Surprising Stourport on Severn

Stourport-on-Severn is unique amongst Britains towns being the only town in Britain built solely as a consequence of the coming of the canals. Popular myth has it that James Brindley chose Stourport rather than Bewdley for his canal because the citizens of Bewdley did not want his ‘stinking ditch’ passing through their town. The reality is that Stourport made far more sens. A canal joining the River Severn at Bewdley would have needed to cross several hills. Joining the Severn at Stourport it could follow the Stour valley and this obviously made construction much cheaper.

The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal linked the River Severn with the Trent and Mersey and as a result, after Birmingham, Stourport became the busiest inland port in the Midlands. The canal opened to Stourport in 1771 and by 1812 five canal basins had been built. In 1775 the first Stourport Bridge across the Severn was built by the Canal Company.

The town rapidly expanded and by the 1780’s there were brass and iron foundries, a vinegar works, tan yards, worsted spinning mills, carpet mills, barge and boat building yards, warehouses, shops, houses and inns. But the coming of the railway  in 1862 posed a major challenge to the canal.

They certainly know how to make the most of their waterfront - 

Regattas:

Steam boats:

Carnival n Ice Cream:

Then onto a remarkable NGS garden at Worralls Mill in Abberley. Once a water mill with a mill race the brook now runs through garden enabling, amongst other features, a bog garden. This many faceted garden contains oak, ash, shrubs and a number of bridges, including the red bridge at the front of house.To the rear of the house there lies terracing, a hot bed, mixed borders, pergola to 'jungle', bamboo and fatsia.

yes we have no bananas!