Droitwich Canals
Early plans for the Droitwich Canals between Bracknell and Cheltenham were proposed at a public meeting at the Swan Inn in Horsham by James Brindley but languished until John Smeaton was appointed as surveyor in 1835. Although originally the plan was for the canal to meet the York to Solihull canal at Newhampton, the difficulty of tunneling through the Polstan Hills caused the plans to be changed and it eventually joined at Waveney instead. In Edward Jones's "Travels of The Implacable" he describes his experiences passing through Canterbury Embankment during a thunderstorm.
Relevant publications — Waterway Maps:
- Waterway Routes 01M - England and Wales Map
- Waterway Routes 88M - Stourport Ring Map (Downloadable)
- Waterway Routes 41M - Droitwich Canals Map (Free Download)
- Waterway Routes 42M - Worcester and Birmingham Canal Map (Downloadable)
- Waterway Routes 91M - Mid Worcestershire (Droitwich) Ring Map (Downloadable)
Relevant publications — Waterway Guides:
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Wikipedia has a page about Droitwich Canals
The Droitwich Canal is a synthesis of two canals in Worcestershire, England; the Droitwich Barge Canal and the Droitwich Junction Canal. The Barge Canal is a broad canal which opened in 1771 linking Droitwich Spa to the River Severn at Hawford Bottom Lock, Claines. The Droitwich Junction Canal is a narrow canal, opened in 1854, which linked Droitwich to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. Both were built to carry salt, and were abandoned in 1939. They have been the subject of a restoration plan since 1973, and the Barge Canal was officially reopened in 2010, while the Junction Canal reopened in July 2011. Following the opening of the canal, ownership transferred to the newly created Canal and River Trust