30/04/2020 Cycling from Stourbridge to Stourport along the canal towpath

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From Stourbridge to Stourport - keep fit with these great canal towpath bike rides See also: Other walks/bike rides

Even Stourbridge locals are often surprised to hear that you can cycle all sixteen miles to Stourport, totally on canal towpaths. Even better, the great
thing about the route is that you can select how far you want to go and the time you have available, so if you want to cycle with the kids or build up to
the full distance over time then you don't have to do it all in one go, as there are plenty of nice places to stop at along the way. Please be aware that you
need to apply for a permit to cycle on canal towpaths, it's free, you just download the permit from here, print it off

and sign it as proof that you have read the British Waterways
regulations. Starting from the Bonded Warehouse in Stourbridge, my
bike computer recorded the distances shown below, photos at the
bottom of the page.

Wordsley Junction - 1.3 miles

Stourton Junction - 3.5 miles
Kinver (Vine Pub) - 5.2 miles
Wolverley - 9.7 miles
Kidderminster - 11.5 miles
Stourport - 16 miles

You could for example have a very nice day cycling down the canal to
Kinver, the village centre is about half a mile from the Vine Pub on the
canal, where there are plenty of bars and restaurants, and the Vine is
very good for pub food too. About a mile away from the village is Kinver
Edge, well worth a visit, with spectacular views and historic cave houses
cut from the sandstone.

The next good place to stop is Wolverley, right by the canal lock you
have the Lock Pub and the Old Smithy tea room, both are excellent.

Another couple of miles down the canal towpath takes you right into the
centre of Kidderminster, a thriving town with lots of big name stores,
pubs, bars and restaurants.

Heading south along the canal takes you on the final leg down to
Stourport. As you leave Kidderminster you are soon back in to open
countryside again, after a mile or so you go under the viaduct for the
Severn Valley Railway. Cycle as far as you can on the towpath and by
now you are very close to the centre of Stourport. Cross the road and
you will see the marina straight ahead, a couple of hundred yards away,
with the River Severn just beyond. Stourport on Severn is an unusual
town because it did not exist before the canal network was built by
James Brindley in 1766. Stourport has been described as a "pioneer
town of the canal age" and in the 1800s became a tourist destination,
with wealthy visitors arriving by passenger boat and staying at the
Tontine Hotel (photo 13), England's earliest canal company hotel. To this
day it is an elegant building and has recently been renovated and
converted into stylish town houses.
Click photos for larger version

To this day
Stourport is a
popular destination
for daytrip visitors
from surrounding
areas, with lots of
open spaces,
gardens, 1 2 3 4 5
playgrounds and
amusements for all
the family. Stourport
is only 3 miles away
from the stunning
historic riverside
town of Bewdley,
and there is
beautiful 6 7 8 9 10
countryside all
around. There are
plenty of places to
relax in the town, or
just sit in the
gardens by the
river.

11 12 13 14 15

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30/04/2020 Cycling from Stourbridge to Stourport along the canal towpath
There is plenty to see and do in Stourport, just remember you have 16 miles to cycle back to Stourbridge! (Unless you have made other arrangements
of course). On the way back be sure to look out for the two junctions at Stourton and Wordsley, you have to turn right at both of them to get back to the
Bonded Warehouse in Stourbridge. You could actually shorten the run back by getting off the canal at Kinver for example, the choice is yours.

Welcome | About Stourbridge | Glass | Town Tours | Can you Help? | Shopping | What's on
Stourbridge Lion | Music | Sport | Long Lost Friends | Clubs and Charities | Pubs | Schools and Colleges
Genealogy | Stourbridge Area | Business | Links | Lots more stuff | Contact | Homepage

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