This year, we decided to do something different.

Instead of telling you why we think canal boating is romantic, we’re letting our guests do the talking. Over the years, we’ve received messages, reviews and emails that read less like feedback and more like love letters. Not just to Fox Narrowboats, but to the boats themselves, the waterways, and the feeling of a slower pace of life.

Fox day boat hire – explorer

So this Valentine’s Day, here are a few love letters from the water.

Love Letters to the Boat

Some guests write about the boat as if it were a trusted friend. A place where everything finally feels simple.

fox canal boat day – explorer

For many couples, stepping aboard a Fox narrowboat is the moment they truly switch off. The kettle goes on, the engine hums into life with a gentle vibration, and suddenly the outside world feels very far away.

“Just had the best week on the Rural Fox. Would recommend this to everyone. Great Staff, Great boat, Great countryside. We will be back one day.” – Kellee and Kris

Moments like this are exactly what many guests remember long after they step back onto dry land.

Whether it’s a short break or a leisurely cruise, our boats are designed to feel welcoming, calm and easy to enjoy together.

“We thoroughly enjoyed our day trip for my daughter’s 30th birthday. Excellent communication from Fox Narrowboats. Plenty of crockery and cutlery on board, milk, tea, coffee and biscuits provided and even a birthday card. We did the 7.5 hour round trip to Outwell so that we could pass through the lock.” – Christina

It’s often the thoughtful details that turn a good trip into a memorable one.

Some guests are surprised by just how much they enjoy the experience.

“Although I’ll never do this again, it was brilliant. This boat was a year old and kitted out beautifully. Two bedrooms, each with a private bathroom. Fully loaded kitchen… the meals we were able to cook…mwah!

The people at Fox Narrowboats were lovely smiling people. Their happiness was contagious. They even let you pre-order to have a Tesco delivery loaded on board.

It’s a very lovely setup for beginners and experienced narrowboaters. I am ex-navy, familiar intimately with water, but this is something completely different.” – Joh L.R

For many first-time narrowboaters, it’s an experience that exceeds expectations in ways they didn’t anticipate.

Love Letters to Each Other

Then there are the messages that are really about togetherness.

Canal boating has a lovely way of encouraging teamwork. One steers, one works the lock. One cooks, one pours the wine. There’s time to talk, time to laugh, and time to simply sit side by side watching the world drift past.

fox narrowboat – red wine & cheese anyone?

“We had a wonderful day out in Adventurer. This was a 70th birthday present for my dad and the whole family, including our skipper, would highly recommend this fun activity. The boat was clean and had everything we needed. As beginners we took a simpler route and were well instructed both before our booking and on the day. We are hoping to make this an annual family day.” – Kerstin

Shared experiences like these often become traditions that families return to year after year.

“Absolutely amazing adult (and doggos) family day out with Fox Narrowboat’s day hire. Brilliant organisation and communication. Helpful and knowledgeable staff. Cannot recommend enough!” – Joanne

Time spent together on the water often creates memories that last far beyond the day itself.

Without packed itineraries or constant distractions, couples often tell us they rediscover the pleasure of time to notice things together. Long breakfasts. Lazy walks. Conversations that don’t have to fit around anything else.

“We had a lovely family trip on one of the guided tours. The chap who took us was very welcoming, friendly and very informative. Thank you.” – Lynda

Sometimes it’s the simplest days that stay with us the longest.

Love Letters to the Waterways

And of course, some love letters are written to the landscape itself.

Morning narrowboat mooring Chris Howes

The Fen waterways offer wide skies, peaceful moorings and the kind of quiet that’s hard to find elsewhere. Days unfold gently, punctuated by birdsong, the creak of ropes, and the promise of a cosy pub lunch just around the bend.

“Just come off a week’s trip re-exploring the Nene! Travelled up from March and got as far to just beyond Wadenhoe. Already booked two weeks for next year…. just see where that will take us.

Regarding Fox Narrowboats, I cannot recommend them highly enough. The service and boats they offer are second to none! If you want to get out on the water, try them!” – Southbourne Bowling Club

For many guests, the waterways themselves become part of the story they want to return to.

Cruising near Ely and Cambridge offers the perfect balance of rural calm and historic charm. Hand in hand walks along the towpath, cobbled streets, riverside cafés, and sunsets that seem to last just a little longer when you’re on the water.

Why Love Letters Matter

Reading through these messages, a pattern emerges. They’re rarely about grand gestures or extravagant plans. They’re about time. Space. And the freedom to slow down, together.

