| Stourport-on-Severn | |
|---|---|
 High Street | |
  Stourport-on-Severn Location withinWorcestershire | |
| Population | 20,653 (2021 Census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SO812715 |
| • London | 135.4m |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STOURPORT-ON-SEVERN |
| Postcode district | DY13 |
| Dialling code | 01299 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Hereford and Worcester |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
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Stourport-on-Severn, often shortened toStourport, is atown andcivil parish in theWyre Forest District of NorthWorcestershire, England, 4 miles to the south ofKidderminster and downstream on theRiver Severn fromBewdley. At the 2021census, it had a population of 20,653.[1]
Stourport came into being around the canal basins at the Severn terminus of theStaffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, which was completed in 1768. In 1772 the junction between the Staffordshire and Worcestershire and theBirmingham Canal was completed and Stourport became one of the principal distributing centres for goods to and from the rest of the West Midlands. The canal terminus was built on meadowland to the south west of the hamlet of Lower Mitton. The terminus was first called Stourmouth and then Newport, with the final name of Stourport settled on by 1771.
The population of Stourport rose from about 12 in the 1760s to 1300 in 1795. In 1771John Wesley had called Stourport a "well built village" but by 1788 he noted that "where twenty years ago there was but one house; now there are two or three streets, and as trade increases it will probably grow into a considerable town". In 1790 he found the town "twice as large as two years ago".
With the completion of theWorcester and Birmingham Canal in 1816, the revenue of theStaffordshire and Worcestershire Canal plunged sharply and from 1812 the population of Stourport scarcely rose, with many male workers leaving the town.
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In the area close to Stourport there are several largemanor andcountry houses, among whichWitley Court,Astley Hall,Pool House,Areley Hall,Hartlebury andAbberley Hall (with itsclock tower) are particularly significant. Hartlebury was the residence of theBishops of Worcester from the early 13th century until 2007, and Astley Hall was the home ofPrime MinisterStanley Baldwin, who died here in 1947.
TheGeorge Gilbert Scott church replaced an earlier brick church of 1782 by James Rose.[2] This building was never finished, and after suffering storm damage, had to be partly demolished. Thecurrent St. Michael's church sits partially within its ruins. Thebaptismal font was salvaged from the ruins of the old church, and is still used in the current building.
In 1944, the town was the location of a famous address to US army troops by GeneralGeorge S. Patton.[3]Stourport Civic Centre, which is now used as an events venue, was completed in 1966.[4]
In 1968 the Transport Act designated the canal a "cruise way" for pleasure purposes.[5]
The town is the birthplace of singer-songwriterClifford T. Ward.[6]
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