In recent years there has been an increasing number of documentaries on TV about narrowboat life; from Great Canal Journeys, presented by charming and respected British actors, to liveaboard diaries from Robbie Cumming and Kevin Shelly. The latest series, Narrow Escapes, can be seen at Channel 4 On Demand.

In the first episode, father and son Paul and Chris take their floating pizzeria through the Peaks, while solo boater Emma embarks on an epic adventure. It’s fascinating to see the changes Paul and Chris have made to their boat, including fitting a wood-fired pizza oven.  Later episodes follow various live-aboard characters, either buying their first boat or renovating their current boat. Boaters live and work all over  the UK canal network, so it’s a chance to check out the scenery from the Kennet and Avon Canal in Somerset to the Bingley Five Rise in Yorkshire, without ever leaving your armchair! This series offers a serene escape from your everyday life.

Here are eight more reasons to watch Narrow Escapes:

Diverse Stories: Discover the unique and inspiring stories of people from all walks of life, ages, and backgrounds who call the canals their home. It’s also a fascinating insight into the different jobs that boaters do, in order to finance their floating lifestyle. Over the course of 20 episodes we meet a yoga instructor, a comedian, a florist and a theatre worker. Some have started boat-based businesses, from selling restored bicycles on the towpath, to selling pizzas from a boat, or running a hotel boat on the Leeds and Liverpool canal.

Lifestyle Insights: Gain a deeper understanding of the canal lifestyle, from continuous cruisers to business owners operating from their boats. See the funny side of the lifestyle, watching Joel, ‘The Angry Boater’ do his comedy stand-up show.

Affordable Living: Learn how young people and others are finding creative, affordable housing solutions amidst the cost-of-living crisis.

Community Spirit: Experience the sense of community among canal dwellers, showcasing the support and friendships that thrive on the water.

Historical Context: Explore the rich history of England’s canal systems and how they’ve evolved to support modern living. Featured engineering wonders of the waterways include the Caen Hill flight of 29 locks, the Pontcysyllte Aquaduct and the Anderton Boat lift.

Practical Tips: Pick up valuable tips and advice on canal living, boating, and maintaining a narrowboat. If you’re thinking of buying a boat, this shows you the actual highs and lows. Witness the challenges canal dwellers face and how they overcome them, offering a real and relatable glimpse into their lives.

Behind-the-Scenes: Meet the workers and volunteers who maintain the waterways, learning about the vital roles they play in keeping the canal system running smoothly.

Adventure and Freedom: Get inspired by retirees and others who have embraced the freedom and adventure of life on the canals.

If you’d like a taste of that freedom and adventure yourself, join us on a narrowboat holiday, or try day boat hire, in Cambridgeshire, a short distance from London. Narrow Escapes offers a rich tapestry of stories and experiences that highlight the charm, challenges, and allure of life on England’s canals. Here at Fox Narrowboats, we’d love to introduce you to our less-crowded waterways, so  that you can  have your own  adventure.

Want to learn more about narrowboating? For surprising and unusual tips and ideas for days out on the Fenland Waterways, enter your email address in the box in the right side-bar (‘Follow blog’) and we’ll send you articles direct to your in box. (You will not receive any marketing emails, just a couple of articles a month about boating info!)

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If you’re still trying to think of last minute gifts for your loved ones, who enjoy canals and boating then we have some festive suggestions for you. Let us take the stress out of this year’s Christmas shopping with our mini gift guide for the canal boater in your life, and reduce your stress levels today.

Books

Books are always a thoughtful present because you can select something personal to the recipient’s interests. If they’re into cooking try Favourite Boating Recipes by Cas Best. This miniature book is full of nostalgia, and illustrated with charming sketches. The recipes reflect the unsophisticated and traditional way of cooking on board in the limited space available, and are inspired by the cargo carrying boaters of the canal age, and the fruits that you might find in the English countryside. It’s a great stocking filler.

If your family are interested in Fenland boating (where we are based) then The Imray Waterways guides are popular paperbacks for river users planning trips along the Rivers Nene, Ouse, Cam and the Middle Levels. These spiral bound books include moorings and notes with maps of the navigations. They are available on Amazon or in our chandlery at our marina in March, Cambridgeshire. Browse a guidebook now to start planning next year’s holiday route.

For the women in your life who love boating I suggest ‘Maidens Trip’, the semi-fictionalised story by Emma Smith who worked on the Grand Union Canal during wartime. ‘Ramlin Rose: The Boatwoman’s Story’ by Sheila Stewart is a fictional biography based on interviews with real boat women in history, and details the practicalities of day to day life as a boater, wife and mother.

