- Stourport Ring
The Stourport Ring is a connected series of
canal s forming a circuit, orcanal ring , aroundWorcestershire ,The Black Country andBirmingham in centralEngland . The ring is formed from theRiver Severn , theStaffordshire and Worcestershire Canal , theStourbridge Canal , theDudley Canal s, theBirmingham Canal Navigations (Netherton Tunnel Branch Canal and Birmingham New Main Line) and theWorcester 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 navigabletunnels on the UK network, these being the 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 theStaffordshire and Worcestershire Canal , and theBCN Main Line atAldersley 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 , theSevern Valley Railway ,Kinver Edge , the BirminghamJewellery 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
Based on travelling clockwise and starting at Worcester. Excludes the northern extension.
* From Blowers Green to Tardebigge top lock, the ring is at the Birmingham Summit level.
ee also
*
Canals of the United Kingdom
*Canal ring References
* Pearson's Guide to the Stourport Ring & the BCN 6th Edition ISBN 0-9545383-1-5
External links
* [http://www.waterscape.com/media/documents/3283.pdf BW Stourport Ring guide]
* [http://www.benefuller.supanet.com/Home.html One family's experience of their narrowboat holiday on the Stourport Ring]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJXtfFTOJd8 Timelapse video from a boat ascending the Tardebigge lock Flight]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.