Houghton Mill – CC SA 3.0 Cmglee

A narrowboat holiday doesn’t try to impress. It simply creates the conditions for connection. And perhaps that’s why so many of our guests find themselves writing to us afterwards, trying to capture a feeling they didn’t quite expect.

Write Your Own Love Letter

If you’re looking for a Valentine’s idea that’s thoughtful, memorable and a little different, a canal boat holiday might be the perfect place to start. Whether it’s a romantic short break for two, or a relaxed day hire with people you love, Fox Narrowboats offer the space to slow down and enjoy the moment.

Even when the weather isn’t perfect, time on the water has its own charm.

“Fab day out on the Cambridgeshire Fens on a narrow boat. Not even the rain could put a damper on the day!” – David

This Valentine’s Day, you don’t have to say it with roses. You can say it with time.

And maybe write your own love letter from the water.

Check out our short breaks or day hire deals near Ely and Cambridge.

Hey! New here? Click ‘Blog’ (top right) and select ‘Follow Blog’ in the sidebar to receive more articles about the Fenland waterways and local history. We never share email addresses. Just local knowledge, every two weeks.

Peggy Melmoth is a writer who shares her memoir-style writing and poetry at Life, Locks and Literature.

Photo credits: Fox Narrowboats, Chris Howes, Houghton Mill – CC SA 3.0 Cmglee

The post Love Letters from the Water: A Valentine’s Day Special appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

fox narrowboat hire on the fens waterways

Question – What’s green and yellow with a flash of red, floats below sea level, but isn’t a submarine ?

Answer – the Fox narrowboat that could be part of your next holiday!

The Fox narrowboat hire fleet is based on the Middle Level in March, in Cambridgeshire. The Middle Level is a largely man made group of rivers lying between the River Nene and the River Great Ouse. They were formed in the 17th century by the draining of marshy fens. As the land dried out it shrank resulting in (not a lot of people know this) most of the Middle Level being below mean sea level.

Fox boats give you unique luxury access to this beautiful and historic world, rife with wildlife, big sunsets and nearly forgotten history. Those of us who live or regularly boat here have kept this a well guarded secret, but I’m going to ‘spill the beans’ and let you in on it.

march waterways by local artist Adrian Veater Peterborough

Three out of four of the Fenland Market Towns offer visitor moorings. Although the big Tesco near the Fox hire base in March provides a good opportunity to stock up before your departure, the town centre moorings in March offer shopping opportunities, pubs and takeaways.

Ramsey

ramsey 40ft mooring

The extensive new visitor moorings in Ramsey finally offer the opportunity to explore this fascinating and rewarding town (also with a close by Tesco superstore).

ramsey dock 2017

An interesting feature is the Great Whyte, the main shopping street which had previously been the port until the river was built over in the 1850s. The river still flows below and is visible from the morning’s (https://ramseytunnels.co.uk)

ramsey basin

Whittlesey

Whittlesey offers limited moorings at the back of a leisure centre and only a short walk from the historic market place. The highlight of Whittlesey’s year is the annual Straw Bear Festival in January when residents disguise themselves as bears by wrapping up in straw. (https://strawbear.org.uk)

Fenland History

Fenland has had many nicknames over the years and each one sheds a different light on the various aspects of its history.

Medieval

In Medieval times the area had a number of major ecclesiastical establishments, including Crowland, Ramsey, Chatteris and Thorney Abbeys, as well as Ely and Peterborough Cathedrals. Reflecting this ample provision for the spiritual, the name The Holy Land of the English was applied.

17th Century

Prior to the draining of the Fens in the 17th Century by a Dutchman, Cornelius Vermuyden, the area was often referred to as The Great Eastern Swamp, or The Old Drowned Lands.

The first drainage scheme was intended to provide relief from flooding during summer months and gave rise to the description The Summer Lands.

World War II

During WWII the productive rich black soil of the Fens was put to use feeding the country, which was in danger of going hungry as the German blockade of shipping tightened. The area then acquired the deserved nickname The Breadbasket of Britain.

The flat countryside, devoid of hills to disturb its great panoramic landscapes, has given rise to the name The Land of the Three-quarter Sky.

But we prefer to think of it as Fox Narrow Boat country!

In the Middle Ages Fenland enjoyed so many religious institutions that it attracted the description the ‘Holy Land of the English’. Not all have survived, but the March church of St Wendreda boasts a double hammer beam roof featuring 118 carved angels.

roof church st wendreda

The founder of the Victorian Society, and former Poet Laureate, Sir John Betjeman wrote that the angel roof of St Wendreda’s church was ‘worth cycling forty miles into a head wind’ to see.

