River Stort

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
The Stort above Harlow, Essex
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Region	Hertfordshire
City	Bishop's Stortford
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Near Langley, Essex, England
• coordinates	52.0027°N 0.0683°E / 52.0027; 0.0683
• elevation	130 m (430 ft)
Mouth	River Lea
• location	Near Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire
• coordinates	51.7644°N 0.0141°E / 51.7644; 0.0141
• 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

Course of the River Stort

The 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

Main article: Stort Navigation

The 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.

The Stort Navigation at Spellbrook in Essex