The Lee and Stort.

New waters again for Emily Bronte! A great trip.
The canal was interesting from the start. We passed Bow creek.which locks down onto tidal waters and out onto the Thames. It looked intriguing but I'll think we'll leave that adventure for another day.
Passed an old mill ' Three Mills' with its cone shaped roofs , a  brewery perhaps?
Soon we reached the Olympic stadium which was so close to the canal, there's no wonder it cost £1000 to moor here when it was taking place.
Passing through Tottenham was such a contrast of cultures with Jewish families dressed in their Sunday best, washing hanging from balconies, people lovingly tending tiny gardens, small children waving from high tower blocks to rowing fours and eights flying up and down the river.
The rowers ment we had to keep our wits about us, staying hard over to the right side bank.
The locks were all different , often in pair's, side by side, giving us a choice, we found the right hand side one was usually powered though.
Some had powered gates at the bottom but were manual at the top. At every lock we had to take a key and a windlass just incase!
We watered up at Picketts lock, which took us back in time slightly, with its lock cottage, displaying lots of bright coloured pansies. The lock keeper had a sign, requiring a bounty bar in way of payment for water. We met his wife , who told us she had lived there 30 years and had never been on a boat, of course we offered to give her a trip up the cut, but she she said she wasn't dressed for it! May be on the way back ,she'll have time to put her best frock on for the occupation.
Reached Waltham Abby and moored outside the white water centre, water meadows and bike trails surround us.
The Lee and Stort, well worth a visit.