A History Walk through the canal basins of Stourport

[@markjohnson188]

Thanks Andy, i remember having a few pints in the Tontine many moons ago.

[@rolo4945]

Thank you for putting this up here, Aaron York of York House and Jonathan Worthington of Moorhall both my 5x great grandfathers who owned shares in the Canal company.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Sounds like you are well into your family history!

[@leonbarnfield]

Love it - that's my father-in-laws canal boat - "Victorious" outside the Angel at the end of the video!

[@davidthomas6859]

Great episode Andy ,walked these basins many times always interesting.Live in Hartlebury now thx 🙏 again.👍

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Glad you enjoyed it. By a strange twist of fate I have just finished writing an article about the evolution of the basins as part of the 250 year celebration of the completion of the Staffs and Worcester Canal.

[@davidthomas6859]

@@lifeat2.3milesanhour57 Very interesting place Stourport,a bit different from when I lived by the Wyrley and Essington at Short Heath ,Willenhall.Thx🙏Andy.

[@johnf8687]

Great video I have shared it to the Stewponey volunteers page who look after the basins today

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

I look back at that video and I could make a much better one today! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@RobTaverner]

Another great video Andy. My dad was a keen fisherman and used to fish the Severn around Stourport. A quick story for you about the old Basin. My dad used to fish it as it was full of Tench. He used to get permission to do so. However, he came home one day distraught. A man off one of the boats had dropped a bag of lime into the basin whilst off loading it. Within half an hour there were literally hundreds of dead fish everywhere. This was in the early to mid 70's from memory. Sad event and dad did not fish the basin after that.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

I love these little bits of history Rob.

[@freespeech3673]

I recall that event. I was a 7 year old walking around the basin, hundreds of fish floating on the surface

[@philippankhurst6680]

A very interesting and informative tour of an endlessly fascinating place. The pristine condition of the place today is mainly down to the team of volunteer lock keepers and CRT staff who lovingly keep it looking good throughout the year (including me). We get many visitors who are interested in the port's history, along with those who just come to watch the operation of the locks. Your film can now be added to the list of where they can go if they want to know more.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

I love the place Philip - its a credit to all your hard work.

[@unclegreybeard3969]

As a boy during the later 1960's I was a volunteer helper to the lock-keepers in these docks. Originally the canal was intended to be built further upstream on the River Severn to the town of Bewdley (then considered the highest navigable point on the Severn), who's townsfolk refused to have "a stinking ditch" terminate there. The higher narrow lock is referred to as a key lock, and basically measures the width of boats intending to travel up the canal itself, if a boat didn't fit through it, it would not be allowed to leave the docks and sail the canal toward Birmingham, as it wouldn't pass the narrower stretches along the canal proper. For anyone who doesn't know, the full name of the town is Stourport-on-Severn, derived from the fact of it being an inland port at the confluence of the rivers Stour & Severn.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

We love the town and its canal basins.

[@dennisporter753]

Wow. What an amazing place! This has got to be one of my favorite episodes that hotel is absolutely beautiful.. those water basins are awesome... the 1700 and 1800 warehouse buildings are so cool..I think the new development is very nice.. I assume its apartments? .. too bad it's blocked where boats can't get in there.. I would like more information on that area if possible.. thanks Andy!.. Cheers from Missouri USA hope you are doing well!

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Ooh - missed this comment Dennis! I have since done a lot more research on the basins which will end up as a magazine article. Next time I am there I may remake it including drone shots.

[@dennisporter753]

@@lifeat2.3milesanhour57 Totally cool Andy.. thanks!

[@RJJJ7]

Brilliant video

[@llessibm]

This is very timely as I'm off to Limekiln Chandlers on Saturday so now armed with your description I'll have a meander around as well.

[@danb2450]

Thank you Mr Tidy 🚣‍♀️ 🚢

[@garrystacey7018]

Very interesting video been through there many times on my boat thanks for sharing 👍🏻

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

You are welcome Garry.

[@crasher303]

Excellent walk around Stourport, we used to go from there on a river boat shuffle. I don't know if it is true, but Stourport was supposed to had one the first Chinese community in the West Mids. shame to see The Lichfield basin is still empty of boats. The river Stour was navigable up to Kiddy for a short while, until washed out by floods.

[@beeurd]

The developers offered the mooring spots to people buying the flats, but not enough people took them up on the offer, and for some reason they were never offered to the general public.

[@livvyolo1340]

Hi. Lovely video, just one pet peeve that I can’t help but mention because generation of my family were housed within the tontine cottages. The pronunciation of Tontine isn’t Tonteen but Tont-eye-ne.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

I always have problems with knowing how to pronounce place names!

[@mikehaldane4061]

Just shows that location can be a plus point eventually.

[@leesandford4403]

My home town

[@brynvjones6679]

More fool me. Livid in Ludlow for 4 years and never ventured the 22 miles to Stourport

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Its a great little spot.