For all boaters, Narrow Boat by LTC Rolt is a classic tale of what may have been the first ever canal boat holiday.

And finally, for children, you can’t go wrong with the ‘Rosie and Jim’ books, by John Cunliffe, presenter of the TV show of the same name. Travelling on their boat ‘Ragdoll’ Rosie and Jim teach children about locks, canal travel and canal life.

Boat Watching

For the armchair boater you can take a waterways journey by DVD, or by watching a streaming service. From Source to Sea is an exploration of the River Great Ouse available on DVD. Travels by Narrowboat with Kevin Shelley is available to buy on Amazon Prime and follows a single-handed boater travelling the UK. Robbie Cumming boat journeys are just as enjoyable to watch. If you enjoy watching Robbie Cumming Canal Boat Diaries on BBC Four you may like to support him by buying something from his ‘Crank It’ range of merchandise, which includes hoodies, t-shirts, mugs and bags. Great Canal Journeys with Tim and Pru is available as DVD box sets too.

Canal Ware

If you don’t own a boat yourself, keep the spirit of the waterways alive in your own home with some traditional canal ware. Historically, in a boatman’s cabin you may have found antique ribbon and lace plates, Measham pottery, horse brasses, oil lamps, cabin lace, rag rugs and Buckby cans painted with roses and castles. Check out The Fox Boats Guide to Traditional Canal Ware.

Buy it off a Boat

The Roving Canal Traders Association sometimes host floating Christmas markets, but if you don’t live near to one of these colourful events you can still buy something from a boater, and support a small business. Floating traders sell anything from artwork, books and clothes, to cheese and gin! Nancy Moo imports jewellery, clothes, hats, shawls, bags and more from India, and sells it from a canal boat. Find her on eBay Nancy Moo. Read more: Buy it off a boat: Gift Guide.

Day Hire Vouchers

If you’d like to treat the whole family to an unexpected outing, our day hire vouchers for a trip on a narrowboat are for up to 10 people. Tuition, lifejackets and fuel are all included. Our marina in Cambridgeshire is surrounded by some beautiful waterways. With lots of room at the front and back of the boat everyone can be outside while cruising the rivers and taking in the stunning scenery and wildlife. Our day hire narrowboat has a galley complete with hob, fridge and sink, a dinette equipped with crockery and cutlery, a toilet and a seating area. Read more.

Call Fox Narrowboat reception for purchasing vouchers.

And Relax!

So if you still have a few more gifts to buy, relax with the laptop and grab some boat-themed gifts for your boat-loving friends and family. We hope these ideas have given you plenty of inspiration, and we wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year from everyone at Fox Narrowboats.

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Are you looking for an unusual gift idea this Mothering Sunday?

Something more original than flowers or chocolates?

A present for a mother who loves the canals?

If your mum, wife, or gran is a lady who enjoys narrowboating, or dreams of getting afloat, then consider getting her a book revealing the quirks and charms of parenting on board.

#NarrowboatBooks #WaterGypsies #Annie Murray #NarrowMargins #MarieBrowne #RamlinRose #SheilaStewart

When my children were young we lived on board a narrowboat, so I loved seeking out stories about mothers on canal boats; and it was even better if they were true to life.

Water Gypsies by Annie Murray

The historical novel, ‘Water Gypsies’ by Annie Murray is a sequel to ‘The Narrowboat Girl’, but I was told that the canals do not actually feature that much in the first book, so I went straight for the sequel. Water Gypsies begins in 1942 and describes a series of tragedies that befall the heroine, who is tormented by a miserable past! The story follows Maryann, her husband and children as they live and work on their canal boat, the ‘Esther Jane’.\

Narrow Margins by Marie Browne

In contrast, Marie Browne’s ‘Narrow Margins’ is a modern tale of a family aboard, trying to make a new start after losing their IT company and large house when Rover went bust. They moved their children and dog onto a ramshackle narrowboat called ‘Happy Go Lucky’ and taught themselves about narrowboat life and boat refurbishment as they went along. She has since written several sequels about their family’s adventures afloat. This is a fun read that details the challenges of living aboard a ‘fixer upper’!

