Work progressing on the Stafford Riverway Link

WORK is still being undertaken on the Stafford Riverway Link.

This will eventually restore the navigation of 1½ miles from the Staffs & Worcs Canal to Stafford.

Link to Stafford

Work on the original link was started in 1814 and was opened in 1816, providing a link to Stafford Town Centre from the Staffs & Worcs Canal at Baswich.

A lock drops the waterway down from the Staffs & Worcs onto the Sow that was straightened and dredged to take laden boats.

At the time it was used to mainly transport coal and lime, though it was also used for pleasure boating.

However, come the railways and the roads carrying everything so much quicker its use lapsed until it was closed in the 1920's.

River channel still in place

The junction at Baswich was blocked and the aqueduct trough to the river was removed, with the lock finally demolished in the 1970's. Though the river channel is still in place it has been filled-in in Stafford.

But now the plan is to restore the lock with its basin and the aqueduct to the river, that will be dredged and foliage cut-back to make it once again navigable, with work progressing as our photograph, taken this month, shows.