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47-730: Much of the trail was the original towpath for the Pennsylvania Canal that operated in the early 1800s and was known as the "continuous waterways" which linked Pittsburgh and Philadelphia . By the 1850s, area canals became obsolete due to the rise of the Pennsylvania Railroad and its passage through the Allegheny Mountains via the Horseshoe Curve . The Pennsylvania Railroad and other local railroads then developed branch lines along much of

94-486: A parish workhouse accommodating up to 80 inmates. Samuel Kenrick (1728–1811) moved to Bewdley in 1765 and lived there as a banker for the rest of his life. Throughout that time he wrote lengthy letters to his old Glasgow University friend, Rev. James Wodrow, minister in Stevenston, Ayrshire. Their correspondence contains many insights into life in late eighteenth-century Bewdley. For example, Kenrick described one of

141-657: A canal, there were occasions where it had to change sides, often because of opposition from landowners. Thus the towpath on the Chesterfield Canal changes to the south bank while it passes through the Osberton Estate, as the Foljambes, who lived in Osberton Hall, did not want boatmen passing too close to their residence. On canals, one solution to the problem of getting the horse to the other side

188-556: A distinguished music scene. It is particularly well known for its intimate country music venues and its many local festivals including the One Earth Festival, Bewdley music festival, Arley festival, and Bewdley Live. Former Led Zeppelin lead, and now solo singer, Robert Plant lives in the nearby village of Upper Arley , and has been known to perform in the River Rooms; a small, intimate country music venue above

235-451: A fifteen member board of directors who meet monthly to oversee the annual budget, trail maintenance, operations and development. The current president of the Board of Directors is Ethan Imhoff, and the vice president is Karl King. Trail maintenance is performed by a dedicated group of volunteers who give their time to ensure the trail is in good condition during all four seasons. Maintenance

282-596: A hearth, gullies and a pit. This site has been dated to roughly 6,800 BC, making it the oldest settlement yet identified in Worcestershire. Pollen evidence shows that crops were already being grown and woodlands cleared at this time. The settlement of Wribbenhall, on the eastern side of the Severn, and now part of Bewdley, was recorded in the Domesday Book as being part of the manor of Kidderminster . By

329-587: A local organisation. The Labour Party held the seat from 1997 to 2001. The River Severn often used to flood in winter, damaging many houses and commercial premises in Bewdley. Among the worst floods in living memory were those in 1947, 1968 and 2000, where 140 properties were affected but after the 2000 floods, plans were made for flood defences on the western bank, completed in April 2006, costing £7 million. Temporary barriers are also put up to protect properties on

376-593: A new secondary school. It provides facilities for the arts, science and outdoor learning to students. The Bewdley Sixth Form is also part of The Bewdley School , collectively offering GCSE and A Level courses. In 2019, The Bewdley School won 'Secondary School of the Year' at the Worcestershire Educational Awards. Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central . Television signals are received from

423-492: A report on the expected costs of laying rails along the towpaths, but nothing more was heard of the project, and the advent of steam and diesel powered boats offered a much simpler solution. The ' mules ' which assist ships through the locks of the Panama Canal are a modern example of the concept. Towpaths are popular with cyclists and walkers, and some are suitable for equestrians . In snowy winters they are popular in

470-570: A towing path at the same time. Even so, the River Don Navigation was improved from Tinsley to Rotherham in 1751, but the horse towing path was not completed on this section until 1822. On the River Avon between Stratford-upon-Avon and Tewkesbury , a towpath was never provided, and bow-hauling continued until the 1860s, when steam tugs were introduced. While towing paths were most convenient when they stayed on one side of

517-404: A towpath, and began to encourage leisure usage by walkers, anglers and in some areas, cyclists. The steady development of the leisure use of the canals and the decline of commercial traffic has resulted in a general acceptance that towpaths are open to everyone, and not just boat users. The concept of free access to towpaths is now enshrined in the legislation which transferred responsibility for

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564-581: Is a road or trail on the bank of a river , canal , or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle , beasts of burden , or a team of human pullers to tow a boat , often a barge . This mode of transport was common where sailing was impractical because of tunnels and bridges, unfavorable winds , or the narrowness of the channel. After the Industrial Revolution , towing became obsolete when engines were fitted on boats and when railway transportation superseded

