The River Stort Navigation, England

By using the River Stort narrowboats can travel from Bishops Stortford to the Lee Navigation and thereafter have access to both the River Thames and the 100s of miles of English Canals.

Many years before the eventually extensive canal systems (Grand Junction Canal and Oxford Canal amongst others) were dug and used for transporting goods etc. around England several rivers in southern England were quite heavily utilised commercially - one of which was the River Stort. The River Stort starts life in Clavering, Essex and is quite a narrow shallow, twisting little river down as far as the centre of Bishops Stortford in Hertfordshire. From there the remaining 22 kilometres have been made navigable so that it provides narrowboat access to the Lee Navigation at Feildes Weir near Hoddesdon.

Narrowboats and barges therefore have access to the English Canal systems via the Lee Navigation and then via Regents Canal onto the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union and the Grand Union Canal itself at Bulls Bridge. Using the Lee Navigation there is also access to the River Thames at Limehouse in London's East End. The Stort Navigation's fifteen Locks are numbered sequentially from 15 to 1 whilst the Navigation's Bridges are numbered the other way round i.e. 1 to 53. The locks appear wide and able to take two narrowboats at a time but are in fact only 13 feet wide so cannot do so.
The following Photos show the bridges, locks as well as several of the old mills plus other features which can be seen along the Stort Navigation as it travels from Feildes Weir (Lee Navigation Junction) up to the end of narrowboat navigation at Bishops Stortford.

Lee and Stort Junction

Footbridge 1

Lower Lock 15

Footbridge 2

Brick Lock 14

Brick Lock 14

Brick Lock Gates	Bridge 5	Roydon Mill Arm	sluice	Bridge 6	Railway bridge 7
side bridge 7a	Bridge no8	Roydon Lock - 13	Stort - Bridge 10	Hudson Mill Lock	Hudson Mill sidearm
Sidebridge (wooden)	Bridge 11	sidebridge (metal)	another one	Bridge 14	Parndon Lock 11
Parndon Lock and sidebridge	Parndon Mill	Parndon Mill	Pipe + Bridge 15	Footbridge 15a	Roadbridge 16

The Stort Navigation was opened for commercial use towards the end of 1769 with barges carrying various products such as rye, wheat, malt dust, barley, oats, coal, lime and particularly malt from the important malting industry in Bishops Stortford. The towpath is fully open for use by both cyclists and walkers and in generally good condition. Much of the route is through peacefull open countryside and very scenic especially in Spring and Autumn. For cyclists who want to cycle the whole length of the navigation there is a frequent railway service between Bishops Stortford and Broxborough so it's possible to use the Lea Navigation and then The Stort for a one way ride. This is probably too far for walkers but you can park in Roydon's Council car park (which unlike the railway station car park is free as of October 2009) and then wander down to the station and take a train to Bishops Stortford and walk back along The Stort to Roydon (around 13 miles).

Bridge 17

Burnt Mill Lock 10

Bridge 17a

Marina Bridge 17b

Bridge 18

Bridge 20

Latton Lock 9	Sluice	Footbridge 21	Sidebridge 22	Bridge 23	Harlow Lock 8
Roadbridge 24	Sidebridge 25	Bridge 27	Feakes Lock 7 gates	Footbridge 28	Side Bridges 29+30
Footbridge 30	Bridge 31	Sheering Mill Bridge 33	Sheering Mill Lock	Old mill buildings	Bridge 35
Bridge 36	Sawbridgeworth Lock 5	Footbridge 37	Railway Bridge 37	Bridge 41	Tednambury Lock 4

Tednambury Mill	Tednambury Arm Bridge	Tednambury Sidearm	Bridge no:43	Spellbrook Lock 3	Spellbrook weirs
Turnover Bridge 44	Footbridge 47	Bridge 48	Twyford Lock 2	Twyford Lock	Bridge 48b
South Mill Lock area	South Mill Lock 1	South Mill Lock 1	Bridge 49	Weirs - Southmill Lock area	Railway-bridge 49
Bridge 50	Odd looking footbridge	Riverside buildings	Pipebridge	Station Road bridge 52	Causeway Bridge 53

Once the river reaches Causeway Bridge in the centre of Bishops Stortford the Stort Navigation returns to simply being The River Stort - a nice tree-lined narrow river with parkland and play areas either side of where the river starts heading off back to it's source in Essex. On one side there are the remains of Bishops Stortford Castle - however the castle is little more than a large mound and you cannot get onto this and take a look at it without first getting the key to the locked entrance gate at the top of the steps.

If our old English river navigations are of particular interest you may like to look at our topic on the Kennet and Avon Canal - most of which is also "river" rather than actual cut canal.

We have picked out a few Books about England - Churches, Canals and Rivers as well as walks in England and English Nature. The Nicholsons Waterways Guides are a "must take" for anyone going on a Canal Barge or Narrowboat holiday (as well as anyone visiting the canals) as they are packed with really useful information. If the development and history of our Canals is of particular interest consider the Anatomy of Canals series - really good reading!. (The relevant Nicholoson Guide covering The Stort Navigation is BOOK 1.)