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Mooring Fees, licences and other charges Navigation Byelaws Essex Waterways Try the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Walk Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Walk VisitChelmer & Blackwater Navigation Springfield Basin Heybridge Basin Paper Mill Lock Hoe Mill Lock Things to doAngling Boating along the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Camping & Caravan Site at Hoe Mill Lock Canoeing and Paddleboarding Visit by boat from the sea Visit The Bargemasters’ Cabin (formerly Daisy Meadow Kiosk) Walk the Navigation Things To Do Try the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Walk Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Walk Boat tripsTicket Boat Trips Charter Trips Find a MooringMooring Sites Mooring Fees, licences and other charges Heybridge Basin Visitor Moorings: Registration form Moorings Policy Volunteer Account My Account Search Search For Uk Waterways Your Waterways Overview The Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Buy a One Day Canoe or Kayak LicenceBuy a One Day Paddleboard LicenceBuy an Annual Canoe or Kayak LicenceBuy an Annual Paddleboard LicenceBuy a one day angling ticketBuy an annual angling licence The beautiful 14-mile Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation is looked after by Essex Waterways Navigation Trust, and its wholly-owned subsidiary Essex Waterways Ltd. The waterway runs through a largely unspoilt part of rural Essex. It connects the city of Chelmsford with the Blackwater Estuary at Heybridge Basin. We manage the Navigation on a non-profit making basis; we get no financial support from Government and we rely on a small number of dedicated staff and our amazing team of volunteers to keep the Navigation open, and hopefully make improvements as the years go by. Every time you buy a licence, or take a boat trip, or hire our canoes, you are helping to keep the Navigation going. Please consider offering to volunteer for us, or help keep the waterway clear of litter, or think of us in your will! We rely on public support and your goodwill. We will do our best to make your visit a happy one, but if everything is not quite right, please bear with us and see how you can help – we do get a bit over-stretched at times. For trip boat, caravan and motor home bookings, canoe hire, licences and Navigation enquires, contact our Paper Mill Office on 01245 226245 Contact Us General Enquiries essex@essexwaterways.com If you don’t get a quick response, it means that we are really busy. If you need an urgent response, please telephone. Heybridge Lockkeeper Paul Hindley (based at Heybridge Basin) 07712 079764 paul.hindley@essexwaterways.com The Navigation Office Sarah Phillips / Mandy Lawrence (based at Paper Mill Lock) 01245 226245 sarah.phillips@essexwaterways.com essex@essexwaterways.com Emergency contact number: 07966 375351 The safety of waterway users, staff, volunteers and every visitor to the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation is of the greatest concern to us. If you spot something that needs attention, then please let us know – get in touch using the contact details above. Things to do Walk Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Walk Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Canoeing & Paddleboarding Canoeing and Paddleboarding Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Boating Visiting by Boat from the Sea Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Ticket Boat Trips Heybridge Basin & Paper Mill Lock Charter Trips Heybridge Basin & Paper Mill Lock Camping Camping & Caravan Site at Hoe Mill Lock Hoe Mill Lock Boating along the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Visit The Bargemasters’ Cabin Heybridge Basin Find things to do 01020304 Boat Trips Step on board one of our trip boats and enjoy a cruise along the glorious Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation in Essex with Chelmer Cruises. The Navigation offers nearly 14 miles of waterway to explore. Explore Boat trips Essex Waterway Photos LOVE YOUR WATERWAYS Britain's waterways are vital; together we can campaign for them now and for the future. JOIN IWADONATEVOLUNTEER Essex Waterways Essex WaterwaysAbout Essex Waterways Ltd.Mooring Fees, licences and other charges Visit Hoe Mill LockSpringfield BasinHeybridge BasinPaper Mill Lock Things To Do AnglingBoating along the Chelmer & Blackwater NavigationCamping & Caravan Site at Hoe Mill LockCanoeing and PaddleboardingWalk the Navigation TowpathVisit by Boat from the Sea Boat Trips Charter TripsTicket Boat Trips About Us About Essex Waterways Ltd.Navigation ByelawsFollow usFacebook Contact us Terms and conditionsPrivacy NoticeCookies PolicyAccessibilityContact Us Essex Waterways © 2026 | We are a private limited company (registered in England No 5545459), wholly owned by Essex Waterways Navigation Trust, which is a registered charity No 1212502 and a company limited by guarantee (registered in England No 16132674) Our use of cookies We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set optional analytics cookies to help us improve it. 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