611-768: Is funded by membership dues, donations, and state and local grants. In fall of 2019, an extension of the trail will open that connects the Flowing Spring trail head into Canoe Creek State Park. The extension includes an underpass that sends the trail underneath US Route 22, so trail users do not have to cross over the roadway. The project was made possible with a large grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, County of Blair and Frankstown Township Supervisors. The Lower Trail has six primary trail heads. All trail heads have parking and picnic tables available. Towpath A towpath

658-533: Is notable for its width: it once also served as the town's market place . Most of Bewdley's shops and amenities are situated along Load Street, at the top of which lies St Anne 's Church, built between 1745 and 1748 by Doctor Thomas Woodward of Chipping Campden . Beyond the church, High Street leads off to the south towards Stourport along the B4194, a road known locally as "the switchback " because of its many sharp curves. Unlike in many English towns, High Street

705-485: Is now governed by three tiers of local government, in increasing order of size: Bewdley town council , Wyre Forest district council , and Worcestershire county council . For many centuries Bewdley had its own Member of Parliament (MP), most notably Stanley Baldwin , who served as the Conservative Prime Minister, who represented it from 1908 to 1937. Reflecting changes in population, in 1950

752-423: Is served by the local newspapers, The Shuttle . and Express & Star . Bewdley also hosts one of the largest inland river regattas in the country. The Bewdley Beer Festival is held each August Bank Holiday weekend. Bewdley also has an annual carnival which takes place every June. The Bewdley Festival, featuring a variety of artistic performances, is held annually in the town each October. Bewdley has

799-556: Is so called not because of its importance to commerce, but because of its geographical position 'high' above the river. On the west side of the church, the B4190, named Welch Gate within town limits (so called because it once contained a tollgate on the road towards Wales), climbs steeply up to the west, giving access to the south side of the Wyre Forest . Dowles Road, a continuation of the B4194, leads northwest to Button Oak , along

846-678: The Bewdley constituency was abolished, and the town was included in the Kidderminster constituency . In 1983, the Kidderminster constituency (including Bewdley) was absorbed into the Wyre Forest constituency . The MP for Wyre Forest is Mark Garnier of the Conservative Party , who in 2010 unseated the incumbent, Richard Taylor of Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern (often simply Health Concern ),

893-617: The River Severn , at the gateway of the Wyre Forest national nature reserve, and at the time of the 2021 census had a population of 9,267. Bewdley is a popular tourist destination and is known for the Bewdley Bridge , designed by Thomas Telford , and the well-preserved Georgian riverside. The main part of Bewdley town is situated on the western bank of the River Severn , including the main street—Load Street. Its name derives from lode , an old word for ferry . Load Street

940-489: The Sutton Coldfield TV transmitter and the local relay transmitter situated in Kidderminster . Local radio stations are BBC Hereford and Worcester , Heart West Midlands , Radio Wyvern , Capital Mid-Counties , Greatest Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire , Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire , Smooth West Midlands and, previously, The Wyre , a community based station. The town

987-428: The 14th century, the town had come to be known as Beau lieu , French for "Beautiful place". Two centuries later John Leland wrote in his Itinerary that "a man cannot wish to see a towne better". Bewdley was granted borough status, as well as a weekly market, by King Edward IV in 1472. It retained this status until the local government reorganisation in 1974. A parliamentary report of 1777 listed Bewdley as having

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1034-756: The Bewdley bypass across the river. The Tenbury and Bewdley Railway branched off the Severn Valley Railway at Bewdley, and ran through the Wyre Forest to Tenbury Wells . It crossed the river at Dowles , over a bridge designed by William Clarke, a little to the north of Bewdley. This bridge was abandoned and dismantled in 1965, although its imposing brick and stone pillars remain. It was originally opened 100 years earlier, in August 1865. Three state schools are located in Bewdley. Of these, two are primary schools : St Anne's CE Primary School on

1081-571: The Cock and Magpie pub on the north riverside. The River Rooms attract country, soul, rock, jazz and pop performers from all across Europe and North America . Bewdley remains a significant centre for country music within the United Kingdom . The West Midlands Safari Park is located nearby on the A456 towards Kidderminster. Until the office moved in 2014 to Kidderminster, Bewdley contained

