Gongoozling in Shropshire and Worcestershire.

[Guest]

A part of the system we are completely unfamiliar with so asking for suggestions for some decent canal and river boat spotting opportunities.

 

We are sited about ten miles south east of Stourport on Severn.

 

Need to be accessible by car.

 

Pub suggestions too please.

 

Thanks.

[john6767]

Stourport, the basins and locks are very interesting.  Don’t think there will be too much boat traffic though, I think the Severn is on yellow.

 

There is a pub that overlooks the river, and an Indian near where the services are in the basin.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, john6767 said:

Stourport, the basins and locks are very interesting.  Don’t think there will be too much boat traffic though, I think the Severn is on yellow.

 

There is a pub that overlooks the river, and an Indian near where the services are in the basin.

 

We are here a couple of weeks and the weather looks favourable for the next few days.

[matty40s]

Stourport...The Angel wasnt bad last time I was there, the Tontine very good the first time I was there(closed 2001!!).

 

You aren't far from Holt Fleet, try the Wharf Inn.

Droitwich Spa, is good, see the new (old) canal, and lots of good pubs, Hop Pole, Cock Inn..

Edited April 15, 2023 by matty40s

[Captain Pegg]

1 hour ago, M_JG said:

A part of the system we are completely unfamiliar with so asking for suggestions for some decent canal and river boat spotting opportunities.

 

We are sited about ten miles south east of Stourport on Severn.

 

Need to be accessible by car.

 

Pub suggestions too please.

 

Thanks.

 

If you're ten miles south east of Stourport aren't you in Droitwich?

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

If you're ten miles south east of Stourport aren't you in Droitwich?

 

Not far, we are near Ombersley.

[Captain Pegg]

10 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

Not far, we are near Ombersley.

 

Nice village. If I turn left outside my house it's about three miles away straight down the road. I know some folks that live there.

 

Firstly you're near Holt Fleet but as @john6767 says there may not be much moving on the Severn.

 

Tardebigge isn't too far away. You could try and get a lunchtime meal at the Queens Head, Stoke Pound (Bromsgrove) and walk it off with a stroll up the flight. The top of Tardebigge is a famous canal location as the place where Tom Rolt and Robert Aickman met to form the IWA. It's also is a very nice spot with great views across Worcestershire.

 

The stretch of the Staffs & Worcester north of Wolverley is very nice. Also Kinver is a good place to visit although not necessarily for the canal, but the whole of the S&W from Wolverley northwards up to Womborne is lovely. Which reminds me that although not right on your doorstep Bratch locks is a good place to watch boats.

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[john6767]

Slightly further afield if you fancy it, you can do a lot worse than Stratford-upon-Avon, canal basin, river and all the tourist and Shakespeare stuff you could ever want.

[Captain Pegg]

7 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Slightly further afield if you fancy it, you can do a lot worse than Stratford-upon-Avon, canal basin, river and all the tourist and Shakespeare stuff you could ever want.

Yep. There's plenty of lovely countryside around. The delights of Borsetshire such as Hanbury Hall and Ragley Hall. And going the other way if you cross the Severn it's a kind of forgotten land, the consequence of having a major river as a barrier to civilisation. It's maybe 50 miles to the Welsh border but it may as well be 200 miles. Tenbury Wells, Bromyard, Great Witley and the Abberley hills are nice. Shelsley Walsh of hill climb and Murray Walker fame is somewhere out there. Don't visit the Clee Hills though, you'll only find hillbillies up there.

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[John Brightley]

You should visit Worcester itself if you haven't already been there- the canal basins are interesting, plus the walk along the river by the cathedral. Also visit the Malvern hills and return via Upton on Severn. 

I'd also second the suggestion of Tardebigge and a meal at the Queen's Head.

[agg221]

The Anchor is Caunsall is famed for its cobs. It was a few years since we were there so can't vouch for current quality but they were very nice then. The Mermaid in Wightwick was excellent for an evening meal. A pleasant stroll down the locks and then over to the pub.

 

Alec

[Tim Lewis]

Looks like Ombersley will not be ‘Poshest village in UK’ for much longer!

