THE River Severn is like many rivers across the world that have changed their course and use over thousands of years.

Today they are usually in the news for negative reasons, including flooding or pollution levels.

In Worcester’s past, long before roads and land vehicles, the river was an important artery.

Waterways did not divide people but united them as one.

When the Romans arrived in around 50AD, they chose an area we now call Diglis as a harbour.

Boats could be grounded on the shallow river banks and cargo, such as iron ore and timber, could be unloaded.

Sadly, the creek it stood near and the fact the Severn was tidal and curved at this point caused heavy silting to occur.

This in turn caused the harbour to be abandoned for a better location.

A new location was found which became known in the medieval period as the Quay, later South Quay.

This acted as an important dockside for many trades.

At this time boats carrying cargo could often find themselves marooned on sand banks further downstream.

In some cases in the dry summer months the low river levels would expose large rocks and boulders that could damage the hull of wooden shipping.

Bow hauling became a common sight near Worcester whereby strong men would be paid to carefully pull the boats along the shallows.

This was very hard work if the tide was against them.

In 1811 the Gloucestershire and Worcestershire Horse Towing Path Company began.

This was to ensure horses were able to tow boats along the shallow sections of the river freely.

This often meant removing trees to allow ropes to connect from the boats to large horses.

The river banks were always a hive of activity all year round.

When the Worcester to Birmingham Canal opened in 1815 the traffic on the Severn increased further and complaints were common place.

Worcester was a thriving city with very varied trades.

The bone china industry relied on the import of heavy Portland clay and the export of the finished fragile bone china.

Road transportation was very poor and china tea cups would be smashed to pieces on the road. In 1835 after years of discussions and at times arguments the Severn Navigation Company was formed.

The lead engineer was Edward Leader Williams who lived in Diglis House.

This is now the Diglis Hotel.

A survey of shipping found at least 4,366 cargo ships worked the Severn between Gloucester and Worcester.

The plan was to increase the river level by building four locks and weirs between Worcester and Stourport.

These were to be built at Worcester, Bevere, Holt and Lincomb.

Work did not start until the 1840s with hundreds of navvies employed in the labour.

The Severn Navigation Act of 1842 shows how important the improvements were.

It was decided the best location for Diglis lock and weir would be on the bend of the river, just south of Diglis House and near the Worcester to Birmingham Canal junction.

A deep channel was cut into the bank, sealed with clay and bricked, with massive oak lock gates inserted with all the accompanying engineering.

A weir was constructed two metres high to the west.

Despite the river level being made much deeper, allowing shipping a safer passage upstream all year round, this work caused an ecological problem that would blight the Severn until very recently.

Tides no longer affected Worcester and migrating fish struggled to pass upstream to spawn.

Some of the stronger salmon propelled themselves up the weir but fish like the twaite shad could not tackle the mountainous step of the weir.

Diglis Island, locks and weir officially opened on October 9, 1844.

It was seen as a momentous occasion which would create further business at Worcester and beyond.

The project cost £140,000 at the time.

This would be roughly the equivalent of £22,000,000 today.

Accommodation for the workers, a chapel, lock keeper’s houses and a number of workshops to build replacement lock gates and other items were all constructed on the island which became a maintenance hub for the Severn Navigation Company until the end of the 20th century.

One of the most iconic features today is the 15-ton derrick which was built by Glasgow firm Butler Brothers.

It was moved to the island in the 1950s from the docks at Cardiff.

The move was overseen by foreman William Munn.

It has recently been restored and often seen topped by a perching cormorant or heron.

The crane was used to place lock gates onto barges when gates needed replacing or repairing.

A fish pass, opened in 2021, has been built to allow migrating fish back upstream.

This has brought back certain species of fish to Worcester and beyond for the first time in 180 years.

Happy birthday Diglis Island.

Our columnist Paul Harding runs Discover History which offers hands-on learning of the county’s history.