Kidderminster to Wolverley along the canal - part 2

Arriving at Kidderminster by canal towpath, you look back to this great view of St Mary's Church (A big thankyou to reader PAC who spotted my earlier mistake!)

Forward, and it's towards the ring road

The canal runs very close to the traffic, but stays fairly tranquil.

Kidderminster No 6 Lock is right by a shopping centre - very handy if you like that sort of thing!

The chimney, and warehouse (now Debenhams, but once part of Kidderminster's carpet trade)

 

Walking back, I noticed the old winding gear in front of the church

The redeveloped section of bank and its reflection

Just behind Sainsburys is this large wetland area - right in the centre of Kidderminster. I had no idea it was there

Between the trees, the River Stour runs by the canal

Sandstone cliffs fringe part of the route

On the Kinver side of Wolverley Lock

The popular Lock Inn. After finishing this walk, you can stop here for a drink - or an ice cream/cream tea from the Old Smithy by the canalside. Or you can walk a short distance into Wolverley and try the tea rooms in the old village store

In case you missed it - click here to see the first half of the walk 
Today's walk: Starting near the Lock Inn, Wolverley, I walked along the canal towpath as far as Kidderminster Ring Road, and returned by the same route. About 3.75 miles - but easy, flat walking.

Wolverley to Kidderminster along the Staffs and Worcs Canal. Part 1

Here is a canal walk which was so interesting to me that I have split it over two days.

This view of Kidderminster was familiar to me, so I decided to walk from Wolverley to find it!

I started from Wolverley, soon reaching Wolverley Court Lock.

It was dull weather as I walked, but everywhere was green, and lush

For a while, there is a high bank between the canal: the Stour floodplain is the other side of it, so technically it's a kind of levee!

The late spring flowers are going over now, and the high summer flowers are out

Green and pleasant walking

Owls carved from an old tree trunk

There has been some canal-side redevelopment along this section...

...and this bridge is fairly new (Stourvale New Bridge, built in 2000) 

Tower blocks in the distance

More carved birds!

And this riverside garden had four boats in among the flowers

Lovely old building, as we near Kidderminster

Limekiln Bridge - a reminder of more industrial era.

Just as we approach the ring road, there are some large retail warehouses

The towpath here is about 400 metres from the ring road - and a much quieter way to travel.

Handy for Sainsburys!

You can moor here while shopping.

The walk continues tomorrow - click here to see it.
Today's walk: Starting near the Lock public house in Wolverley, I walked along the canal towpath as far as Kidderminster Ring Road, and returned by the same route. About 3.75 miles - but easy, flat walking.

Around Bewdley, Worcs

Bewdley is a lovely place to visit, and following my walk, (see previous blog here), I decided to explore
I walked down the river,...

...past Lax Lane (Lax is an old Norse word for salmon),...

 ...and along Bewdley's riverfront.

The older houses on the opposite bank are more scattered.

 Bewdley's bridge over the Severn

This van was parked here. It's from Teddy Gray's - a famous local sweetshop - 

The tempting window display

Bewdley was very busy despite the drizzle.

Typical Bewdley archtecture

I went into the Museum. It  has free admission, and is well worth a look. 

Bewdley was famous for rope-making: I was interested in the knots...

...and the different types of rope.

Charcoal burning was common in the Wyre Forest.

An old local fire engine. 

Few museums have a model of a slaughterhouse (!) ...

... but Bewdley has a long tradition, associated with locally reared meat, which were sold at the weekly market.

Pieces of the old Bewdley bridge - I love the anchor 

Outside, there was a lovely garden,

...some of which was given over to herb growing.

Part of the garden grew over this, an air raid shelter, still in its original sitauation

Inside the shelter: this shelter, had an exit either end, and electric light because it was built for the postmaster, who was alos in charge of the telephone exchange. No bombs ever fell on Bewdley though, so it was never used.

The air raid shelter came in kit form, for families to erect for themselves

An old iron-worker's store 

Next door were some of the moulds. I can't work out what this one was for. 

The museum also houses some artists' workshops. I quite liked this straw horse.

The museum is well worth investigating - and yes, there's a decent cafe, for those who need a little more persuading. 

Today's walk. A continuation from yesterday. Park at the car park by the river, and follow the signs marked Ribbesford Circuit. 2 miles in total. (Click here to see the  Circuit) Afterwards, I walked into Bewdley to explore further.