Stourbridge Canal, Dudley, West Midlands (14. Red House Glass Cone)

In just over one and a half miles we have learned a great deal about this canal and the raw materials that were carried by boat to the factories and foundries of the area. We have seen bridges, locks, and various special features that supported the glassmaking industry, including the Stourbridge Canal Company dry dock and Wordsley Junction toll point. There is also still an incredible concentration of historic industrial sites here, including John Bradley’s ironworks where steam engines were built. As we passed sites of many former glass cones, we learned something about the lives of glassmakers and the glass they made. We found out how Stourbridge became famous around the world, how the industry collapsed at the end of the twentieth century, and how artists are continuing the tradition of glassmaking on a smaller scale. We hope you have enjoyed this walk and discovered more about the Stourbridge Canal and the industries that grew up alongside it. If you want to learn more about glassmaking then we recommend a visit to both museums where Jewels on the Cut and other glass-related works by the author Graham Fisher are available in the gift shops. For more walks around Britain that tell a story about the landscape, search for Discovering Britain on ViewRanger or visit the website. Directions To return to the start of the walk you can either retrace your steps along the canal or follow the A491 towards Stourbridge for about one mile. Alternatively take a local bus (256,257,267) from the bus stop which is just 50 metres along the A491 road from the Red House Glass Cone (away from the canal). Buses stop opposite the end of Canal Street where the walk started and continue to the Stourbridge bus station.