Droitwich Canals Route

Description of the Route

The Droitwich Canals cover the through route formed by the Droitwich Junction Canal, the River Salwarpe and the Droitwich Barge Canal.

These are under restoration and not navigable.  It is hoped that navigation will be possible from Hanbury Junction to Droitwich by summer 2009 and to Hawford Junction by summer 2010.

Droitwich Junction Canal

The narrow Droitwich Junction Canal leaves the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Hanbury Junction and immediately descends through three locks.

A new route is being constructed where the original route is lost to modern development and blocked by the M5 motorway.

New staircase or double locks 4/5 and a new lock 6 will lower the canal to the level of the Body Brook and will use the existing culvert of the brook to pass under the motorway before descending through lock 7 to the end of the Junction Canal.

River Salwarpe

The final lock 7 of the Junction Canal leads onto the River Salwarpe which will be widened and deepened to allow passage for canal boats.

A towpath will be added for walkers and boat crews and a pipeline under the towpath will carry most of the water from upstream on the River Salwarpe to minimise mixing of the canal water with the river.

In Droitwich the river flows over a weir which maintains it at an almost constant level for navigation while navigation continues through the restored Barge Lock onto the Barge Canal.  This was reopened on 26 September 2008.

Droitwich Barge Canal

The long top pound of the broad Droitwich Barge Canal starts at the Barge Locks and leads out of Droitwich, through Salwarpe to Ladywood where locks 1 to 4 start our descent.

A further four locks complete our descent to the River Severn at Hawford Junction.

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History

The extraction of salt from the brine springs brought prosperity to Droitwich.  Transporting the salt over poor roads was difficult and James Brindley was asked to survey the line for a canal.  The necessary act of Parliament was passed in 1768 and construction started the following year.

The Barge Canal was built as a wide canal with locks 14 feet wide and 64 feet long.  It led from Droitwich to join the River Severn at Hawford Junction.

Trade was good until further brine springs were discovered at Stoke Prior to the north east.  With the coming of the railways trade declined still further.  To try and stem the decline the Junction Canal was constructed in 1854 to join the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Hanbury Junction and provide an alternative route in that direction.  This was constructed as a narrow canal (as the boats would have to fit along the narrow Worcester & Birmingham Canal) with locks 72 feet long and was one of the last canals to be built in this country.

The canals were linked by using a short section of the River Salwarpe and the Barge Lock and the locks on the Barge Canal were lengthened to 72 feet.

Despite these effort trade eventually declined and the canals were formally abandoned in 1939 with the last recorded usage many years earlier.

In 1973 the Droitwich Canals Trust was formed to support the restoration of the canals.  Considerable volunteer effort stopped the decline and started the long slow process of restoration.

By 2008 restoration was in full swing with funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other generous sources for major works and ongoing work by volunteers.  Through navigation is planned for 2010.

Dimensions and Features

Operator

Links

• The Droitwich Canals Trust
• The Waterways Trust