The earliest documentary evidence referring to a ferry at Redstone is a deed concerning its sale of 1295. Prattington gives abstracts of relevant deeds of 1307 and 1309, and obtained the original award of 1542 in the suit of Philip Hoby and William Yearington, which concerned tenements at Redstone and ‘one passage or ferry’ there.
The traffic over the Severn was considerable, for it was on the old main road from London to Wales. Just below the ferry was a ford which was used when low water allowed and it was across this ford, so tradition has it, that the great funeral procession carrying the body of Prince Arthur from Ludlow Castle to Worcester Cathedral for burial made its way in 1502.
Until about 1890, an old house associated with the crossing stood on the west bank, well out of floods’ way, on the north side of the lane leading to the hermitage. Called Redstone House, it was obviously an inn at one time. It was of considerable dimensions, with a very fine staircase within, many windows blocked up and various rooms converted Into cottages. George Thompson, writing In his ‘Country Rambles Round Kidderminster’ in the 1880’s, gave a description of this place:
‘Notice the old and partly-timbered ferry-house on the western bank, bearing the date 1685 over the door.way, together with the provision made for sleeping - eighteen bedrooms - some public and some private, according to the rank and means of the various occupants. When Severn was In flood and crossing impossible, a lodging- house became imperative. Empty one day, It was crowded another; while animals, carts and waggons of every description filled the enclosure outside; it became a veritable caravansary until the subsidence of the river enabled its occupants to continue their journey.
Waggons crossed by the ford, when the river was sufficiently low, until the dredging of the bed of the river up to Stourport Locks rendered the ford impassable. Opposite the ferry-house may be seen the remains of the old landing-stage, and near it is another house, formerly the Cross Inn, whence a road to the foot of the sand-dunes on Hartlebury Common, and so on to Worcester....’
The Glover family, who lived in one of the rock houses of Redstone Hermitage, were ferrymen for generations. The last one received compensation for the loss of custom at the ferry when Stourport Bridge was opened in 1775. The mails continued to cross by way of Redstone until 1775.