I managed to sleep despite the train horns, but we awoke early. Perhaps the hooting did disturb us. As a consequence we were under way at 0815. In the gaps between the trains alongside and planes overhead, having taken off from Stansted Airport, the river was very tranquil. Moored boats were getting scarcer and the river was getting twistier and more overhung with trees.
We didn't stop until we had reached Sawbridgeworth, which was our intended finish point for the day. We tied up above the lock on a good bit of piling. As it was lunchtime we walked back to the Riverside Café where I had a treat fry-up and Jan had a jacket potato with prawns. Then we walked into the village where we looked round the two charity shops and the church.
The name of this shop, offering an ironing service, made me smile.
The shop itself, as with many buildings in Sawbridgeworth, is clapboarded.
Back at the boat, knowing that rain was forecast all day tomorrow, we decided to crack on to Bishop's Stortford. There was still some uncertainty as to whether Twyford Lock would be open. The latest update on the CRT website said it was open, but notices at the previous lock said it was closed. We continued anyway.
There were no problems at Twyford Lock and we continued up the Stort to the end of navigation. I gently tried to see if we could nose under the bridge, but with the low water level we grounded with a few yards to go.
I couldn't get off to take a photo from the bank; here's the view looking back downstream.
We reversed to the winding hole and tied up at the end of the short line of moored boats, next to Allinson's flour mill. Fortunately this is nothing like as noisy as the flour mill in Wellingborough.
After tea on board we walked into the town for a brief exploration. We will do more in the rain tomorrow - walking, not boating - and have a "day off".
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