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River Stort gets a facelift

30th Aug 2005

The River Stort is set for a makeover with £450,000 worth of improvements planned for this winter.

Next week, British Waterways will start a six-month programme of engineering works on the River Stort Navigation at Sawbridgeworth, including rebuilding a weir, repairing a section of waterway wall, upgrading 400 metres of towpath, replacing one footbridge and refurbishing another.

The planned improvements between Sheering Mill Lane and Station Road will be carried out by British Waterways’ contractor Edmund Nuttall Limited and will be completed in February 2006. Works include:

• stabilising the waterway wall next to ‘bridge 32’ using timber-clad sheet piles to create a better habitat for invertebrates;
• strengthening the river bank with environmentally-friendly soft coir rolls;
• widening and resurfacing a 400-metre section of towpath to improve access for walkers, pushchairs, cyclists and people with disabilities;
• building a temporary dam opposite the Lawrence Mooring development so that a weir can be rebuilt in a dry environment;
• replacing the deck of ‘bridge 34’ next to the weir and repairing and modifying the bridge abutments; and
• repairing and repainting the abutments of ‘bridge 32’ over the stream joining the river.

Angelin Hallaways, British Waterways London’s senior project engineer, explains:

"These important works are part of our ongoing care and maintenance of the River Stort Navigation to ensure it continues to run well and can be enjoyed by local people and visitors. Each year we spend around £10 million in London keeping our 100 miles of canals and rivers and 110 acres of docks in good working order, preserving their historic structures, protecting the wildlife that lives on them and improving facilities for visitors.

"We are planning these essential maintenance works carefully to minimise disruption to local residents, the surrounding environment and those who enjoy visiting the waterway. Unfortunately throughout the works the towpath, a Public Right of Way, will be shut but East Hertfordshire District Council have set up a diversion."

The Stort Navigation branches off the Lee Navigation at Feilde’s Weir near Hoddeston and travels 13¾ miles, through 15 locks past Roydon, Burnt Mill, Harlow and Sawbridgeworth before reaching its terminus at Bishop’s Stortford. Now one of the prettiest waterways in Britain and largely used for leisure, it dates back to 1769 when the river was canalised to carry malt and barley into London.

Last updated: 22/10/2008