On the benefits of staying put when you are cruising

"Where have we been?" you ask.  Ware, that's where.  And Hertford too, which is ware where we are at the moment.  We've been here for a couple of days and I love it.  A couple of readers have commented that they wished they had slowed down a bit when cruising this area and yes, they jolly well should have.  Going non stop is fine if you only have a week or two boat hire, but if like us you have a bit more time then it's a much richer experience if you can stop and really take in the best bits.  And Hertford is one of the best bits.

Hertford must be one of Englands smallest and quietest County towns.  It sits at the navigable limit of the Lee navigation.  Here to be precise, where you have to swing the boat round and head back under the (very) low bridge.

We came here on Saturday, with Simon (Tortoise) who had joined us for the day at Ware.  Keen to show off tis lovely stretch of the Lee, we set off upstream and across the water meadows to Hertford. The town moorings sit alongside allotments at the end of a row of charming old cottages, yards from the excellent Old Barge pub and a couple of minutes stroll from the sleepy and unspoilt town centre.  It never seems busy here and it feels like a town 50 years ago.  No M&S or other big chain stores here.  There are actually still some proper local shops.

As to the buildings, just look at this (click on it to see it big, the detail is worth it)

That surface decoration is pargetting.  Ain't it lovely?  Other buildings here have it too.

and how about this?

They don't make em like that any more.  No mention of narrowboats though.

.  Kath, a keen genealogist has forbears from Ware and we've been tracking down their history. Ware where? at the Hertfordshire archives, ware where we found out all kinds of good stuff.  I'll write about Where Ware after we have passed back through because I have some photos to take.  Suffice it to say it is more interesting then yer average town.