Can you imagine a holiday where the children are genuinely occupied, not by a screen, and not by a resort entertainment programme, but by the actual world outside the window? Where you, the person who booked it all and packed most of the bags, got to sit down with a cup of tea and watch a heron standing in the reeds for a full two minutes without anybody needing anything?
That’s not a rhetorical question. It’s what a narrowboat holiday in the Fens actually feels like. Not every minute of every day, (this is still a family holiday after all!) But more often than you might expect.
The holiday that moves at your own pace. Literally.
Fox Narrowboats are based in March, Cambridgeshire, right in the heart of the Fenland waterways. From here, you can cruise east towards the ancient cathedral city of Ely, west towards Peterborough, or south east towards Cambridge; arriving not via a ring road, or searching for a multi-storey car park, but along the river, approaching at a leisurely pace, the way travellers have for centuries.
fox narrowboat on holiday cruise
The speed limit on the navigation is 4mph, but you’re likely to be travelling even slower than that. Within about half an hour on board, you’ll be used to operating the boat, and moving at such a relaxed pace. You’ll begin to understand the old adage, ‘it’s about the journey, not the destination,’ because river cruising is just the best way to enjoy the huge open skies and flat horizons of the Fens.
No experience needed. No licence needed. No problem.
You don’t need any previous boating experience to hire a Fox Narrowboat. Before you set off, the team gives you a full hands-on briefing; steering, mooring, locks, everything. Most families are surprised by how quickly they get the hang of it all. Older children can even steer the boat.
The Fenland waterways are a particularly good choice for first-time boaters. Unlike most of the UK canal network, this stretch has very few locks; the landscape is flat and the rivers are wide. It’s also far less crowded than the Norfolk Broads in summer, which makes the whole experience feel more spacious and genuinely peaceful.
A floating home. A proper one.
If this is your first canal boat holiday you may be wondering if it’s comfortable enough, and whether there is really enough space for a family like yours?
fox narrowboat interior galley
Fox’s holiday boats are 5-star rated and fully equipped: fitted galley kitchen with oven, hob, microwave and fridge; hot shower; separate bedrooms. The Platinum Fox, our most popular family boat, sleeps up to six and has a double cabin and two singles; so everyone gets a proper bed. There’s a supermarket delivery service to the marina before you set off, so you can arrive to a stocked fridge rather than a frantic dash to a petrol station. If you feel like a treat, you can even arrange an afternoon tea or grazing box from Glam Grazing, delivered to the boat.
So it’s really not roughing it. It’s more like the perfect combination of modern comforts and nostalgic charm, and you can take these charming comforts wherever you choose to travel each day.
The week the whole family was in the same boat
The thing about a narrowboat holiday that nobody tells you before you’ve done one: it imperceptibly changes a family for a while. Not dramatically, not overnight; but by day two or three, something has usually shifted. The children are outside more. Conversations happen that wouldn’t happen in a hotel room or around a restaurant table. Somebody secretly enjoys learning to steer. Somebody else discovers a sense of accomplishment as they work through their third lock with confidence.
There are no organised activities and no schedule. You decide where to go and when to stop, based on how the day is feeling. Some days that’s a long cruise and a proper explore of somewhere like Ely or Huntingdon. Some days it’s mooring up early next to a field and doing absolutely nothing for an afternoon.
The dog can come too, the towpaths are perfect for walking alongside the boat.
Read more: Canal Boating With Your Dog: The Ultimate Guide
What to do along the way
Depending on your route and how far you cruise, a week could include: The medieval city of Ely, Oliver Cromwell’s house, the colleges of Cambridge, riverside pubs, market towns, kingfishers, herons and swans. You may like to come back next year to do the bits you missed!
cambridge river uni aerial view stock | deposit
Fox Narrowboats Guide to Fenland Waterways
How long should you go for?
Fox Boats offer weekend breaks (3 nights), midweek breaks (4 nights), and full week holidays (7 nights), as well as longer breaks of 10, 11, and 14 nights for those who’ve been once and can’t quite face going back to normal life.
For families, a full week is so worth it. Holiday prices start from £979, and with up to six berths on the larger boats, that’s a family holiday that compares very favourably with a week abroad once you add up the flights, transfers, and an airport breakfast for everyone.
Ready to book?
July is peak season on the waterways; the days are as long as they get, the Fens are at their warmest, and the school holidays mean the whole family can actually come. Boats go quickly at this time of year, so if you’ve been thinking about it, this is the moment to stop thinking.
Tap here to check availability and book. Booking online gets you an instant discount.
No experience necessary. One week on the water. Memories that last considerably longer than that.
You may also like: Why Your Kids Will Love a Narrowboat Summer Holiday
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Peggy Melmoth is a writer who shares her memoir-style writing and poetry at Life, Locks and Literature.
