River Stort: Phisiobury to Spellbrook Lock, Bishop's Stortford and back to Sawbridgeworth

27th April - Saturday

Apartments along River  Stort - Sawbridgeworth

We are all ready to head off at 11:00.  It is a chilly, bright and breezy day!!

We travel through Feakes, Sheering Mill, Sawbridgeworth, Tednambury and Spellbrook locks.  Sawbridgeworth, from the river is very attractive.  We go past Lawrence Moorings which is a beautiful group of apartments that overlook the canal.  They also have private moorings for the owners of the apartments but these were empty.

Mazey wants a biscuit

At Tednambury lock, Susan gets chatting to the owners of a 42 ft narrowboat.  They are heading towards Stansted Abbots.  They have a mooring in Hallingbury marina, which is accessible just past the lock.  It is a non-residential marina and has capacity for 140 boats.  They operate a 'waiting' list for moorings as it is so popular.  There is a building called the 'Mill' offering meals and accommodation too.  Susan says that "We must try it".  The couple said the food was very good in the Mill. They did mention that not many boats go past this point in the river and that it is usually very quiet.

Mill view from Tednambury Lock

At Spellbrook locks, the lock seems very dirty and does not appear to have had many boats passing through.  Pete manages to moor me by tying my stern rope to the last lock bollard and then ties up the bow which is now several feet away from the towpath.

Susan and Pete comment on how close the planes are.  We are directly under the flight path to Stansted Airport.  Susan also says "There aren't many ducks along here but I have noticed a few moorhens".

28th April - Sunday

Susan cleans the boat and friend, Yvette, visits for coffee.  Susan and Pete leave Mazey and I alone whilst they go for lunch into The Three Horseshoes.  It is a timber-framed, thatched roof building dating from 1449!!  There is a large garden too.  It is a short walk across the railway line.  They meet up with Keith, Jayne and Anna.

29th April - Monday

We manage to leave Spellbrook as another boat enter the locks which is headed in the same direction as us. On the way we notice some wood carvings on trees - very creative.....  There is one of a woodpecker too.....

Owl carving in tree

Twyford Lock

We head toward's Bishop's Stortford which is where the River Stort ends for coffee with Tim.

Besides Pig Lane is Twyford lock we meet up with the owner of the boat behind us and he helps us with the lock - very kind of him.  He tells Susan that his daughter has come to visit him and he is going into Bishop's Stortford for shopping.   We go through South Mill lock and meet up again with the boat owner.  He says that he loves the River Stort as it is so quiet, peaceful and pretty.  Rushy Meade, nature reserve, was a lovely spot to moor.  Pete tried a couple of times to moor up but failed to get a safe mooring point or one end in with easy access to the towpath.  So we carried on!!

Once on the outskirts of Bishop's Stortford there are more buildings.  At the end of the river, Pete turns me around by the Belgique Cafe.  No problems even though it is breezy.  There are 14-day visitor moorings here and a BW sanitary station; water, pump out and rubbish point.  Susan thinks there is room for about 4 boats here.  I get tied up and they head off for coffee with Tim.

End of navigable River Stort - turning point

Bishop's Stortford moorings

Bishop's Stortford is a small market town with plenty of shops, eating places and coffee houses.  After shopping, Pete tells Susan that he wants to moor up in Sawbridgeworth where there is room for more boats.

Off we go again!!  We go through 4 more locks prior to mooring in Sawbridgeworth.  Susan and Mazey walk from Spellbrook to Sawbridgeworth through stunning countryside (2 miles).  Mazey seemed very happy as she kept trying to get ahead of me and then running to the back to see Pete who was driving and Susan who was walking.  It was great fun!!  Mazey must have done treble the distance.........

Total 6 Locks and 7.5 miles

30th April to 2nd May (Tuesday to Thursday)

Resting days in Sawbridgeworth - Mazey exhausted.......  Pete takes the opportunity of the lovely weather to paint one side of me - yah!!!  Susan decides to update this blog....

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