 and the works closed shortly afterwards.

Despite its heritage and proximity to the industry of the West Midlands, the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal remains essentially rural. It now forms part of two cruising rings, the Stourport Ring and the ever-popular Four Counties Ring. At Tixall, near the junction with the Trent & Mersey Canal, it passes through a wide expanse of water said to have been cut on the insistence of local landowner Thomas Clifford of Tixall Hall. He grudgingly accepted the building of the canal through his land - but only on condition it did not spoil his view.