Starting the Stort

Monday, 05 September 2011 17:34

So now we have cruised all the Lee Navigation, it is time to move downstream to explore the canalised River Stort, or the Stort Navigation.

The Lee in Hertford

Gosh, it was a blustery day and certainly felt like autumn ......

We did the "ablutions" run (our new name for the empty/fill process at sani-stations) at Hertford Basin sani-station. We had four locks to do before the junction with the Stort. 

Hertford Lock came and went and then it was the well kept EA Lock at Ware

For some reason I always prefer going down in locks. My brain thinks it is an easier process, but it can still be tricky picking John up! He used the lock ladder in most of today's locks, as the gates on these river locks can be left open (so we have been told by locals). It certainly helps in windy conditions - no "oops" on lock landings!

Most easterly gazebo

I counted the riverside gazebos - and made it more than eight. But I did count everything that looked like a gazebo, so maybe the extras were not authentic. We had decided not to stop in Ware as we were keen to get on the Stort.

This is a gate, not a gazebo!

Now is this one? Nice riverside apartments anyway

This ice cream boat was sure hoping for customers

Ware Town Bridge is pretty with all the hanging baskets. All the visitor moorings in Ware are 48H - they were all vacant when we passed. Our third lock was Hardmead - nothing out of the ordinary to report here!

We arrived at Stanstead Lock as a narrowboat entered from below. We were in for a long wait and so was the driver of the car that wanted to cross the lock on the swing bridge. I know that there is a notice on the top beams warning boaters of the strong flow from the gate paddles, but to inch the gear up just a few notches at a time is a little unnecessary, we thought.

Top balance beam  

Nearly 20 minutes later we let the car cross and then worked the bridge and lock.

John closing swing bridge once Epiphany was down in the lock

The junction with the Stort Navigation is about 2 miles below Stanstead Lock, before Feilde's Weir Lock. We turned left onto the Stort, not really knowing what to expect.

Turning onto the Stort

Immediately, the change in character between the two navigations was evident. It was narrower, bendy and wooded.

On the Stort Navigation

The Locks on the Stort are only 13 feet wide so will not take two narrowboats side by side. Within a few minutes we encountered Lower Lock 15. The bridge over it is numbered 1 - so the bridges are numbered upstream and the locks downstream, logical?

Bridge 1 and Lower Lock 15 ahead

Waiting below Lower Lock

We found a mooring just above the lock - beside a very autumnal-looking, arable field. The forecast for tomorrow looks lousy, so if they are right we just might "hole up" here.

Lee and Stort Navigations, Hertford on the Lee to NE of Lower Lock on Stort
4 hours 24 minutes, 6.78 miles, 5 locks