Stourbridge Canal
Enjoy an easy waterside walk along this pretty canal in the West Midlands. The walk starts in the town of Stourbridge in the West Midlands and heads to Stourton Bridge in Staffordshire. Here the canal links with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. There's lots of pretty locks and some lovely countryside as you make your way into Staffordshire.
Stourbridge Canal Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Stourbridge Canal Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Stourbridge Canal OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Stourbridge Canal Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
In nearby Kingswinford you can pick up the South Staffordshire Railway Walk and enjoy an easy walk or cycle along the trackbed of the old Wolverhampton to Dudley railway line.
Head south of the town and you can visit the historic Hagley Hall Park and enjoy a climb to a splendid viewpoint at Clent Hills Country Park.
Just to the south of the town there's the pretty Worcestershire village of Belbroughton with its attractive High Street and picturesque village green. Our circular walk visits the nearby village of Drayton with its scenic lake.
To the east you can explore the woodland sculpture trails in the wildlife rich Saltwells Nature Reserve. You will also find the pretty Netherton Reservoir and the Dudley Canal in this area. The canal lies at the southern end of the Victorian Netherton Tunnel. With a torch you can walk through the pitch black tunnel to Dudley Port at the other end.
For more walking ideas in the area see the
West Midlands Walks and Staffordshire Walks pages.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
The end of the Stourbridge Canal arm in the centre of Stourbridge. The building on the right is the bonded warehouse, dating from 1779. The sign directs boaters to the 'winding hole' - a location where it is possible to turn narrowboats.
The Stourbridge Canal terminates at this former warehouse in the centre of Stourbridge. The grade 2 listed warehouse was built in 1779 and enlarged in the 1840s. Today it acts as a venue for a wide range of functions.
Beyond Neville Garratt Bridge, the Stourbridge Town Arm ends with private moorings and a rather awkward winding hole (turning point for boats).
Foster Street, Stourbridge. Pedestrianised street leading off High Street; the subway leads to Stourbridge Town station. The pub on the left is called 'Glass', which may or may not be a reference to Stourbridge's traditional glassmaking industry.
Stourton. Looking down from the top lock, past an impressive display of red flowers belonging to the adjacent houses.
Narrowboats at Stourbridge. The original purpose of the canal was to link collieries in the Dudley area with the glass-making factories at Stourbridge. By also linking with the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal at Stourton the canal was also able to offer an outlet for Dudley coal to the River Severn. The enterprise remained profitable until at least the 1930s, but in common with the rest of the narrow canal network suffered severe decline thereafter and was effectively abandoned by the 1960s. It was, however, restored and reopened for leisure craft in 1967. Here, at the end of the 2-mile arm into the centre of Stourbridge, there are moorings for privately owned narrowboats.