Sort of sad to leave the Stort Navigation

Tuesday, 13 September 2011 16:29

I loved our mooring last night - but hey ho, onwards we go.

One more look

The time on the Stort has been lovely, but now we would be rejoining the Lee ........

Goodness - we woke to a lovely morning: still a little windy but perfect for cruising.

More loveliness at Roydon Mead

We had company in Roydon Lock

I have never heard a swan make so much noise. We had separated him from his family, but it was his own silly fault as John had shepherded him out once. He was stubborn and slipped in again, just as the gates closed.

Continuing onwards, it was a good job John was steering - he remembered it was a sharp left turn at Roydon Mill. I would have merrily gone on in to the marina!

Roydon Mill Road Bridge

I caught a shot of the mill through the trees as we "passed by on the other side", The moorings here on the towpath side were almost empty.

Roydon Mill through trees

Alongside the mill there are some static homes. Are they the remains of the "caravan park" that our old Nicholson mentions? It is now an extensive marina - with lots of vacant pontoons. We began to encounter narrowboats coming up. One had been down to Limehouse for the Thames Festival last weekend and was moaning about the number of barges in the basin with "river only licenses" crowding the narrowboats. Either they were there for the Festival or they had taken "safe haven" because of the rough weather. We had heard it was busy and hope it will be less hectic when we get there.

Brick Lock and Lower Lock came and went. We met the BW Enforcement Officer in his patrol boat at Lower Lock. John and he had a chat - moorings, licenses etc!

So then it was "goodbye" to the Stort Navigation - it was really worth exploring it - and hello to the Lee Navigation again at Rye House Junction.

Rye House Junction, coming downstream on the Lee Navigation

We met nb Bywyd Arall ("another life" in Welsh) arriving too from a short trip up the Lee.Tom is single handing and we first met him up at Bishops Stortford. After signaling him to go first, we remembered that the locks were wide enough for two narrowboats on the Lee!

Feilde's Weir Lock and fuel boats waiting for a diesel delivery

Below the lock the pylons appear

We shared Dobb's Weir Lock too (one of the bottom paddles is out of operation so it is very slow)

Very near to Carthagena Lock is Nazeing Glass Works and museum. If there was room to moor we thought we would stop to visit. There was plenty of room above the lock so we pulled in, saying cheerio to Tom.

Carthagena Lock - moorings on left

It was good timing as it soon began to rain. So we had lunch and then took the short walk to the Glass Works, apparently one of the oldest surviving in the UK. Sadly, the museum was shut as they had some American visitors in a meeting. We had a browse in the Factory shop and took the quick virtual tour on the website instead!

Moored above Carthagena Lock

Lee and Stort Navigation, Hunsdon Mead to Carthagena Lock
2 hours 36 minutes, 3.99 miles, 5 locks