 

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/residents-poshest-uk-village-near-26679653.amp

[Stroudwater1]

Wolverley is worth a wander too. Not been to the Lock inn recently but 2 years ago it was decent. On a good day you can sit outside right next to the lock chamber and Gongoozle away. Similar but just up from the lock is The Vine at Kinver, it was also decent 2 years ago.  Kinver Edge is also interesting. A little further up is Johns Garden at Ashwood is also excellent see the website for opening times it’s right on the canal and is lovely with the plant nursery next door, also worth a visit.
 
Watch the speed limits on the A449 duel carriageway from Hawford to Kidderminster extremely hotly patrolled as well as cameras and varied speeds mostly slower than you might anticipate. 

[mrsmelly]

16 hours ago, matty40s said:

Stourport...The Angel wasnt bad last time I was there, the Tontine very good the first time I was there(closed 2001!!).

 

You aren't far from Holt Fleet, try the Wharf Inn.

Droitwich Spa, is good, see the new (old) canal, and lots of good pubs, Hop Pole, Cock Inn..

I loved the Tontine. The Angel was fantastic years ago when it was booze and sarnies only, no kids. Has it been ruined by food and kids yet?

[Guest]

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

I loved the Tontine. The Angel was fantastic years ago when it was booze and sarnies only, no kids. Has it been ruined by food and kids yet?

 

The Tontine today.

 

 

 

19 hours ago, john6767 said:

Stourport, the basins and locks are very interesting.  Don’t think there will be too much boat traffic though, I think the Severn is on yellow.

 

There is a pub that overlooks the river, and an Indian near where the services are in the basin.

 

Still on yellow today, only boats moving were a trip boat and rowers.

[IanD]

17 hours ago, John Brightley said:

You should visit Worcester itself if you haven't already been there- the canal basins are interesting, plus the walk along the river by the cathedral. Also visit the Malvern hills and return via Upton on Severn. 

I'd also second the suggestion of Tardebigge and a meal at the Queen's Head.

Some great pubs in Worcester, like the Cardinal's Hat... 🙂

[cuthound]

5 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

I loved the Tontine. The Angel was fantastic years ago when it was booze and sarnies only, no kids. Has it been ruined by food and kids yet?

 

On my very first job as a project manager way back in 1985, the main contractor took me for a meal in the Tontine. It was an excellent meal, steak in a peppercorn sauce.

[mrsmelly]

6 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

On my very first job as a project manager way back in 1985, the main contractor took me for a meal in the Tontine. It was an excellent meal, steak in a peppercorn sauce.

These days it would be a vegan burger and a glass of skimmed milk 🤣

[Francis Herne]

Upton-on-Severn is great for the sheer variety, not seen on narrow canals - working gravel barges, little mahogany cabin cruisers, big GRP motor yachts, launches, steamboats, narrowboats.

 

The gravel barges only go a couple of miles, and not many of the cruiser-type things seem to go up Diglis lock to Worcester.

 

lt's also a beautiful town in its own right.

Edited April 16, 2023 by Francis Herne

[adam1uk]

Hanbury Hall  (NT) is nice, and there are a couple of different footpaths across the fields to the canal so you can make a circular walk.

 

If you like the views from the top of Tardebigge, then walk up the hill to the church with the unusual spire — you can see for miles from up there.

[Captain Pegg]

I should have recommended a trip to Droitwich’s premier visitor attraction - Waitrose - which is next to the canal through Vines Park which although a total pain to navigate is a nice looking stretch of canal.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

I should have recommended a trip to Droitwich’s premier visitor attraction - Waitrose - which is next to the canal through Vines Park which although a total pain to navigate is a nice looking stretch of canal.

 

Im not posh enough...

[dave moore]

I’ve been to Worcester today, with time to spare I went to Diglis Basin for a look around. A depressing mix of CRT restrictive signage along the approach to the first of the two locks to the river, some awful fat boats designed by those with little, if any, boating experience. A couple of boats lifted my spirits, the Pollock tug Swallow and Roger Hatchard’s lovely “ Lead Us”, a Northwich inspired short narrow boat. Boatless for the last 5 years, I’m not altogether sorry.

[Mike Todd]

20 hours ago, M_JG said:

 

Im not posh enough...

It's OK - Morrisons is almost as close . . .

[TheBiscuits]

21 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

Droitwich’s premier visitor attraction - Waitrose

 

I visit Sterling Power Products far more often!