Hertford, Ware?

We were soon off this morning and straight into a lock. This was complicated by a bridge in the middle and the fact that the top paddles are in the gates and are very fierce.

Stanstead Lock, with bridge.

After another lock we were approaching Ware. It had some lovely gazebos at the bottom of some gardens. Some of the houses were old but some were new. The gazebos are 18th Century and were placed in the gardens of the numerous coaching inns that lined the High Street that was the A10.

Lovely gazebos in Ware. It would be a great place to while away the time with a cup of tea.

After Ware Lock that is locked after by the Environment Agency as it is part of the flood defense with weirs and mill streams etc. After Ware the navigation looks more like a river with ings on either side full of birds.

Lee Navigation/River Lea.

We got to Hertford Lock and had the devils own job to open a top gate. Apparently they have been like this for many year. A local boater that helped told me that they are to be replaced this winter. I said had he checked on the list of winter stoppages that had just been released. I really hope they are as it will really put people of coming up here as there is a top paddle out of order too.

Once in Hertford we tied up on the visitor moorings and went to have a look round the town. We had just entered the buildings when we passed the Museum and entered. It was free and quite interesting. The two things that I have retained of interest are that it was the main factory for Addis toothbrushes, and is where Wisdon Toothbrushes were made until the 1990's. The other fact was that W.E. Johns lived in Hertford. Those of you that are lads of my age will surely recognise the name as the Author of Biggles books. His initials stand for William Earl. He left school with no qualifications at all and wrote almost 100 Biggles books. I must have read almost three quarters of them and have at home, still. about 50 or so. I loved them, along with Enid Blyton Famous Five and Secret Seven. I also read all my Dad's Percy F. Westerman books. They don't write them like that now do they.

There was lots of examples of pargeting in Hertford, which is relief designs in the external plaster work of buildings.

Very evocative tile work. Those were the days when you chose the hotel as it had a motor pit!

The beautiful bronze hart topping the War memorial in Hertford was sculpted by Alfred Drury RA and the memorial was unveiled in 1921.

McMullen's Brewery. The company started in 1827 and is still independent and has 145 pubs. I am not that keen on their beer but the County bitter is fine.

More pargetting on the Salisbury Arms. It was the Bell and Three Cranes until 1800. There was an attempted mutiny in 1647 within the Parliamentary Army and Oliver Cromwell and his senior General Fairfax stayed at this inn when they were putting it down.

Hertford was very nice with lots of little higgledy piggledy roads and some lovely buildings. The castle grounds were hosting an outdoor cinema tonight so I hope it stays dry for them. As we were on a schedule we decided to move off and make back to Ware to save a few miles tomorrow.

This is the head of navigation for our length boat. Just through Folly Bridge and turning round. There is this lovely building that was obviously a warehouse and wharf. Apparently grain used to come up from Ware for the brewery.

We got to Hertford Lock and were caught up by the trip boat that runs a couple of times a day between Ware and Hertford. I let them go first as they had a schedule to keep and helped them with the extremely difficult gates. Just as they cleared the bottom gates they caught a log, like we had at Aylesbury, and so tied up below the lock to check it out. Therefore there was no one to help me with the gate and in the end I had to use a rope round the gate to the bow and go full astern. That cracked it and we were soon on our way.

We were soon down Ware lock and passing the gazebos again and looking for a mooring. We parked up just after Swains Mill and will have a cup of tea and go for a walk to explore the town before eating. This is the weather vane on one of the gazebos. I wonder if the gazebos are listed at all.