Stourbridge

Explore the towpath along the famous Stourbridge Sixteen on foot, on a bicycle or take a boat trip and see what you can discover.

Back in time in Stourbridge
While it shares its industrial heritage with most of the Birmingham and Black Country canal network, the Stourbridge Canal has a unique association with the glass-making industry which makes this area special.

At one time more than 20 glassworks stood here. The area became world famous for its cameo glass and cut crystal and at the heart of this glory lay the Stourbridge Canal, a busy highway for boats carrying precious cargo into and out of the glassworks.

The Stourbridge area was also famous for producing iron and the ironworkers were noted for their inventiveness. Stourbridge Ironworks became world famous for producing railway locomotives such as the ‘Stourbridge Lion’ and ‘Agenoria’.

What to see in Stourbridge
Red House Glass Cone, between locks 12 and 13, towers 100 feet into the sky. It once enclosed a furnace around which men made glass until 1936.

Ruskin Glass Centre at the site of the former Royal Doulton crystal glassworks

Go for a walk in Stourbridge
Take a stroll around the Stourbridge Sixteen and keep your eyes open for these fascinating hints of the past:
A bridge of two halves: An unusual feature on the Stourbridge Canal is the cast iron split bridge between locks 9 and 10. The bridge was made in two sections with a split down the centre to allow the towing rope, attached to the boat and horse, to pass through.

A room with a view: Lock Cottage (also between locks 9 and 10) was built high with two windows in the bedroom so that the lock keeper could see boats approach from both directions.

What lies beneath? Look closely at the brickwork on Locks 1 and 2. The upper bricks are newer than the lower ones which shows how much the lock has sunk into the ground due to coal mining underneath.

Rope burns: The constant rubbing of tow ropes cut deep grooves into the bricks and metalwork on some of the bridges.

Bridging the gaps: Have you noticed that occasionally the towpath crosses bridges which go over nothing? Bridges like this mark the blocked-off entrances to industrial wharves where narrowboats were once loaded and unloaded.

Foot brakes for horses: At some of the locks the towpath brickwork has ridges which stopped the horses from slipping as they towed narrowboats along the canal.

Go for a drive around Stourbridge
The ‘Bottle and Glass’ pub at the Black Country Living Museum once stood beside Lock 2 on the Stourbridge Sixteen. It was taken down brick by brick and rebuilt at the museum which stands next to the astonishing Dudley Tunnel.

Find out more about the Black Country Living Museum