Canal Basins, Locks And Wharves

STOURPORT ON SEVERN

SO8071SE Canal Basins, Locks and Wharves 589-1/8/1 05/07/50 (Formerly Listed as: Canal Basins and Locks)

GV II

Canal basins, locks and wharves, built by the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal Company from 1766. James Brindley was the principal engineer. Original construction was stone and brick for basin and lock walls, timber lock gates, stone wharf walls. Much of this has now been repaired or renewed, though the battered stone walls of the lock entrances remain and the wharf walls survive largely intact. Canal enters by York Street Lock in NE corner of Upper Basin, which was completed in 1771. It still contains a small dock inlet in the north section. Channel links this basin to Old Basin of 1782 to the west, and locks south from each basin link to the lower basins of 1771 and 1775. Dry dock entered from western lower basin, and narrow boat locks of 1781 connect it with the river. Barge locks leave from the eastern lower basin, 1771. Graving docks also accessed from this basin. Brick and stone bridges formerly crossed the locks linking upper and lower basins: the eastern bridge survives substantially, though one parapet has been renewed. A small cast-iron bridge (early C20?) crosses the top of the narrow boat locks, and a brick bridge crosses at the bottom. Wharf walls of coursed and squared sandstone extend along the river between the two sets of locks, and eastward for some 100 m., also probably late C18. (Porteous J D: Canal Ports: The Urban Achievement of the Canal Age: London: 1977-: 83-105).

Listing NGR: SO8101171049