FRIENDS OF CLAINES CHuRCH
The Droitwich Canal, Hawford and the Salwarpe
The River Salwarpe has formed part of the parish boundary for Claines for many hundreds of years. The river enters the parish just above Porter’s Mill at the junction with Martin Brook and then forms the most north-
Today it is just about navigable by canoe from Droitwich to Hawford. Back in 1655 there were ambitious plans to make it very navigable. One Andrew Yarrantonwas a navigation engineer and he planned to make the River Salwarpe navigable from the Severn to Droitwich. This was partly to be financed with money raised by the town corporation, but came to nothing. However the proposal was revived in 1662, and an Act of Parliament was obtained authorising the improvement of the Stour and Salwarpe. Droitwich Corporation renewed its agreement in 1664, to provide financial assistance to Thomas Lord Windsor (later Earl of Plymouth), who was the scheme's leading financier. However, when five of the six locks had been built the proposal was found 'not to answer' and was abandoned.
However, the need persisted and there was also an increasing need to get coal to Droitwich from the River Severn to boil the Droitwich brine which produced the salt. So in stepped the now famous James Brindley and in January 1767 he surveyed the Salwarpe Valley and produced a possible route for a new canal with estimates for both a barge and a narrow canal.
The barge canal was approved. Brindley, with his assistant Robert Whitworth and his resident engineer John Priddy took four years to connect the River Severn at Hawford with Droitwich, opening it on March 12th 1771. Construction was achieved by a constantly fluctuating gang of navvies (navigators), fearless and hardworking men who for the most part led a rough nomadic life moving from canal to canal as construction work became available. Without machinery the work consisted mainly of hand digging the trenches that formed the basis of the canals. Bricklayers, who are on record of striking around 1770 for having "Bin yoused very ill for thy will not pay for wat we work", were also employed along with carpenters, sawyers and other craftsmen. The help of quarrymen, and of boatmen to transport the materials along the River Salwarpe, was also enlisted.
The route of the canal roughly followed the Salwarpe river and runs within the parish boundary formed by the river. It enters the parish just north of Porter’s Mill and actually forms the parish boundary for a short distance in the North East corner, tracing the former boundary of Martin Brook. During that stretch there are five locks and four bridges over the canal.
The canal junction with the River Severn at Hawford led to the development of a small community that persisted for around 100 years. There was a lock cottage at the final Lock (Lock 9) housing the Lock keeper and there was a small boatyard and coal merchant at “Hawford Wharf” at the bottom of Lock Lane.
Constructed to enable Severn river barges (Trows) to reach the busy salt industry in Droitwich, the Barge Canal was an immediate commercial success. There are several notable architectural features along the canal including a Brindley designed circular weir alongside lock no 3 at Ladywood and Linacre Bridge which carries Egg Lane to Mildenhall over the tail of lock no.6, further down the Ladywood flight.
Early in the 19th century waterway developments switched to the other side of Droitwich town with the opening of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal in 1815 which, because of the geography in the area, avoided Droitwich. To capture the potentially lucrative salt traffic they opened a wharf alongside Salt Way (Hanbury Road), salt being transported from the town by handcart. The inconvenience of transhipment was put up with for 39 years until a canal linking the Worcester and Birmingham Canal with the town was opened in 1854. Known as the Droitwich Jurction Canal it was constructed to the same narrow dimensions of 7 foot width as the Worcester & Birmingham. rather than the 14 foot width of the Barge Canal, and was the last new canal (other than some cut-
Competition from the railways caused the inevitable decline and the last boat used the Barge Canal in 1918. Then owned by The Sharpness New Docks Company an Act of Abandonment was passed for both canals in July1939, the usual dereliction then followed.
A number of prominent local waterway enthusiasts who were concerned about the future of the canals formed a trust in 1973 with the object of restoring navigation to the town from both the River Severn and the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.
A trip through the available census records shows us who lived at the bottom of the Lock Lane. There were 3 main properties. The Lock Cottage (now Hawford Lock House); Hawford Wharf cottage (now Riverside) and another set of two cottages (now The Homestead) which housed the servants and staff for the grand Georgian House of Hawford Lodge)
It is not always possible to say who lived where but the details follow:
1851
John Bourne, 51, Brick Layer, Ann, Edward John, Brick layers son
Mary Hunt, Laundress, Thomas 22, Frederick 17, John 14, Gravel Cutter
Hannah Bedford 45, William 20, Son, Coal Merchant
1861
Lock House, John Bourne Lock Keeper 61, Ann Maria, Lock Keepers Wife 60, son Edward John Bourne, Gardener.
Cottage (Homestead) Mary Hunt Laundress 62.
Wharf, William Bedford, 31 Coal Merchant, Mary Bedford Wife 29, Mary daughter 1, William Powell Office Clerk 22, Ruth Griffin. House Servant 23
1871
John Bourn, widower of 71, Lock Keeper, Eldan Freeman, servant 15 born in Ombersley
Hawford Wharf; Head , Coal Merchant, Hanbury. Mary wife 45 Ledbury,, George Webb servant 20. John Freeman, Ombersley, Gardeners Labourer and Herbert Cottrill, Ag labourer,
1879
Henry Belwood, coal merchant, Hawford wharf, and miller, Hawford mill
1881
John Freeman (52) and wife Mary, Carpenter and Lock Keeper. John, son 19 Gardener.
1891
Hawford Lock House: John Freeman and wife and Mary Jane, daughter (32 Domestic Servant)
2 families at Hawford Wharf, Gardener, Dairymen, and Coachman (Norkett, Barnard, Salisbury)
1901
Harry Fuls 39 wife, Elda 29 and two daughters Ethel, 9 and Mabel 6, Canal Lock Keeper.
Marshalls (living on own means)
Norketts, and Parsons as Coachmen.
William and Ann Bill, Gardener and domestic and 5 children.
Hawford Lock “Cottage” today
Houghton and Norkett Marriage ,
Lock Lane 1917