For Better For Worse, For Richer For Poorer

I also enjoyed reading ‘For Better For Worse, For Richer For Poorer’ by Damian and Siobhan Horner. This husband and wife team wrote a memoir about leaving their careers and lives ashore, to travel the French canals with their two young children. Told in two voices, this mid-life crisis story follows their journey on an old fishing boat.

Ramlin Rose by Sheila Stewart

However, my favourite book about mums on board is ‘Ramlin Rose’, by Sheila Stewart. Recommended to me by another live-aboard mum, this book reveals the details of day to day life for a hardworking family in the cargo-carrying canal age. Sheila Stewart had wanted to interview a Banbury boatwoman and write her biography, but ended up compiling a number of true stories into a fictional life story. As so many boaters were illiterate back then, there is no autobiography written by a boatwoman. So this is the closest thing you will get to a mother’s perspective of parenting on board, while working the boats. Although the days were long, and the work was hard, and sometimes dangerous, there was a good sense of community. When the men went to canal-side pubs, they’d be moored alongside other families, and while the women minded the children on board they could catch up with their temporary neighbours moored next door.

“’Spite of all you hears about ‘drunken boatwomen’ most of ‘em was content of ‘n evenin to loose their chaps orf to the pub while they stayed tied to their kiddies and the cabin. It was a chance for Mum to catch oop on her chores ready for mornin and catch oop with news of the Cut with the women moored alongside.”

• ‘Ramlin Rose’, Sheila Stewart

If reading narrowboat books gets your mother in the mood for boating, then a family boat trip on the Cambridgeshire Waterways could be just what you are looking for. Why not plan an unforgettable day-trip to our hire boat base in March? The whole family can have a go at steering the day boat, and spend some quality time together. Boating is an activity that suits all generations, and you can include a picnic, a pub lunch or some fish and chips in your day out.

In 2022 the Mother’s Day falls on Sunday March 27th, and the Fox boating season begins in April. If you book a day-trip now you could surprise your mum with this idea on Mothers Day. Read more: The Ultimate Mother’s Day Surprise

Get more canal-themed tips and stories by signing up for our blog updates. Subscribe on the right, by email. (We never share or sell email addresses, we’ll only be sending you our local, insider knowledge, every two weeks.)

Photo credit: Deposit photos

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Couples who narrowboat together, stay together! Am I right? OK, so maybe I’m biased, but I think canal boating is the perfect way to spend quality time with your Valentine. Over the years many celebrity couples have been spotted out cruising together on the English canals. Who have you seen on the waterways?

1, 2, 3

In no particular order the first three couples on our list are Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, Kiera Knightly and Rupert Friend, and David Suchet (Poirot) and his wife Sheila. The media reported that they have all enjoyed boating on the British waterways. David and Sheila actually spent six years living on a 53-foot narrowboat, ‘Prima Donna’ which they found in Stratford-upon-Avon. Pirates of the Caribbean actress Keira Knightley rented a canal boat in London in 2010 and was seen walking the towpath with her actor partner.

So I asked on Facebook, what other celebrity couples have been seen boating together?

4

Bernard Booth commented that he saw Tim and Pru, and Harrison Ford and Calistoga Flockhart on the Llangollen canal. Of course, many others have spotted famous narrowboaters Tim and Pru around and about. Fawlty Towers actress Prunella Scales, and her husband actor Timothy West have been boating for decades, and starred in their own charming TV travel series, Great Canal Journeys.

5

Harry Potter actor Timothy Spall and his wife Shane were keen canal boaters for several years, and have been seen on the Grand Union canal. Spall later swapped his narrowboat for a seaworthy barge.

6

James Spencer was moored at Fox Narrowboats until last June when he moved his boat back onto the canals. He said he often used to see Timothy Spall, Roberta Taylor and her husband Peter Guinness when they had narrowboats moored near to his at Whilton Marina. He also met Tim and Pru at Braunston historic boat rally and has photos of them relaxing. “We did make it on to a TV programme about holidays when TV crew were filming at Braunston bottom lock and filmed us locking. Roberta and Peter Guinness boat was called ‘A Waste of Time.’ I did ask why, and apparently it was a play they had appeared in.”

7

It’s not a canal boat, but Russell Brand and his wife Laura shipped their wedding guests down the River Thames on a paddle steamer. Their wedding was at Remenham Church near their home in Henley-on-Thames, and wedding guests included Noel Gallagher, Jonathan Ross and David Baddiel.

8

In 2021 Sir Rod Stewart bought a narrowboat for his wife Penny’s 50^th birthday. Speaking on Loose Women, Penny said it had always been her dream to have a canal boat and renovate it. She likes the idea of a slower lifestyle.