1128-698: The English and Welsh canals from British Waterways to the Canal & River Trust in 2012. Cycling permits are no longer required by the Canal & River Trust. However, not all canal towpaths are suitable for use by cyclists, and conflicts can arise between the differing user groups, leading to campaigns such as Stay Kind, Slow Down. Parts of some towpaths have been incorporated into the National Cycle Network , and in most cases this has resulted in

1175-762: The Mechanical Engineer for the London and North Western Railway at Crewe Works , rails were laid along a 1-mile (1.6 km) stretch of the towpath near Worleston, and a small steam locomotive borrowed from Crewe Works was used to tow boats. The locomotive ran on 18 in ( 457 mm ) gauge tracks, and was similar to Pet , which is preserved in the National Railway Museum at York . It pulled trains of two and four boats at 7 mph (11 km/h), and experiments were also tried with eight boats. The canal's engineer, G. R. Webb, produced

1222-465: The US with cross-country skiers and snowmobile users. Although historically not designed or used as towpaths, acequia ditch banks also are popular recreational trails. In Britain, most canals were built, owned and operated by private companies, and the towpaths were deemed to be private, for the benefit of legitimate users of the canal. The nationalisation of the canal system in 1948 did not result in

1269-457: The annual visits to the town by the Methodist preacher, Rev. John Wesley , who "has a little flock in this town whom he statedly visits in his regular excursions …. Sometimes he comes accompanied with the noise & parade of half a score horsemen, preceding his chariot, who set our whole streets in a gaze …. His friends consist of serious well disposed people of all denominations, who go under

1316-475: The closure of Bewdley Grammar School, Bewdley High School & Sixth Form Centre was built on the opposite side of the river with new buildings. In 2007, Bewdley High School closed after 54 years due to an educational tier change that reorganised education as primary and secondary schools. All high schools were being replaced by new secondary schools. In 2007, after new construction, landscaping, building refurbishments and extensions, The Bewdley School opened as

1363-613: The east and northeast side of the Wyre Forest. To the northeast of the town is the wooded hilltop of Wassel Wood in Trimpley, the southern terminus of Shatterford Hill . In the area between Stourport and Bewdley are several large country houses . Witley Court , Astley Hall , and Pool House are considered particularly significant. Mesolithic -period settlers have been identified through excavations in Wribbenhall, which found 1,400 fragments of flint tools, as well as post holes,

1410-531: The eastern side of the river in Wribbenhall. Bewdley's long experience of dealing with flooding resulted in the National Flood Forum being held in the town in 2002. Bewdley Bridge over the Severn was built in 1798 by Thomas Telford . It was erected to replace the 1483 medieval bridge that was swept away in the floods of 1795. A modern road bridge, opened to the southeast of the town at Blackstone in 1987 after many decades of campaigning, carries

1457-409: The fabric of the bridge, and in many cases, the structure was protected by cast iron plates, attached to the faces of the arch. These too soon developed deep grooves, but could be more easily replaced than the stonework of the bridge. While bridges could be constructed over relatively narrow canals, they were more costly on wide navigable rivers, and in many cases horse ferries were provided, to enable

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1504-514: The headquarters of the Severn Valley Railway . This heritage railway runs the 16 miles (26 km) between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth . Bewdley remains the principal intermediate station on the line. The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Gardens (usually abbreviated to simply "Jubilee Gardens") are located just off the High Street. Bewdley is on the southeastern edge of the Wyre Forest , and there are many footpaths and cycle routes through

1551-547: The horse to reach the next stretch of towpath. In more recent times, this has provided difficulties for walkers, where an attractive river-side walk cannot be followed because the towpath changes sides and the ferry is no more. Not all haulage was by horses, and an experiment was carried out on the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal in 1888. Following suggestions by Francis W. Webb,

1598-568: The name of Methodists." (Samuel Kenrick to James Wodrow, 20 March, 1786). The borough had a population of 7,458 in 1841. During the Second World War , Ribbesford House in Bewdley was used as the headquarters for the Free French officer cadets. The cadets consisted of 200 teenagers who undertook military training at Ribbesford House until they joined with other allied forces in the D Day invasion. The former quayside on

1645-572: The next 8 years, the rails were sold for scrap and the corridor put up for sale. In 1989, Rails to Trails of Central Pennsylvania Inc. purchased the first eleven miles of the Lower Trail from Williamsburg to Alfarata from the Penn Central Corp. It was purchased due to the private donation of a Hollidaysburg attorney, T. Dean Lower. The trail was named in honor of Lower's late wife. The trail extension, from Williamsburg to Canoe Creek,

