Day 48 - February 17th

This morning we had a lovely walk from Stanstead St Margarets to Ware and back. We walked along the River Lee Navigation and back along the New River Path. 

Leaving the car in the village we headed along the River Lee Navigation passing lots of canal/narrow boats on their winter moorings.

At Stanstead Lock we stood a while to watch a boat preparing to pass through the lock. Stanstead Lock has apparently earned the reputation as the most difficult in England for barges to pass through due to the fact that it incorporates a rare example of a swing bridge.

We passed Amwell Nature Reserve but apart from a quick stop to look at the water foul on the lake, we decided to save visiting the reserve for another day, and instead carried on along the watercourse.

Blossom in the hedgerows was starting the flower.

Hardmead Lock.

I particularly liked this boat, painted in a traditional design .

After about an hour walking we reached Ware. We visited Ware last month when we walked the opposite way from Hertford to Ware, and part of our walk today crossed over some of the route we had previously walked.

After picking up some snacks in Ware, we headed back towards Stanstead St Margarets. We passed houses backing onto the water and loved how many of them had garden rooms built up to and in some places overhanging the waters edge.

Our return walk took us along the New River Path. The 'New River' isn’t however new and it isn’t a river. The New River is a water supply aqueduct built in 1613 to bring fresh drinking water from Hertfordshire to North London. The New River Path, created in the l990's is a a 45 km (28 mile) footpath that follows the course of the New River. Most of the route winds its way alongside the historic water channel, with some straightened and piped sections between the New River’s starting point near Hertford to its original end in Islington.

The footpath was very well looked after and there was lots to see along the way with water features, birds and plants.

We spotted several small statues along the route, like these two mermaids. Not knowing what they were, I looked on the internet when we got home and found that they are part of the Chadwell Way Sculpture Trail - a five mile trail located close to rivers and waterways to discover 31 small bronze sculptures made by a class of 7 & 8 year olds from St John the Baptists Primary School in Great Amwell. Maybe one day we'll make it our mission to find them all.

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Just over two hours after we started, we found ourselves back at Stanstead St Margarets, inspired to continue walking further South along the New River Path another time.