9

For couples with kids a narrowboat holiday is a great idea. Coleen and Wayne Rooney think so anyway. They took their four boys for a trip along the Shropshire Union Canal last year.

10

But Peter Green won the most famous celebrity couple afloat when he commented on Facebook, “I had the Queen and Prince Philip on my boat! Slight cheat as it was on the Thames. Diamond jubilee taking them to a garden party near Henley. Also had the Queen solo in 2009 and the Princess Royal in 2018. My boat is ‘Alaska’, built in 1883.”

Could you and your partner be the next glamourous couple to cruise the waterways? Check out availability for this year’s narrowboat holiday now!

Fox Boats director, Paula Syred told me, “Strictly come Dancing’s Neil Jones and Rick Wakeman and his wife, have been day hire customers of ours.”

So if you want to holiday like a celebrity, Fox Narrowboats is a great choice! Read: How to Holiday Like a Celebrity Without it Costing a Fortune

Get more fun narrowboat articles by signing up for our blog updates. Subscribe on the right, by email. (We never share or sell email addresses, we’ll only be sending you our local, insider knowledge, every two weeks.)

Image credit: Deposit Photos

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If you and your family love narrowboating and canal holidays, make Christmas shopping easier for yourself and check out these unique gift ideas. All of these presents can be ordered on line, so you can avoid the shops this year.

Although you don’t need to learn lots of fancy knots to moor up a narrowboat, it can be fun to learn some different types. Knots and Splices by Steve Judkins and Tim Davison is a great little stocking filler. It’s a small book that teaches some basic knots, splicing (joining ropes) and whipping (stopping the end unwinding). There are clear diagrams on every page. If you want to be a knot-tying geek this book will help the boater in your life to choose the best knot for any situation!

Many narrowboats around the country are actually floating businesses, known as Roving Canal Traders. In the summertime they sometimes join together to create a floating market, and last week in Nantwich they held their first ever Christmas market. The pandemic has left a lot of independent traders struggling, so if you can, This Christmas: Buy it Off a Boat! (2020 Gift Guide).

These anchor charm earrings are made by Ronni the Witchcrafter. Ronni used to be a roving trader, trading from her narrowboat, and now trades from The Hippie Shed, doing popular livestreams on Sundays from her Facebook page. She describes herself as a “HedgeWitch boater with an online and travelling Fairtrade, boho, hippie emporium, selling clothing, giftware and handmade Items. Check out www.WitchCrafter.co.uk

Dru Marland lives aboard a boat on the Kennet and Avon canal in Wiltshire. Dru’s Etsy shop has original art work, maps, badges, illustrated poetry books, and art prints. Most of these items have a waterways theme. I love the Winters Eve pack of five greeting cards which shows a winter’s scene on board the boat. Dru says, “The stove’s going, the firewood’s piled high, and there’s whiskey and poetry. ‘It must be cold in the winter,’ say people who couldn’t really be more wrong!”

For the serious boater how about this leather windlass holster? A holster on your belt leaves both of your hands free to use handrails properly, and reduces the risk of dropping it in the water. This is a handcrafted gift. In fact, Etsy is great for supporting small craft businesses. Try browsing for canal-ware painted with traditional roses and castles, canal boat mugs, or a personalised narrowboat art print. This one says, ‘Enjoying life at 4mph’.

The late John Cunliffe wrote a number of Rosie and Jim books to accompany the popular 1990’s children’s TV series. Rosie and Jim are two mischievous rag dolls who live aboard a narrowboat called the Ragdoll, and come alive when no one is looking. My children used to enjoy Rosie and Jim: 50 One Minute Stories when they were younger. It’s a collection of the stories which John writes in his book at the end of each of the Rosie and Jim TV programmes. The book is illustrated with decorated capitals at the start of each story. There are more suggestions of boating books to buy here: The Ultimate Canal Boater’s Christmas Gift Guide.

And finally, to get younger children excited about their next narrowboat holiday try this Early Learning Centre Happyland Water Lily Canal Boat. The playset comes with two character figures and suits ages 18 months to five years. When it is not floating in the bath it can be rolled along the floor.

If you’d like to avoid tiring shopping trips looking for individual presents, why not treat the whole family to an unexpected boat outing? Our day hire vouchers for a trip on a narrowboat are for up to 10 people and make a wonderful Christmas gift. Read more: The Surprising Christmas Gift That the Whole Family Will Love.

