2016

SJ9422 : Stafford Riverway Link restoration near Baswich

taken 8 years ago, near to Weeping Cross, Staffordshire, England

Stafford Riverway Link restoration near Baswich
Stafford Riverway Link restoration near Baswich
This shows the north end of the re-excavated holding basin between the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and where a short aqueduct led to St Thomas Lock. The lock lowered narrowboats by about 6ft 6in (about two metres - variable) to a channel cut across the flood plain to the River Sow. The Sow Navigation ceased operation in 1927.
Restoration is in progress to allow boats a passage to Stafford. The housing on the far side of the Penk/Sow flood plain is on Kingston Hill.

The Stafford Riverway Link

The Stafford Riverway Link is a new name for the former Stafford Branch Canal or River Sow Navigation which used to link the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal at Baswich with the town centre of Stafford. A restoration project plans to reconstruct the link "for community benefit".

The link consisted of a short section of canal branching off the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal near St Thomas Bridge 101. This led via a basin and an aqueduct over a drainage channel and into St Thomas Lock, then down into the River Sow. From here the river course was straightened and made navigable for about a mile and a half to the terminus at a basin near Green Bridge in Stafford.

The canal opened in 1772, the River Sow Navigation in 1816. It ceased operations in the 1920s.

Information from the IWA here: LinkExternal link

Note: Immediately below the lock now is the River Penk, which was diverted along the former Deepmore drainage ditch during flood control activities in the 1970s, so no longer joins the Sow at its original confluence SJ94272281. It now does so 300 metres further east at SJ94572287.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Roger D Kidd and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Farm, Fishery, Market Gardening Grassland Housing, Dwellings Construction, Development Canals other tags: Canal Basin Pasture Flood Plain Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
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SJ9422, 267 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Roger D Kidd   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Wednesday, 28 September, 2016   (more nearby)
Submitted
Monday, 4 December, 2017
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SJ 9440 2279 [10m precision]
WGS84: 52:48.1581N 2:5.0703W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SJ 9441 2278
View Direction
Northwest (about 315 degrees)
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Image Type (about): geograph 
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