There are some places I can recommend. 1. Heybridge Basin
This is the eastern end of the Navigation and here is the Sea Lock into the Blackwater, as well as pubs, tearooms and a trip boat (which goes up to Beeleigh Lock). There is also a pleasant circular walk along the sea wall (go to the left of the Lock Cottage) out towards Maldon and where the new housing estate starts leave the sea wall and go towards the Navigation. over the bridge (assuming repair work has finished!) and on to the navigation towpath. Head eastwards back towards the Basin. Oh, to get to the Basin by road, you need to leave Heybridge (near Maldon) on the Goldhanger Road and turn right soon after the point where the road narrows briefly. 2. Paper Mill Lock The Centre point of the Navigation, with tea rooms, trips, etc. Pleasant walks up and down the towpath. 3. Beeleigh Lock Where the Blackwater flows into the Navigation - and straight out the other side over a weir! Plenty of wiildlife around here, including cormorants and egrets. Leave the road to Hatfield Peveral at Langford, right next to the Museum of Power (follow the signs for Maldon Golf Club). Park up just before the bridge over the Navigation. 4. Hoe Mill Just north of Woodham Walter (on The Causeway) and only onstreet parking. Very rural and nearby was the first experimental suger beet factory in England - the only existing sign of this now standing is a few cottages (Sugar Bakers Cottages) about ½-mile downstream from the bridge. Pleasant walks along the towpath. 5. Springfield Basin Alongside Wharf Road car park in the middle of Chelmsford [Restaurants (fairly up-market) and the Meadows shopping centre]. A complete contrast from the rest of the Navigation as it is now being developed for commercial and housing use. At the Lock, cross over the bridge and there are public footpaths out towards the pleasantly rural Barnes Mill Lock. 6. Sandford Mill Lock and Barnes Mill are also reasonably close to roads, but not so easy to describ. All-in-all it's one of the prettiest Navigations in the country. Oh, and if you go on a Tuesday or Wednesday, you might see the blue-shirted volunteers working somewhere along the Navigation (I can usually only do Wednesdays). We do some of the minor repair work, cut grass, install power and water supplies, make landing stages, etc. Look forward to seeing you. DaveD -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Tue, 4 May 2010 11:53 Subject: [canals-list] Chelmer & Blackwater Later this month I'll be in Essex for a day, and I'd like to have a ook at the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation. I'll be with people whose nterest in canals is strictly limited, but I reckon I can wangle a ouple of hours to visit the navigation. I'll be encumbered by dogs, o I won't be able to go on the trip-boat Victoria from Paper Mill ock. How can I make best use of my two hours? I want to see whatever is ost characteristic of the navigation, including at least one lock. 'll have a car. What should I visit? bjg ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links Individual Email | Traditional http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
