Barging to Bishop's Stortford

Picturing the Past: NarrowBoat, Winter 2016

Christopher M Jones

Chris M. Jones looks at how the Stort Navigation once formed part of a vital cargo route between east Hertfordshire and London. The 14-mile navigation, opened in 1769, gave direct connection with the capital via the Lee Navigation.

This scene entitled “Unloading the Barge” shows Swan Yard at South Street, Bishop’s Stortford. The view is looking north-west and is 1,500ft from the head of navigation. Swan Yard was the wharf and extensive workshops of the navigation proprietors, and served as the base for the maintenance team which carried out repairs to lock gates, bridges and buildings. There was also a basin, which is just off the picture on the extreme left. The photograph shows a large number of malt warehouses, which were let out to malting businesses. One of the largest was John Taylor & Son, which also owned barges, and another was Henry, Algernon & Douglas Taylor, whose head office was at Ware on the Lee Navigation; the company also had maltings at Sawbridgeworth on the Stort. The 50-ton-capacity barge was steered by James Jasper Webb, whose name is emblazoned on the transom stern. This was the custom on the Lee and Stort navigations, with the owners’ name on the left side and the master on the right, together with the vessel’s maximum tonnage. James Jasper Webb was born about 1853, and both his father and grandfather were bargemen before him, working on the same waterways. He died in 1909.

This scene entitled “Unloading the Barge” shows Swan Yard at South Street, Bishop’s Stortford. The view is looking north-west and is 1,500ft from the head of navigation. Swan Yard was the wharf and extensive workshops of the navigation proprietors, and served as the base for the maintenance team which carried out repairs to lock gates, bridges and buildings. There was also a basin, which is just off the picture on the extreme left. The photograph shows a large number of malt warehouses, which were let out to malting businesses. One of the largest was John Taylor & Son, which also owned barges, and another was Henry, Algernon & Douglas Taylor, whose head office was at Ware on the Lee Navigation; the company also had maltings at Sawbridgeworth on the Stort. The 50-ton-capacity barge was steered by James Jasper Webb, whose name is emblazoned on the transom stern. This was the custom on the Lee and Stort navigations, with the owners’ name on the left side and the master on the right, together with the vessel’s maximum tonnage. James Jasper Webb was born about 1853, and both his father and grandfather were bargemen before him, working on the same waterways. He died in 1909.

The Stort Navigation officially opened on 24th October 1769 after a first attempt failed due to a lack of finance. It proved a great resource for the town of Bishop’s Stortford, giving a direct water connection with London via the Lee Navigation and helping expand its malting industry. However, the 14-mile navigation was hard hit when a line of the Northern & Eastern Railway opened in the town in 1842. With the downturn exacerbated by antiquated locks, a lack of dredging and various other problems, regular traffic ceased shortly after the end of World War II. The following images provide a fascinating insight into how the waterway, which is now the preserve of leisure craft, was once an important cargo-carrying route.

Acknowledgement

Thank you to Lorna York.

This southwards-looking view shows a portion of the River Stort at Bishop’s Stortford known as Hockerill Cut, near the end of one of three terminus basins in the town; this was an arm leading off the natural course of the river, which flowed from the right, in front of the trees. On the extreme right are the yard and saw mills of Joseph Boulcott & Company, timber and slate merchants, which used the navigation to transport imported timber from the London docks. Tied up against the wharf next to the crane is the barge Hertford. The business passed through several owners in time, including William Hughes in 1925, and the area became known as Hughes’ timber yard. This provided the navigation with one of its last regular cargoes of imported timber from London’s Surrey Docks at Southwark. In the middle distance, positioned between a barge and the towpath, is a steam dredger, although its crane jib is quite difficult to make out against the trees. This image also shows the typical architecture of the riverside area of Bishop’s Stortford. The distinctive pyramid or cone-shaped roofs of maltings were a feature of the town and, together with most other buildings along the banks of the river, appear to be single-storey with weatherboarded sides and tiled roofs.