Contact us today to arrange a gift voucher.

From all at Fox Narrowboats, Merry Christmas and happy shopping!

PS: One more gift for you! Click ‘Blog’ (top right) and look for ‘Follow Blog’ in the right sidebar to get the latest helpful holiday tips for next year. (We never share or sell email addresses, we’ll only be sending you our local, insider knowledge, every two weeks.)

Photo credit: Personalised gift HannahsNarrowEscape Etsy

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Gyles and Sheila are back on our screens, and in case you missed it you can catch up with their Great Canal Journey to Cambridge and the Fens by watching episode one of series 13 on All 4.

Actor Sheila Hancock and author and presenter Gyles Brandreth took over presenting the show in November 2020. (Read TVs Great Canal Journeys Has Two New Skippers). They were narrowboat novices at that point, but have since taken to cruising and steering canal boats with heart-warming humour and enthusiasm.

At the beginning of series 13 they started their journey in the town of March, where Fox narrowboats are based, and travelled along the old course of the River Nene to visit Emneth, then south down the Great Ouse to Ely Cathedral, and finished their trip in Cambridge, learning about the poet, Rupert Brook.

Early on in the journey Sheila was seriously impressed by the Fenland scenery; she loved the spaciousness of the panorama, “It’s all sky!” They learned that the sea level is still rising in the Fens, so it is inevitable that large areas, previously reclaimed from the sea, will eventually be underwater once more.

There were some pretty views of the village of Upwell before they arrived at Emneth to visit the vicarage. This was once home to Reverend Wilburt Audrey, author of the much-loved Thomas the Tank Engine books. The Reverend died in 1997 but Gyles and Sheila were invited in to chat to his daughter about the inspiration for the popular books.

Back on the River Ouse Gyles and Sheila were stunned by the view of Ely Cathedral across the Fens as they approached Ely. Ely was once an island, before the draining of the Fens, and the cathedral dates back to the 11^th century. The inside of the cathedral is huge, and gloriously impressive. The programme showed the unique octagon lantern tower before a segment where Ely Cathedral Boy Choristers practiced their medieval Plain Song. The cathedral was built on the site of a monastery, founded by Etheldreda, a local Anglo Saxon princess. This episode explains that it may have taken one hundred years to build the current version of the cathedral.

Back on their canal boat, inspired by their visit to the cathedral, Gyles and Sheila had a thoughtful conversation about faith, god and their own mortality. It was fun to watch their affectionate friendship as Sheila teased Gyles about his fashion sense, and his habit of name-dropping celebrities’ names.

South of Ely the two friends met an artist and tried landscape painting. Although they both lacked confidence in their abilities they had a go anyway. In Cambridge Kings College “oozes history” said Gyles. It’s alumni include Rupert Brook, who in 1914 wrote the patriotic poem ‘The Soldier’. Gyles and Sheila checked out previous hand written drafts of the famous poem. Then they had cucumber sandwiches and tea at the vicarage, discussing the poet, who had tragically died aged only 27.

Finally Gyles and Sheila ended their trip by drinking Pimms in the sunshine, in an ancient meadow moored on the River Cam.

A cruise from March to Ely takes nine hours, and then Ely to Cambridge is about five hours cruise. Of course you can travel at your own leisurely pace and stop somewhere overnight along the way.

If you want to take your own great canal journey next year check availability now. We have some great holiday deals to enjoy. And you can order sandwiches and other treats to be waiting on board for you from Glam Grazing.

You may also like: How to Experience Some Great Canal Journeys from Your Own Home

If you enjoy reading about the Fenland waterways sign up for updates from this blog. (We never share or sell email addresses – your details are safe with us.) Just look for ‘Follow Blog’ in the sidebar on the right and we’ll send you stories, tips and advice about narrowboating around the Fens.

Image Stock Lic: 414097358

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Are you a fan of TV’s Great Canal Journeys?

Have you enjoyed watching Kevin Shelley’s Travels by Narrowboat?

Are you an arm-chair narrowboater?

Then you’ll love BBC Four’s Canal Boat Diaries.

This series follows Robbie Cumming as he embarks on a 300-mile journey across the Midlands and northern England in his narrowboat. It’s a soothing video diary of one man and his boat, soaking up the scenery and visiting canal side towns and villages along the way. If you don’t have a boat yourself it’s the perfect way to sit back, relax and enjoy the narrowboat lifestyle, from home.