1692-517: The river, and four such companies improved a section of 24 miles (39 km) in this way between Bewdley and Coalbrookdale . They were not universally popular, however, as tolls were charged for their use, to recoup the capital cost, and this was resented on rivers where barge traffic had previously been free. With the advent of artificial canals, most of them were constructed with towpaths suitable for horses. Many rivers were improved by artificial cuts, and this often gave an opportunity to construct

1739-428: The slow towing method. Since then, many of these towpaths have been converted to multi-use trails and footpaths . They are still named towpaths — although they are now only occasionally used for the purpose of towing boats. Early inland waterway transport used the rivers, and while barges could use sails to assist their passage when winds were favourable or the river was wide enough to allow tacking, in many cases this

1786-632: The surface being improved. Bewdley Bewdley ( / ˈ b juː d l i / BEWD -lee ) is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District in Worcestershire , England, on the banks of the River Severn . It is in the Severn Valley , and is 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Kidderminster , 10 miles (16 km) north of Worcester and 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Birmingham . It lies on

1833-478: The towpaths becoming public rights of way . Subsequent legislation, such as the Transport Act 1968 , which defined the government's obligations to the maintenance of the inland waterways for which it was now responsible, did not include any commitment to maintain towpaths for use by anyone, however, some ten years later British Waterways started to relax the rule that a permit was required to give access to

1880-731: The towpaths. Much of the Lower Trail, paralleling the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River, was part of the original towpath of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal which operated in the mid-1800s. Following the end of the canal era, the Pennsylvania Railroad took over the property and developed the Petersburg Branch of the PRR on this alignment. In 1979, the rail corridor was abandoned. Over

1927-464: The west side of town and Bewdley Primary School in Wribbenhall on the eastern side of the Severn. Both were founded in 2007 when the region returned to a two-tier education system, replacing the former first and middle schools. The single secondary school is The Bewdley School . The Bewdley Grammar School on Lax Lane closed in the 1800s. Since then, the former grammar school has been adapted for many art galleries and art and craft activities. After

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1974-417: The western bank of the river has been much upgraded and landscaped over the last few decades. Its rows of Georgian townhouses and buildings are well seen from Telford 's bridge. Since the completion of the flood defences in 2006 (see below), a "Civic Space" has been introduced to replace the old bandstand . It is used on a variety of occasions, including the twice monthly Bewdley Riverside Market. Bewdley

2021-511: The woodlands. A visitor centre is situated just outside Bewdley at Callow Hill on the road to Cleobury Mortimer , the head of many waymarked trails through the forest. Knowles Mill , a former corn mill owned by the National Trust is located within the forest. The Bewdley Museum explores the history of the town and surrounding areas; it is located in the former butchers' shambles just behind Bewdley Guildhall . Just outside Bewdley

2068-401: Was not possible, and gangs of men were used to bow-haul the boats. As river banks were often privately owned, such teams worked their way along the river banks as best they could, but this was far from satisfactory. On British rivers such as the River Severn , the situation was improved by the creation of towing path companies in the late 1700s. The companies built towing paths along the banks of

2115-547: Was purchased by an anonymous donation for the land in 1994. State and federal funding assisted in the construction of the trail. The Lower Trail is owned and maintained by Rails to Trails of Central Pennsylvania, a 501c3, non-profit organization as qualified by the Internal Revenue Service. The organization is sustained by its membership, which is open to any member of the public. As of 2019, there were approximately 375 dues paying members. The members elect

2162-489: Was spanned by a footbridge at its tail, the southern section of the Stratford-on-Avon Canal used split bridges so that the horse line did not have to be detached. The rope passed through a small gap at the centre of the bridge between its two halves. One problem with the horse towing path where it passed under a bridge was abrasion of the rope on the bridge arch. This resulted in deep grooves being cut in

2209-399: Was the roving bridge or turnover bridge, where the horse ascended the ramp on one side, crossed the bridge, descended a circular ramp on the other side of the river but the same side of the bridge, and then passed through the bridge hole to continue on its way. This had the benefit that the rope did not have to be detached while the transfer took place. Where the towpath reached a lock, which

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