Welcome

The Stort Navigation is a little gem of a river. Turning onto the Stort from the River Lee at Fielde's Weir, one is immediately struck by a sense of change. The wide, open straights of the Lee give way to a narrow, meandering river which works it way through the lush countryside of Essex and Hertfordshire. Although nature seems to close in on you, civilization isn't too far away!

Wednesday 26 September 2012

Roydon

Roydon
Roydon road bridge (6) (facing upstream)

Travelling upstream from its confluence with the Lee, Roydon is the first town you come to on the Stort. It has three increasingly low bridges: Roydon Mill (5), Roydon road bridge (6) (by the train station), and Roydon rail bridge (7). The air draft at the rail bridge (7) under normal conditions is about 7 feet, but this can decrease considerably after heavy rain and it is not unknown to become impassable.

Roydon Rail Bridge, River Stort
Roydon railway bridge (7) (facing downstream)

Facilities: Visitor moorings with rings just below the road bridge (6).

Less than 5 minute walk from the visitor moorings:

Roydon Train Station: local services and trains to London Liverpool Street, Tottenham Hale, Harlow Town, Bishop's Stortford, Cambridge.

Franco's Italian restaurant, entrance in train station carpark
01279 792111

Within a 10 minute walk of the visitor moorings:

Facing upstream, turn right at the road bridge (6) to go into the town:

Dee's Pharmacy
100 High Streeet
Monday - Friday 0900 - 1900
Saturday 0900 - 1700
Closed Sunday

New Inn public house
High Street


McColl's
65 High Street
General store - groceries, newsagent, off licence, cash machine (free withdrawls), Post Office.
Every day 0500 - 2100
Post Office opening hours:
Monday - Friday: 0900 - 1300 and 1400 - 1730
Saturday: 0900 - 1230
Post office closed Sunday

The Crusader public house
42 High Street


The White Hart public house
43 High Street

Emery Rogers hair dressers
3 High Street
01279 793364

Bengal Lancers, Indian restaurant
2 High Street (entrance in Harlow Road)
01279 793131

Local knowledge:
  • a rubbish barge is normally moored below Roydon road bridge (6) on the off side

Sunday 23 September 2012

River Stort Locks

The Stort has 15 in line locks, plus the lock which leads into Roydon Marina. The Stort locks are 85 feet long with beam 13 feet 3 inches, so narrowboats should NOT use them breasted up; attempting to enter or exit a lock with just a single door open should also be avoided. 13 of the locks are completely manual with Burnt Mill and Sheering Mill locks being partially electric. To navigate the full 13 and a bit miles of the Stort you will therefore need a dual sized windlass and a BW/CaRT key. It is local custom to leave lock gates open with all paddles down when leaving a lock, unless otherwise instructed. At the moment (Autumn 2012) only the lock at Parndon Mill requires the exit gates to be closed behind you due to leakage issues. Parndon Mill, River Stort