Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Droitwich Junction Canal leaves right at Hanbury Junction
.
The Droitwich Junction Canal leaves the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Hanbury
Junction by Westfield Bridge and the Eagle & Sun and follows the B4090, the Salt Way Ro-
man road from Alcester.
Use by the army as an equipment test area resulted in the flight of three Hanbury locks
being in good condition, some of the last narrow locks built in Britain. They each fall about
3.7m and have brick side ponds, which have been restored and are in use.
The cream Hadzor Hall and adjacent church look down from a hilltop on to a 1km diver-
sion resulting from housing being built on the former line of the canal. A corrugated culvert
carries a road that passes the Gateway Park and serves a new 240-berth marina and Droitwich
Rugby Club. Two new wildlife ponds have been dug and the wildlife includes mallards,
moorhens, frogs, great crested newts, grass snakes and slow worms. Brackish pools encour-
age the growth of wild celery and lesser sea spurrey.
On a ridge to the north is the Chateau Impney, built in 1875 in Louis XIII style by salt mine
and canal fleet owner John Corbett for his wife, Anna Eliza. It is now a hotel and conference
centre.
The Barge Lock takes craft off the river above a small but aggressive weir on to the
Droitwich Barge Canal, built broad to take sailing vessels, and which has a swing bridge
across the chamber. The barges were highlighted in red and green, making them colourful,
and carried sails.
