Locks: Worcester & Birmingham Canal

The northern end of the Worcester & Birmingham canal at Gas Street Basin in Birmingham links to the Birmingham Canal Navigations and the Birmingham & Fazeley canal. Its southern terminus is at Diglis Basin in Worcester where it joins the River Severn. On its way it has junctions with the Stratford canal at Kings Norton and the Droitwich canal at Hanbury.

The Worcester & Birmingham canal was opened in 1815 and runs for 30 miles from Diglis Basin in Worcester to Gas Street Basin in Birmingham. It has 58 locks which are all single width, narrow beam locks of approximately 7’ 6” width.

Interestingly pairs of donkeys were used to haul boats in the early days rather than the traditional horse. This was because boats would go out onto the River Severn at Worcester and donkeys were apparently easier to transport on the river.

Commercial carrying finished in 1964. The main freight then was between Cadbury’s factory in Bourneville all the way to the Severn and then down to Frampton on The Gloucester & Sharpness canal.

Click on a link below to see the locks in that section:

Locks 1 - 28 Worcester to Stoke Pound

Locks 29 - 58 Tardebigge flight