We enjoyed our mooring last night though the towpath was busy with
people walking by as late as 11.30pm.
We set off down through Carthagena Lock. I had to find out why a lock should have such
a name and I discovered that the lock was named to mark the defeat of Admiral
Vernon and the British Navy when they retired from the siege of Cartagena in
Spanish Columbia after four weeks of intense artillery barrage in April
1741. Although they occupied the Fort of
San Miguel on the mainland they never succeeded in taking the town. Poor Cathagena Lock being named after a
defeat whereas Portobello Lock in Ware, marks the victory in 1739 of the
capture of Puerto Bello in Panama!
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| Carthagena Lock from Mary H |
We thought that we would have to go through Broxbourne on tick-over
because of the little hired motor boats but we only saw three and no canoes at
all so were lucky.
There are some lovely houses beside the river in Broxbourne (which
includes Richard and Mim’s house). I
could easily live there.
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| Broxbourne riverside houses |
Down through Aqueduct, Cheshunt and Waltham Common Locks and on to our
planned mooring spot for the next couple of days. We wanted to stay where we had on our way up
beside the Lee Valley White Water Centre at Waltham Abbey and we had been the
only boats (Slow Pace being the other) but this time as we came round the bend
there was a line of boats moored up!
There was still space but we were surprised. When we walked passed them later they were
all shut up with no one on board.
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| This is what greeted us as we rounded the bend |
We walked into Waltham Abbey for supplies and came across a market
packing up - shame we didn’t get there earlier.
Apparently the Tuesday and Saturday markets are a tradition going back
to 1189.
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| Our mooring |
4.93 miles
5 locks
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