Dive into history at Stone Library until Saturday, the 27th of April, with a special exhibit of artefacts from the Stafford Branch Canal, brought to you by Stafford Riverway Link.
Step back in time at Stone Library this spring with a fascinating exhibit. It’s all about the old Stafford Branch Canal at Baswich.
What’s on Show?
The Stafford Riverway Link team, a group of hardworking volunteers, have found an array of interesting artefacts at the Baswich site. Many of the items can be attributed to the former inhabitants of the Lock House, and others may have been discarded when the navigation was open.
The waterway, also known as the River Sow Navigation, was in use from 1816 until the 1920s, and the Lock House was occupied until 1956.
About the Link
From the Stafford Riverway Link website:
History and Heritage
Work started on the 1½ mile navigation in 1814 to link Stafford Town Centre with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal at Baswich. It involved constructing a roving bridge, basin, aqueduct, lock and lock house at Baswich and straightening and deepening the River Sow. In the centre of Stafford, a short channel was cut parallel to the river leading to a coal wharf near Green Bridge. The waterway opened in 1816 and was navigable until the 1920s. Although its main purpose was to carry “coals, lime and merchandise”, the waterway was popular with pleasure boaters. It was owned by Lord Stafford and leased to the Staffs & Worcs Canal Company from 1838 until 1927.At Baswich, the junction with the main canal was blocked off in 1929, and the aqueduct trough was removed. The lock house was occupied until 1956 and demolished soon after. The roving bridge and remains of the lock survived until they were demolished in the 1970s, although traces of this bridge and the pound walls are still visible. Weir levels on the river have been changed, and the Rivers Sow and Penk realigned. The river channel and all the other bridges into Stafford are still in place, and parts of the towpath have been upgraded. The channel in Stafford was infilled in 1930 and the coal wharf site is now part of the Riverside Retail and Leisure Complex opened in 2016.
https://stafford-riverway-link.co.uk
