The Industry & Railways of the South West Black Country STOURBRIDGE CANALS Although the area of the midlands around Stourbridge had vast mineral resources, with which to fuel the developing industrial revolution, it suffered from poor transport. Manufactured goods had either to be carted, or pack-horsed to the River Severn at Bewdley, from where it was carried by 'trow' to Gloucester or Bristol for shipment around the coast, or it had to undertake the arduous waggon journeys to London or elsewhere. As early as 1662 attempts were made to make the River Stour navigable, and by 1667 Andrew Yarranton had succeed in carrying coal to Kidderminster and the Severn by this method. However around 1670 most of the primitive locks and works were destroyed in a severe flood. It was over 100 years before the first true canals began to penetrate the area. In 1758 James Brindley was commissioned to survey the route of the Trent & Mersey, or Grand Trunk Canal, but this scheme was not formalised until the penultimate day of 1765. Within a month it was reported that a scheme was proposed to link the River Severn, via Kidderminster and Autherley near Wolverhampton, to the Grand Trunk Canal, at Haywood. This would allow inland communication between the ports of Hull, Liverpool, and Bristol. Such rapid progress was made with the proposal, that on 14th May 1766 Acts of Parliament were passed for both the Staffordshire and Worcestershire, and Trent and Mersey Canals. The canal was fully open by May 1772, although the Trent and Mersey was not finished until 1777. The Staffs. and Worcs. served the long established water powered slitting mills at Wolverley, and the Hyde, Kinver, in the valley of the lower Stour, however its northwards track to Wolverhampton left Stourbridge still isolated 3 miles to the east. At the same time as the Staffs. and Worcs., was in the planning stage, proposals were made to rectify this, by creating a branch to Stourbridge and the Brierley Hill area, but is wasn't until 1775 that matters began to proceed apace. At this time it was also proposed that a continuation of the Stourbridge Canal should extend to Dudley, and, after a parliamentary setback, separate Acts were obtained for the canals on 2nd April 1776. Both canals were complete by 1779. The Stourbridge Canal Company proved very successful throughout the 19th century, moving coal, steel, bricks and other produce from the Stourbridge and Brierley Hill areas of the Black Country. Although traffic declined towards the end of that century, it wasn't until after the First World War that tonnage fell rapidly. When the canal was finally nationalised, in January 1948, very little traffic remained. Many canals in the area lay moribund for over a decade, and in the early 1960s were threatened with complete closure by the British Transport Commission. The Stourbridge Canal was one of these. In an effort to resist the closure, the Inland Waterways Association scheduled its 1962 annual rally at the end of the canal. A protracted fight took place between the BTC and IWA, but eventually the rally took place. It attracted over 100 boats, and was a great success. From that time the use of canals as a leisure activity has gone from strength to strength, and it started in Stourbridge. But that's another story. Canals are not my area of specialism, but they are included to complete the transport picture, and because railways and industry have always been closely linked with canals. If you would like to contribute more information about Black Country canals to this site please feel free to do so; or send your www address to create a link to your own site.