Moorings on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal

The Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal runs 74 kilometres through the heart of the West Midlands, linking the River Severn at Stourport-on-Severn with the Trent & Mersey Canal at Great Haywood Junction. Engineered by James Brindley and opened in 1772, the 'Staffs & Worcs' is a contour canal with the winding character of the early canal age and a wealth of historic features — pretty wharves at Stourport (the only town in England to be created by a canal), the dramatic rock cuttings of Bratch Locks at Wombourne, the Tixall Wide where the canal opens into a small lake, and the limestone scenery of the Trent Valley. For boat owners, this is a key piece of the Stourport Ring and Four Counties Ring cruising routes, with steady traffic in the season but a generally relaxed pace. Long-stay moorings are available at Stourport Basins, Kinver, Wombourne, Penkridge and Tixall Wharf. Liveaboards based in the rural reaches enjoy genuine countryside while remaining within easy reach of Birmingham, Stafford and Wolverhampton. The 31 locks are spread along the route rather than concentrated in flights, making for varied cruising. Rail at Stourport (via Kidderminster), Penkridge and Stafford gives reasonable connectivity, and the canal's joining of two of the most important rivers and canals in the network makes it strategically vital.