Bewdley was once an important inland port,
connecting Shrewsbury with the Midlands
and the seaports of Gloucester and Bristol.
Originally the quays were shorter and had slipways between them. In time, as more landing space was needed, the quayside
walls were joined into one continuous length.
The larger boats, known as Severn Trows, carried local goods such as rope and
charcoal, metal goods from Birmingham and Staffordshire pottery to the south. They returned laden with woollen cloth, wine, spirits, tobacco, sugar, spices, citrus fruit and dried fish to be sold in market towns across the West Midlands and
Welsh borders.
This civic space was developed when the Environment Agency built the Town's new flood defences, and incorporates work by artist Elizabeth-Jane Grose. On the lower quayside you can find flowing words relating to the river and the vessels that worked on it.
On the upper quayside have a look for the 'cargo-plates' recording forty of the common and less common exports and imports to the Port of Bewdley.
Source: Environment Agency