Robbie has previously done bar work, graphic design and illustration while travelling on his boat ‘Naughty Lass’. He says, “It’s my home, work space and transport, rolled into one.”

In the first episode Robbie says, “This program is all about showing you the real side of boating.” For example he has been living aboard without a fridge, and so he meets up with a marine electrician who helps him to install a 12 volt fridge on board. Later he is shown pumping out his sewage tank. But these moments of showing the gritty “real side” of boating are far outnumbered by the stunning, sunshiney scenery viewed as sweeping, stunning aerial shots.

At the beginning of the episode he tackles a tunnel in Staffordshire which is so low that he has to remove everything from the canal boat roof, and crouch down while steering it through! As he travels, filming the local scenery, locks and waterways, he shares canal facts and history. For example, he explains that snake bridges are ingeniously designed so that a horse can cross the canal without the line snagging. (Before engines came along all canal boats were horse drawn.) In Staffordshire he travelled some narrow canals with single locks, and really narrow tunnels, but his goal is to eventually explore all of the canals and navigable rivers in the UK.

He visits a still-working Victorian Pottery that looks like the set of Peaky Blinders, and travels the Harecastle Tunnel, which takes 40 minutes and is dubbed the ‘Scarecastle Tunnel’. The throbbing engine echoes loudly in the darkness, but originally there was a towpath for the horses passing through this tunnel. This programme shows what little random adventures one can have while exploring England by narrowboat. Robbie discovers ancient canal-side mile markers that look like gravestones, he pays his respects at Ian Curtis’s grave, (lead singer of Joy Division), meets the locals in village pubs, explores Macclesfield, and rises to the challenge of cooking on board with whatever he can find, having not seen a shop for a while.

It’s a pleasure to watch the spectacular scenery and sunshine, drifting past aqueducts, coloured narrowboats and green fields, all accompanied by relaxing music, and a likeable, easy-going presenter. Robbie thinks the Peak Forest Canal in Derbyshire has to be one of the most scenic waterways.

So could he ever go back to living on land?

“I don’t think so… This is my lifestyle now. I’ve had to adapt to it. I think I’d miss it if I gave it up.”

Is this the most relaxing programme on TV right now? Ease into your sofa, lose yourself in the landscape and see for yourself.

Watch Canal Boat Diaries on BBC iPlayer. Or catch up with Robbie on his YouTube channel.

You can also help to fund Robbie’s travels around the canal system and increase the quality of his narrowboat ‘voyagelogs’ by supporting him on Patreon. He now makes around two videos a month, each one taking over 20 hours to make filming, researching, editing, voice overs and writing and recording his own music. The Canal Boat Diaries are not only his passion but thanks to the viewers, are now his source of income.

Ready for your own canal adventure? Try booking a daytrip or a narrowboat holiday now. Check availability here.

Hey! Are you new here? Click ‘Blog’ (top right) and look for ‘Follow Blog’ in the right sidebar to receive more insider knowledge about canals and narrowboating. (We never share or sell email addresses, we’ll only be sending you our local, insider knowledge, every two weeks.)

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Does modern life stress you out?

Ever wanted to sell your possessions and live on a boat?

Would you enjoy the narrowboat lifestyle?

In 2017 Kevin Shelly quit his ‘bricks and mortar’ lifestyle, bought a canal boat, and set out to explore 2,500 miles of the UK’s inland waterways. He began to document his lifestyle change with videos that became increasingly popular. There are now six seasons to watch (40 episodes) with a seventh series on the way.

So began an amazing journey, not just around the canal network but also within Kevin. Episode by episode narrowboat life transformed him from an exhausted man, to someone well-rested and contented. There’s something very soothing about watching Kevin narrate his gentle travels; letting the viewer absorb the feeling of travelling slowly through nature. Viewers relax as Kevin enjoys the simple pleasures in life, such as a canal-side pub, or the odd bacon and egg sandwich. The series portrays the laid-back spirit of discovering new places by boat, while Kevin learns about narrowboat life. If you’re new to narrowboating it’s a chance to get the feel of what it’s like. If you’ve been boating before it’s an enjoyable way to imagine yourself back on the water.

On Kevin’s Maiden Voyage in episode one he travels along the Leicester Branch of the Grand Union Canal, and more recently in season six he re-visited Northamptonshire’s waterways by ascending the Foxton flight, of 10 locks again. This reminded him of the very beginning of his adventure when he first bought his narrowboat, ‘Aslan’. Our narrowboat hire base is ‘next door’ to Northamptonshire in nearby Cambridgeshire.

