Nearly back in the bright lights.

After a busy evening we had 10 mins extra in bed and although warm we couldn't see very far as it was foggy. By the time we left at just after 0900 it was all clear. We were out in the country in Waltham Marshes last night but we soon got so that where ever there was a road there were loads of moored boat.

There were two little yachts together on one moorings. They hadn't moved for a while as the coots had made a nest in the rigging trailing in the river.

At Enfield Lock there is a row of houses called Government Row on a private  road. I thought that they may be something to do with the Gunpowder factory but that is further north. It seems they were for the British Small Arms Factory that was built in Enfield in the Napoleonic times in 1812. The factory has been redeveloped as housing now. The Lee Enfield rifle was the main rifle of the British Army for years. I wonder if the Lee was after the river. The rectangular floating frames are to encourage wildlife  and plants etc.

The old BSA Factory

The lock house has Lee Conservancy 1899 on the plaque.

This photo really sums up the difference between the Stort and Lee. The Lee is wider, straighter, more open and more industrial than the Stort.

Contrast with the Stort.

 One one side of the Lee are the reservoirs and on the other are industrial sites, many of which are being developed for new uses.

The new Somme.

We stopped at Ponders End services to fill up  with water. We did want to empty the compost loo but the elsan point was looked with a non C&RT key so we were stuck.

We kept going to Stonebridge Services and did the loo there. The state of the elsan was disgusting but I did the deed. I cleaned up the basin etc as best I could with a scrubbing brush. It seems that the loos and showers are spotless but I don't think the cleaning contractors are liable for the elsan point, or they are missing it.

We thought that we would moor above Tottenham Hale Lock but we went aground trying to get in alongside. It took a bit of rocking side to side to  wriggle off. We went down the lock and moored where we had on the way up. We just had enough time to walk to the Tube Station and meet our daughter who is staying for a couple of  days.

These geese just took my eye as they looked so similar and clean and white in the mucky water. Although the Lee has really clean sections.