Stourport Basins

Stourport grew up around the vital transhipment port where goods en-route to the industrial cities in the midlands was transferred from the River Severn to the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.

At its peak, Stourport was one of the UK's busiest inland ports and to service increased traffic a complex series of interconnecting basins evolved at the junction of the two waterways. Today, these present a fascinating historic heritage landscape. There are actually four main basins, arranged in a square formation (a fifth has since been filled in). The pair alongside the River Severn are linked, and both have lock connections to the river. The inland pair, also linked, are at a slightly higher level with both, again, connected to their lower counterparts by locks.

The most usual route from the River Severn to the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal involves passing through three of the basins and working through two pairs of very narrow (7ft) staircase locks. There are a number of exceptional buildings in and around the basin complex including a spectacular clock tower, and the 18th century Tontine Hotel originally built by the canal company.

Today, with the industry gone, Stourport makes an interesting stop, with its Georgian architecture, river front and waterside meadows.

Stourport Canal Basin

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• Leisure attraction