The Grand Union Canal stretches 137 miles from London to Birmingham, and the Northampton Arm branches off to the east at Gayton Junction. Here there are 17 narrow locks as the canal descends to join the navigable River Nene. Cruising in this direction a narrowboat would eventually pass through Wadenhoe, Oundle, Fotheringhay, and Peterborough; all of which can be easily visited by hiring a boat from Fox Narrowboats. (See Fox route 4 Peterborough to Fotheringhay.) The River Nene is one of the quieter UK rivers, and a great place for a relaxing boating or fishing trip.

What’s different about Travels by Narrowboat is Kevin’s dry sense of humour. He is unpretentious and sometimes quirky, when musing about whatever and whoever he encounters along the way. This programme shows us, at a gentle pace, the parts of England that only canal users get to see; the old bridges and canal locks, ancient villages, and natural wildlife. Kevin Shelley is the antidote to our shiny celebrity culture. If you want to watch an ordinary man follow his dream, work a lock, make a curry or repair an engine this is the down to earth TV show you are looking for.

If you’d like to float down a canal with Kevin and enjoy the sights and sounds of England by narrowboat you can watch Travels by Narrowboat on Amazon Video or on Vimeo on Demand.

Travels by Narrowboat blog

If you want to take your own travels by narrowboat this year check availability now. We have some great holiday deals to enjoy this summer.

To be notified with new holiday information as it changes, sign up for updates from this blog. (We never share or sell email addresses – your details are safe with us.) Just look for ‘Follow Blog’ in the sidebar on the right and we’ll send you stories, tips and advice about narrowboating around the Fens in 2021.

The post Watch Now: Travels by Narrowboat appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

Image: Gyles and Sheila travel the Lea Navigation, visiting the former Royal Gunpowder Mills and tackling their first manual locks before travelling up the Thames – Nov 2020. Credit: Deposit Photos 318706968.

Great Canal Journeys cruises forward into 2021 with the latest episodes following Sheila and Gyles exploring Staffordshire’s waterways. If you’re not familiar with this Channel 4 TV series, it follows Timothy West, Prunella Scales, Sheila Hancock and Gyles Brandreth taking spectacular canal journeys across Britain and abroad.

Tim and Pru both spoke frankly about Pru’s dementia during the series, which has been praised by Alzheimer’s Research UK. The programme became much more than a calming travelogue exploring beautiful scenery, as a touching portrait of the couple’s marriage began to emerge. It was a sensitive exploration of the trials and joys of growing older. It was both humorous, poignant and meditative. But after ten series of navigating the waterways of the world, Pru’s struggle with Alzheimer’s forced the couple to stop filming.

Will there be any more Great Canal Journeys?

In 2020 Channel 4 continued the series with two new presenters, actor Sheila Hancock and author and presenter Gyles Brandreth. Read: Great Canal Journeys Has Two New Skippers.

In the first episode Timothy West gave the two novice canal boaters some basic training in boat handling. If you want to see what people love about this programme here are some ways to catch up with what you’ve missed.

Watch the Series

Many episodes are available to watch on Channel 4’s on demand streaming service. Great Canal Journeys. The first eight series have also been released on DVD, which you could find on Amazon or look for second-hand copies on eBay.

Read the Book

Timothy West tells the story of the couple’s life and travels, illustrated with beautiful photography in Our Great Canal Journeys: A Lifetime of Memories on Britain’s Most Beautiful Waterways. The book describes their careers as actors while recording their journeys along some of the world’s most scenic waterways. Beyond this, however, it explores with sensitivity how Prunella’s struggle with dementia has both changed, and yet failed to change, their lives together. It is a sometimes funny, sometimes moving reflection on love and life.

If you prefer to listen to the audio book it is read by Timothy West. The book and audio book are available in most good book shops. Great Canal Journeys – book.

What Next for Great Canal Journeys?

The new presenters have been well received by the British public. Sheila, 88, is an English actress and author, who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before starting her career in repertory theatre. Gyles, 73, is a writer, broadcaster, actor, and former politician. He studied at Oxford University, before beginning a career in the media. Last year he also founded Poetry Together, bringing together young and old to connect over the joy of performing poetry. Despite the pandemic, schools and care homes still signed up in their hundreds.

Hopefully the easing of lockdown restrictions will allow Sheila and Gyles to record more episodes exploring the British canals. If you want to take your own great canal journey this year check availability now. We have some great holiday deals to enjoy this summer.

