Hardmead Lock
Encyclopedia
Hardmead Lock is a lock on the River Lee Navigation
at Great Amwell close to the town of Ware.
The lock has a reputation as being difficult to negotiate.
which flows through an automatic sluice gate adjacent to the lock.
To the east of the lock is the Amwell Quarry nature reserve a Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI) and a section of the Old River Lea known as the Amwell Magna Fishery
where it merges with its tributary the River Ash
.
The New River
flows close by to the west.
River Lee Navigation
The Lee Navigation is a canalised river incorporating the River Lea . Its course runs from Hertford Castle Weir all the way to the River Thames at Bow Creek. The first lock of the navigation is Hertford Lock the last being Bow Locks....
at Great Amwell close to the town of Ware.
The lock has a reputation as being difficult to negotiate.
Location
The lock-keeper's cottage stands on an island formed by a section of the River Lee Flood Relief ChannelRiver Lee Flood Relief Channel
The River Lee Flood Relief Channel is located in the Lea Valley and flows between Ware, Hertfordshire and Stratford, east London. Work started on the channel in 1947 following major flooding and was fully operational by 1976...
which flows through an automatic sluice gate adjacent to the lock.
To the east of the lock is the Amwell Quarry nature reserve a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI) and a section of the Old River Lea known as the Amwell Magna Fishery
Amwell Magna Fishery
Amwell Magna Fishery is located on the River Lea at Amwell which is 1½ miles south of Ware Hertfordshire, England.- History :The fishery was established in 1841 and is the oldest fly fishing club in the UK still fishing the same water . The river was fished by Izaak Walton author of The Compleat...
where it merges with its tributary the River Ash
River Ash, Hertfordshire
The River Ash originates near the village of Brent Pelham in North Hertfordshire and flows through The Hadhams , Widford, Wareside, until it reaches the River Lea near Stanstead Abbots....
.
The New River
New River (England)
The New River is an artificial waterway in England, opened in 1613 to supply London with fresh drinking water taken from the River Lea and from Amwell Springs , and other springs and wells along its course....
flows close by to the west.
Public access
The lock is located on the River Lee Navigation towpath which is part of the Lea Valley WalkLea Valley Walk
The Lea Valley Walk is a long-distance path located between Leagrave, the source of the River Lea near Luton, and the Thames, at Limehouse Basin, Limehouse, east London. From its source much of the walk is rural. At Hertford the path follows the towpath of the River Lee Navigation, and it becomes...
Public transport
Ware railway stationWare railway station
Ware railway station is in Ware in Hertfordshire, England. It is on the Hertford East Branch Line, and train services are provided by National Express East Anglia, who also manage the station...