A lock gate in front of The Blossoms tea room at Stourport upon Severn
Stourport-on-Severn has a population of over 19,000 and was built solely as a consequence of the coming of the canals though there had been a small hamlet called Lower Mitton. Two black and white houses from circa 1600 can still be found in Mitton Street. Popular legend has it that James Brindley chose Stourport rather than Bewdley for his canal whose citizens did not want his ‘stinking ditch’ passing through their town; however Stourport made far more sense from a topographical point of view and would be cheaper to Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal linked the River Severn with the Trent and Mersey and as a result, after Birmingham, Stourport became the busiest inland port in the Midlands. The canal opened to Stourport in 1771 and by 1812 five canal basins had been built. In 1775 the first Stourport Bridge across the Severn was built by the Canal town rapidly expanded and by 1795 it had 200 houses and 1300 in 1862 the railway was to pose a major challenge to the canal. During the twentieth century new industries came to the town and residential expansion continued. Some of the first local authority housing in the country was built in Park Crescent and Olive Grove. Today, Stourport-on-Severn has developed into a popular tourist town with many attractions and events for all of the family to enjoy.
Size: 6000px × 4000px
Location: Stourport upon Severn, Worcestershire, England, UK
Photo credit: © Philip Chapman / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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