To be notified with new holiday information as it changes, sign up for updates from this blog. (We never share or sell email addresses – your details are safe with us.) Just look for ‘Follow Blog’ in the sidebar on the right and we’ll send you stories, tips and advice about narrowboating around the Fens in 2021.

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Can exploring a new rural landscape rescue you from a mental health crisis?

Maybe.

Richard Mabey’s book ‘Nature Cure’, describes his recovery from severe depression through walking, watching and writing about the Eastern region’s beautiful landscapes. Richard Mabey is a naturalist and award-winning author and journalist. He won wide acclaim on the publication of ‘Food for Free’ back in 1972. This was the definitive illustrated guide for aspiring foragers, listing dozens of edible plants and recipes.

If you want to restore your mental health and lift your low mood by walking in nature, we suggest taking a narrowboat journey to Wicken Fen nature reserve this year.

There you will find “Mother…” an art installation by Studio Morison, which can be found on the adventurers trail in the nature reserve. It is inspired by the restorative qualities of the beautiful fen landscape as described in Mabey’s book ‘Nature Cure’, and childhood memories of visiting the Fens and the Wash. It is a sculptural structure, and also a pavilion, that you can sit inside, and contemplate nature.

If you love to be lost in the landscape, but still keep all home comforts close at hand a Fenland narrowboat break could be just what you are looking for. Fenland, also known as the Fens, is an area of low-lying land in eastern England, with a fascinating number of navigable waterways to explore. As well as stunning countryside a Fenland holiday can included visits to charming villages, bustling market towns, the historic Ely Cathedral, and the famous Cambridge University colleges.

While we do expect to be busy this summer, our local waterways are always less crowded than the Norfolk Broads. So you will find plenty of peace and solitude under our vast Fenland skies. One of our best kept local secrets is the Wicken Fen Nature Reserve.

A fen is a type of wetland, similar to a marsh, swamp or bog. At the National Trust’s Wicken Fen, you can moor up at the end of Wicken Lode, see how the Fens used to look before they were drained, and visit the last working wind pump. There’s also a traditional Fenman’s cottage and a chance to explore the natural history of the area with nature walks.

Wicken Fen is a 12 hour cruise from our hire boat base in March, but you may want to take it slow, over a few days, and visit other places along the way. From our marina you will travel along the Old River Nene through the picturesque village of Outwell, to Salter’s Lode Junction. The River Great Ouse will take you south to the River Cam, and Wicken Lode will take you to Wicken Fen. The term “Lode” is an old English word meaning way or course. (Our suggestion for visiting Wicken Fen would be a holiday of a week or longer as time needs allowing for the tide crossing at Salters Lode.)

Wicken Lode turns off Reach Lode, and crosses Wicken Sedge Fen, running for nearly 1.5 miles to just short of the village of Wicken. There is a right of public navigation as far as its junction with Monk’s Lode.

Wicken Fen is one of the oldest nature reserves in England, as the National Trust bought their first part of it in 1899. The wetland is maintained by a drainage windmill pump and The National Trust Warden’s office includes a display which tells the history of the Fen and how it has been managed.

There are nature trails, boardwalks and a cycle route to explore the wet grassland, reed beds and scrub woodland. Visitors love the big skies, outdoor spaces, nature and wildlife. There are picnic tables in the car park and beside the boat house near the Visitor Centre. Dogs on leads are welcome on routes in the wider reserve. At the time of writing the café is temporarily closed, but you can keep up to date with any changes in current guidelines at The National Trust Website.

If you want to give your mental health a boost by wandering free under Fenland skies, and treading in the footsteps of famous forager Richard Mabey, then check availability now to book yourself a self-catering narrowboat staycation this summer. Wicken Fen is a real favourite for boaters travelling East from our base onto the river Great Ouse and its tributaries.

We want to offer you peace of mind, so Fox Narrowboats have a flexible booking policy for your protection. Read the full details of our Coronavirus guarantee. Also, if you book and pay in full for your 2021 holiday by 31st March you will beat the 15% VAT price increase.

To be notified with new holiday information as it changes, sign up for updates from this blog. (We never share or sell email addresses – your details are safe with us.) Just look for ‘Follow Blog’ in the sidebar on the right and we’ll send you stories, tips and advice about narrowboating around the Fens in 2021.

Image: Wiki CC Paul Tuli Wicken Fen

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