We managed to find the last available mooring in Hertford for 2 nights, so I could hop onto the train back into London to meet up with Amanda and a few friends. I’d have liked to explore Hertford a bit more but the need to run the generator, whilst being moored next to a block of flats isn’t neighbourly so we moved on.
Back the 6 miles through Ware and Stanstead Abbot,
to Feildes lock, and the confluence of the river Stort which becomes the Stort Navigation. In a matter of minutes we felt like we were in a completely different environment. Although the Stort was canalized in the 1760s, it still retains the characteristics of a rural river.
Its 14 miles of very pleasant cruising, although the 15 locks are a frustrating dimension, only 13 foot/4m wide, which makes them just a bit too narrow to take 2 narrowboats side by side, yet still requiring a double locks worth of water, and effort, but at least they are very pretty. And a local boater informed us that it is customary not to close the gates on exiting a river lock, which did make them a bit easier to work.
We meandered happily along enjoying the buildings along our way
Ducking under the overhanging willow trees, and infact narrowly escaping a potential catastrophe, as a large branch broke and fell into the canal seconds before we passed by. I was too shook up to take a photo, but we were lucky it had remained attached to the tree by a thin slither and blocked the towpath rather than the canal.
We enjoyed a few nights moored at Sawbridgworth, which is where I believe Beckingham Palace is, although the Beckhams no longer live there. All this lovely countryside isn’t the usually the first image that you think of when you realise we were cruising through Essex
But after a week of tranquillity we were back in Hertfordshire and moored at the end of navigation in Bishop’s Stortford
Bishop’s Stortford has been voted one of Britain’s best places to live, although it seemed nice enough, its not the first town that springs to my mind to claim this title. We arrived on market day, and I was amused to see the same Cheese and Pie man that regularly visits our home town in Suffolk. We had quite a good chat reminiscing about people in common that we knew.
(Heading photo north of Harlow Mill)