This southwards-looking view shows a portion of the River Stort at Bishop’s Stortford known as Hockerill Cut, near the end of one of three terminus basins in the town; this was an arm leading off the natural course of the river, which flowed from the right, in front of the trees. On the extreme right are the yard and saw mills of Joseph Boulcott & Company, timber and slate merchants, which used the navigation to transport imported timber from the London docks. Tied up against the wharf next to the crane is the barge Hertford. The business passed through several owners in time, including William Hughes in 1925, and the area became known as Hughes’ timber yard. This provided the navigation with one of its last regular cargoes of imported timber from London’s Surrey Docks at Southwark. In the middle distance, positioned between a barge and the towpath, is a steam dredger, although its crane jib is quite difficult to make out against the trees. This image also shows the typical architecture of the riverside area of Bishop’s Stortford. The distinctive pyramid or cone-shaped roofs of maltings were a feature of the town and, together with most other buildings along the banks of the river, appear to be single-storey with weatherboarded sides and tiled roofs.

To get from London to Bishop’s Stortford, barges had to navigate the Lee Navigation. This postcard image, franked on 25th November 1904, is looking north from a bridge that carried the Lea Valley Road over the navigable river below Ponders End Lock. Having just ascended the lock and partially opened the right-hand gate, a crew member steps aboard the barge, with the horse just moving forward so that the bow starts to nudge the gates open. This barge was owned by Ware Brickfield’s Ltd, which, as the name suggests, was a brick-makers and sand and gravel merchant based at Ware. The company seems to have come into existence around the turn of the 20th century and lasted only a relatively short time. The barge’s steerer was James Hobbs. The date marked on the ends of each balance beam is 1888, and just over ten years later the large building and chimney in the middle distance were constructed to form the East London Waterworks Company (later Metropolitan Water Board’s) pumping station. In the background, where the river bends to the right and a second chimney can be seen, is the extensive works of the Edison & Swan United Electric Light Company Ltd, electric light appliance manufacturers, which had its own barge arm and gas works on its northern boundary.

To get from London to Bishop’s Stortford, barges had to navigate the Lee Navigation. This postcard image, franked on 25th November 1904, is looking north from a bridge that carried the Lea Valley Road over the navigable river below Ponders End Lock. Having just ascended the lock and partially opened the right-hand gate, a crew member steps aboard the barge, with the horse just moving forward so that the bow starts to nudge the gates open. This barge was owned by Ware Brickfield’s Ltd, which, as the name suggests, was a brick-makers and sand and gravel merchant based at Ware. The company seems to have come into existence around the turn of the 20th century and lasted only a relatively short time. The barge’s steerer was James Hobbs. The date marked on the ends of each balance beam is 1888, and just over ten years later the large building and chimney in the middle distance were constructed to form the East London Waterworks Company (later Metropolitan Water Board’s) pumping station. In the background, where the river bends to the right and a second chimney can be seen, is the extensive works of the Edison & Swan United Electric Light Company Ltd, electric light appliance manufacturers, which had its own barge arm and gas works on its northern boundary.

This well-known image of the Stort Navigation at Bishop’s Stortford was taken in the early years of the 20th century and shows barge workers posing for the photographer. The view is looking north with Hockerill Cut leading off to the right behind the barges. In the background is Boulcotts’ timber yard, with its wharf crane just visible. Bishop’s Stortford was famous for its malting industry and one of John Taylor & Sons’ craft is on the left with her master shown as William J. Firman who was in his 50s when the photo was taken. He had spent many years working barges and lived with his family at Thorley, a small village to the south of Bishop’s Stortford. Other than malt to London, typical barge cargoes included grain, flour, coal, timber, manure and agricultural produce.

This well-known image of the Stort Navigation at Bishop’s Stortford was taken in the early years of the 20th century and shows barge workers posing for the photographer. The view is looking north with Hockerill Cut leading off to the right behind the barges. In the background is Boulcotts’ timber yard, with its wharf crane just visible. Bishop’s Stortford was famous for its malting industry and one of John Taylor & Sons’ craft is on the left with her master shown as William J. Firman who was in his 50s when the photo was taken. He had spent many years working barges and lived with his family at Thorley, a small village to the south of Bishop’s Stortford. Other than malt to London, typical barge cargoes included grain, flour, coal, timber, manure and agricultural produce.