Marine Cruises narrow boat holiday hire on The Stourport Ring Narrowboat
Week, 10 and two week breaks from Tardebigge
The Stourport Ring Narrowboat Holiday
44 hours, 118 locks, 74 Miles
The Stourport Ring, on a week long narrowboat holiday is a total of 74 miles through 118 locks in around 44 cruising hours from our Tardebigge base.
It combines Major Canal routes with a section of the River Severn, It’s recommended to travel the route anti-clockwise, so begin by heading north to Birmingham’s Gas Street Basin, then transfer onto the Birmingham Canal Main Line heading North West towards Wolverhampton. The route is largely lock-free for a while, passing through Cosely Tunnel, then Wolverhampton Tunnel, after which there are visitor moorings for exploring Wolverhampton, including its Grand Theatre and the fantastic Pop Art collection at its Art Gallery.
The next part to negotiate is the Wolverhampton flight of 21 locks, which should take around four hours, before reaching Aldersley Junction and the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.
Six miles and another six locks later, you reach Bratch Top Lock and pumping station in the picturesque village of Wombourne, with its popular Railway Café and village pubs.
A mile further, the canalside Waggon & Horses pub with an large menu and spacious beer garden, another great stop.
After another eight locks, narrowboaters reach Stourton Junction, where the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal meets the Stourbridge Canal. From here, it’s an eight-hour cruise on to Stourport-On-Severn, cruising through 13 locks, passing through the village of Kinver with access to the National Trust’s Kinver Rock Houses, and the historic market town of Kidderminster, with canalside dining at The Watermill and The Lock Inn.
On arriving at Stourport, a previously busy inland port, narrowboaters can explore the basins by following circular walks, and enjoy dining at the Bird in Hand, Windlass Café or Rising Sun Inn.
This then takes you onto a 12-mile section of the River Severn (Britain’s longest river) to travel along to reach the beautiful Cathedral City of Worcester. Here, the Stourport Ring route transfers boaters back onto the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Diglis Basin in the city centre, with the chance to see some of the City’s many historical buildings, including its medieval Cathedral and magnificent stained glass windows.
Now on the final leg of the journey, the Worcester & Birmingham Canal takes boaters out of Worcester and steadily upwards through the countryside views and wooded cuttings, passing through the village of Tibberton, and its canalside Bridge Inn.
Then the Dunhampstead Tunnel is next, and Hanbury Wharf, where the Droitwich Canal meets the main line.
After travelling through six locks on the Stoke flight, boaters can relax at The Queen’s Head Pub at Stoke Pound, with wood fired pizzas, barbecues and live music, before tackling the spectacular Tardebigge flight of 30 locks.
One of the largest flights in Europe, these locks take the canal up 67 metres over a two-and-a-quarter mile stretch, and take around five hours to complete before returning to our boatyard at Tardebigge Old Wharf.
This is an active route for experienced boaters to achieve in a week, or a challenging but rewarding route for 10 days or two week narrowboat holidays.
Week Break
The Droitwich Ring Narrowboat Holiday
30 hours, 33 locks, 21 miles
On a week-long break from Tardebigge you can complete the Droitwich Ring. Known as the Mid-Worcestershire Ring, the Droitwich Ring is a 21-mile, 33-lock circuit which takes around 16 hours to complete. It travels sections of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal and the River Severn, as well as the Droitwich Barge and Junction canals.
You can enjoy the City of Worcester with its magnificent cathedral, the historic spa town of Droitwich, Hanbury Hall, the ancient village of Salwarpe, Dunhampstead Tunnel, and Diglis Basin.
The Droitwich Canals were historically important for the transportation of salt, as Droitwich Spa was known for its salt production. The canals were restored and only re-opened as recent as 2011, giving narrowboaters the opportunity once again to navigate the Droitwich Ring.
With the limited locks with both River and mixed canal cruising, all offering industrial and architectural heritage make this an excellent choice achievable in a week long narrowboat holiday from Tardebigge basin.
Week Break
The Birmingham Mini-Ring Narrowboat Holiday
27 hours, 49 locks 45 miles
On a week-long break from Tardebigge, you can complete the Birmingham Mini-Ring narrowboat holiday.
The route through Birmingham Mini-Ring offers boaters industrial heritage sites, historic neighbourhoods and green open spaces. The route offers views of city skylines, urban boating with waterfronts and canalside pubs and cafes.
Approximately 45 miles, passing through 49 locks and taking in sections of the Worcester & Birmingham, Birmingham Main Line and Grand Union canals. Enjoying places such as the historic village of Bournville, home of Cadbury’s chocolate, Gas Street Basin in the centre of Birmingham and a short walk to the bars and restaurants at Brindleyplace; the route offers the impressive flight of 13 locks at Farmers Bridge and Pelsall Common.
An excellent choice for of route for narrowboaters wanting to experience a mix of heritage, city life and culture.