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Narrowboat Hire – Worcester & Birmingham Canal

The Worcester and Birmingham canal is a popular hire boat holiday canal, full of interest as it climbs 58 locks from the River Severn up through the Worcestershire hills to central Birmingham.

Tardebigge Tunnel – Waterway Images

  • The canal leaves the River Severn just below Worcester Cathedral, watch out for the river shallows entering the Diglis lock. The climb out of Worcester is fairly steep.
  • A junction with the recently restored Droitwich Canal at Hanbury Wharf leads back to the River Severn at Hawford Mill, about 4 miles north of Diglis Basin, creating the Droitwich Ring.
  • The short Stoke flight of 6 locks is quickly followed by the 30 Tardebigge locks. Because they are close together and fill quickly they can be done in a fairly energetic few hours! Tardebigge Top lock is much deeper than the rest because it was originally built as a boat lift.
  • The top three tunnels are wide allowing narrowboats to pass. The whole canal was originally intended to be a barge canal but that eventually proved too costly so the rest of the canal was built as a narrow canal.
  • Birmingham is entered through pleasant suburbs past the Cadbury’s Bournville works and ending at a connection with the Birmingham Canal Navigations at Gas Street Basin in the heart of the busy city, amidst modern high rises and popular leisure and business developments like the ‘Mailbox’.
The Worcester & Birmingham Canal Map

Worcester & Birmingham Canal Map

Shropshire

Union

Canal

Birmingham

Canal Navigations

Grand

Union

Canal

Stratford

Canal

Staffs &

Worcs

Canal

River

Severn

River Severn

ON THIS CANAL…

Boat Hire from family firms on or around the Worcester & Birmingham Canal

canal signpost

Grand Union Canal

Grand Union Narrowboats

Grand Union Narrowboats Small family-run company. 2,4 & 6 berth four-star graded narrowboats for weekly hire on the Grand Union and Oxford canals. Experience the Northamptonshire countryside at its finest.

canal signpost

Grand Union Canal

Narrowboat Escapes Holidays And Training @ Braunston Marina

Narrowboat Escapes Holidays And Training specialising in traditional narrowboat hire, holidays and training. Based at the heart of England's waterways at 'Braunston Marina' we have six beautiful and historic canal routes within a short distance. Phone: 07944 589 679

canal signpost

Staffs and Worcs Canal

Starline Narrowboats

Starline Narrowboats are a small, friendly, family-run company based at Stourport on Severn. Cruises include the majestic River Severn, Shakespeare's River Avon to Stratford or the scenic West Midlands canals.

Canal Rings

The Avon Ring includes the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, Stratford Canal, Rivers Severn and Avon and BCN. 1 or 2 weeks to cruise. The Droitwich Ring includes the 2 Droitwich canals and short stretches of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal and River Severn, it can be cruised in 2 days. The Stourport Ring includes the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, River Severn, Staffs and Worcs Canal and the BCN. 1 week to cruise.

More Information

Holiday Cruising Guide to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.

More Midlands hire firms or narrowboat hire firms in other canal areas.

Day hire boats to cruise with a few friends for a few hours.

Help to choose the right canal boat for your holiday.

Plus lots more advice and tips in our Canal Holiday Advice.

Our Listings

We provide contact telephone and email details free of charge for canal based companies, click for details.
Please note: We provide all contact details as an information service. We rely on traders to keep us informed about these listings so we can't guarantee that details are accurate or up to date. Please see our Terms of Use.

Add a company


Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Narrowboats
The Boatyard, High St, Weedon Bec, Weedon NN7 4QD.
07966 221517
[email protected]
Kate Boats
Stockton Top Marina, Blue Lias Industrial Estate, Rugby Rd, Stockton, Southam CV47 8HN.
01926 492968
[email protected]
Narrowboat Escapes Holidays And Training @ Braunston Marina
Braunston Marina, The Wharf, Braunston, Daventry, NN11 7JH
07944 589679
[email protected]
www.narrowboatescapes.co.uk


Staffs and Worcs Canal
Starline Narrowboats
Engine Ln, Stourport-on-Severn DY13 9EP
[email protected]
www.starlinenarrowboats.co.uk


Worcester & Birmingham Canal
Trinity Narrowboat Holidays
Wharf Ln, Tardebigge, Bromsgrove B60 1LR.
01905 779048
[email protected]

All materials and images © Canal Junction Ltd. Dalton House, 35 Chester St, Wrexham LL13 8AH. No unauthorised reproduction.

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