Harlow to Bishop's Stortford

Granny Buttons is now at Bishop’s Stortford again, 43 months after the last time, and moored exactly where Herbie was in September, in Stort’s Report.

After a week at Harlow I left on Saturday afternoon and overnighted at Sawbridgeworth.  I was surprised to note that the one free town visitor mooring at Sawbridgeworth – a pleasant 14 day spot - was free.

I was even more suprised to find the visitor moorings at B.S. were completely empty – despite the town having a good sanitary station and self-pumpout unit that would surely entice overstaying.

(A similar situation held at Hertford when I arrived there three weeks ago.  The only overstayer seemed to be an unlicensed mini-liveaboard boat that – at only 20ft long – wasn’t hogging an unfair share of the moorings.  Perhaps Hertford and Bishop’s Stortford are easier for visitors because dead-ends don’t appeal to overstayers?)

Since my last visit, my how the riverside in BS has changed!   What was, three years ago, a car park and assorted dereliction from demolished warehouses is now a canyon of concrete and brick – growing daily and overlooked by towering cranes. 

By the time Granny Buttons was safely tied – thankfully the mooring rings are still there – it was dark, but not late enough for night photography, so you’ll have to wait a few days for pictures of the scene.

I quite like the new development.  It’s only halfway-finished, but Bishops Stortford is at last acquiring a commercial riverfront, half a century after the industrial one died.

The unfortunate exception is a new residential block which styles itself Tanners Wharf.    There’s no wharf here – hasn’t been for nearly a century – and the name derives from the nearby Tanners Arms public house.   Just because it’s close to the river they thought they’d call it a Wharf.   But don’t you dare try to tie up there.  Go away, you dirty little boat!

Perhaps the reason the visitor moorings were empty here is because the TV reception must now be appalling.   On the plus side, the mobile broadband signal is very strong.