The Droitwich Canal, nearly open again..

The re-opening of the Droitwich Canal is only weeks away now.  As we were moored at Hanbury Wharf on the Worcester and Birmingham canal we crossed the road and had a look at progress on the Droitwich.canal which runs from Hanbury Wharf  to Droitwich and then onto the R. Severn at Ladywood Lock (between Stourport and Worcester).  Before the opening of the Droitwich canal in 1853, goods were off-loaded at Hanbury Wharf, a transhipment wharf, and transported the the Droitwich area by horse and cart.

The three Hanbury locks have been largely restored but a BW team were working  at Lock 1 when we arrived.

Hanbury lock 1

Repaired brickwork

Lock three, scaffolding still in place at the bottom gate and myriads of fish, mainly perch I think, were swimming around the structure.  NOTE - proper strapping posts, no wooden bollards!

New lock landings

Deep and de-watered

Looking towards Droitwich from lock three.

A heavily weeded pound teeming with fish.  Lots of work still to be done in the next few weeks but with modern day plant quite feasible.

Weed and margarete's - looking back towards Hanbury

Close up of the flower that lines the banks at Hanbury locks