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Pictures of the Staff & Worcs Canal.

Autherley to Great Haywood.

The Staffordshire & Worcestershire canal was built to connect the Trent and Mersey canal with the River Severn as part of the Grand Cross idea to connect the four main rivers of the UK, the rivers Severn, Trent, Mersey and Thames. It travels from Stourport for forty-six miles passing the outskirts of Wolverhampton to join the Trent & Mersey canal at Great Haywood near to Stafford.

From Autherley Junction the Staff and Worcs continues along the eleven mile summit of this canal. For the first mile it passes through a very narrow rock cutting only wide enough for one boat to pass, fortunately it is straight and has space for one boat to pass in the middle. After the cutting we pass under the M54 and back out into the country. We pass Hatherton Junction where a very active society is restoring what will be another link through to the Birmingham canals and down the other side to the Coventry canal. Finally at Gailey the descent of twelve locks to Great Haywood, twenty miles away is started. At first the locks are close together and for the first seven miles the M6 keeps appearing. However when total quiet returns the locks spread out with only two more locks remaining Although Stafford and it's suburbs are now close they are well hidden keeping up the rural appearance of the canal. Finally after crossing the River Sow on a massive early aqueduct the canal arrives in the vicinity of Shrugborough Hall. To retain the views from the parkland the canal here broadens out into Tixall Wide with 'follies' in the distance. The canal then ends by arriving at Great Haywood junction over another aqueduct and under a much photographed towpath bridge.

The narrows near Autherly junction. Only one boat wide.	Waiting below a lock.	Deptmore lock
The river Sow aqueduct	Tixall wide.	Tixall lock

More pictures of this canal?

Stourport to Stourton / Stourton to Autherley

A history of this canal. / General information on the canal.

Find our information about other canals and rivers on the canal index page.

If you have any questions then do ring us on 07977 229103
or email us at martinreed@reedboats.co.uk