The River Stort is a river in Essex and Hertfordshire, England. It is 24 miles (39 km) long and flows from near the village of Langley to the River Lea at Hoddesdon.
| Stort | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Region | Hertfordshire |
| City | Bishop's Stortford |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Near Langley, Essex, England |
| • coordinates | 52°00′10″N 0°04′06″E / 52.0027°N 0.0683°E |
| • elevation | 130 m (430 ft) |
| Mouth | River Lea |
• location | Near Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire |
• coordinates | 51°45′52″N 0°00′51″E / 51.7644°N 0.0141°E |
• elevation | 28 m (92 ft) |
| Length | 38 km (24 mi) |
The river's name is a back-formation from the name of the town of Bishop's Stortford. The 16th-century cartographers Christopher Saxton and William Camden named it the Stort, assuming the town of Stortford was named for its ford.[1] The river was originally called the Stour.[2]
Course
editThe Stort rises north of Langley in Hertfordshire, although north of Maunden it only flows in times of high rainfall. From Langley, the river flows in a generally southerly direction through the villages of Clavering and Manuden and the market town of Bishop's Stortford.
It then flows past Sawbridgeworth, before it changes direction and flows west past Harlow and Roydon. The Stort finally empties into the Lea at Feildes Weir, Hoddesdon.[3]
Stort Navigation
editThe Stort Navigation is the canalised section of the River Stort running 22 km (14 mi) from Bishop's Stortford to its confluence with the Lee Navigation. It has 15 locks.
References
edit- ^ "River Stort – Stort Navigation". Bishop's Stortford and Thorley, A History and Guide. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ Thomas, Richard (July 2016). "Stort History". History of the Lee and Stort Navigations.
- ^ "River Stort catchment description". www.riverleacatchment.org.uk. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
External links
edit- Media related to River Stort at Wikimedia Commons
- River Stort Old Postcard images in A Guide to Old Hertfordshire
- Stort River Partnership
- River Stort - Lea Catchment Partnership