Those who have braved a fierce Fenland wind blowing from the Urals, uninterrupted by hills or trees, will appreciate quite how much effort is required to cycle so far in these conditions. And those who have visited St Wendreda’s will also appreciate quite how well that effort is rewarded – though the roof remains just as spectacular, even if less strenuous means of transport are used when visiting!

In the 19th century the only way agricultural workers in remote Fenland villages went anywhere was by walking. In 1896 the Vicar of Stretham resolved that if people couldn’t easily get to church, he would take the church to the people.

floating church fenland uk

In 1896 a floating church was commissioned to serve the Fenland parish of Holme. At the time Holme had 42 houses spread over a distance of between two and four miles from the parish church by road, whereas they were all within one mile of the river, and 26 of them practically bankside.

Unable to ring bells from a conventional spire (which wouldn’t have fitted under the low fenland bridges), the Floating Church (or ‘Ark’ as it came to be known) flew two flags, those of St Andrew & St George, to announce that services were about to start. Between its launch and October 1904, a choir was formed, needlework and bible classes held, and 74 baptisms are recorded as having taken place on board.

In 1907 the barge was abandoned near Ramsey St Mary before being sold off to a group of young men who renamed it ‘Saint’s Rest’, converted it into a houseboat.

I’m the author of the Imray boating guide “Fenland Waters” – available from Foxs. If you’d like to know more of the history of our ‘secret’ world I invite you to buy a copy. Chris Howes.

See our interactive fenland waterways map for historic sights, moorings, pubs, restaurants & things to see and do on the middle level.

If you are interested in exploring the Fenland Waterways Foxs have day hire narrowboats and holiday boats available.

Hey! Are you new here? Subscribe on the right to receive more secrets of the undiscovered Fenland waterways, by email. (We never share or sell email addresses, we’ll only be sending you our local, insider knowledge, every two weeks.)

Image Credit: Chris Howes (except: Fox Narrowboats; top image & church roof St. Wendreda)

The post Narrowboating & Route History Of The Middle Level Towns appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

I particularly enjoy boating on the Middle Level beyond Lodes End Lock. This is very different from the “Link Route” both in feel and in the number of boats that use it. Probably the least visited stretch is between Exhibition Bridge and Yaxley mainly because Exhibition Bridge itself is very low.

The river level is kept lower during winter months and there is then sufficient clearance for me to get under Exhibition bridge in my Fox built narrowboat and easily reach the mainline railway bridge just before Yaxley. In recent times the Middle Level Commissioners have created a rural mooring at the head of navigation half a mile further on and close to 2 pubs and a shop. Middle Level Commissioners have dredged part of this river and carried out weed clearance, so I am planning to take my boat there later this year.

During September Mike Daines, Nik Daines and myself had a very enjoyable canoe trip to Yaxley, this time from Bevill’s Leam pumping station at Pondersbridge. This took a little under 2 hours each way.  Mike and John are both active members of the Middle Level Watermans Club

We shall look forward to hearing about John’s trip.  Do you have a story to tell about boating on the Middle Level Navigation?  Please feel free to submit it for possible publication.

Photo credits. Mike Daines.

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We are pleased to share for our customers the Navigation Spring 2022 newsletter reproduced here with permission of Middle Level Commissioners.

It is now 18 months since the Middle Level Commissioners (MLC) introduced licencing for pleasure craft for the first time in its history. There were many questions over what this would mean for users of the system and it is fair to say the change was unsurprisingly not universally supported. However, the introduction of licencing has allowed many positive things to happen and has changed the focus on our waterways from one where navigation was seen as a drain of resources to one where opportunities for enhancement and encouragement of waterway use is now in our targets. So below is a summary of some of the things that have happened in the last eighteen months and some of our aspirations for the future.

It is now 18 months since the Middle Level Commissioners (MLC) introduced licencing for pleasure craft for the first time in its history. There were many questions over what this would mean for users of the system and it is fair to say the change was unsurprisingly not universally supported. However, the introduction of licencing has allowed many positive things to happen and has changed the focus on our waterways from one where navigation was seen as a drain of resources to one where opportunities for enhancement and encouragement of waterway use is now in our targets. So below is a summary of some of the things that have happened in the last eighteen months and some of our aspirations for the future.

In the last 18 months we have

Taken over derelict moorings and renewed and improved them at Salters Lode Lock. These moorings have been reconstructed using navigation finances with a minority contribution from the Well Creek Trust. Going forward these mooring are now owned and maintained by the MLC.

The Salters Lode guillotine gate has been serviced and all gate seals replaced. This was an expensive exercise. To replace the seals required a team of professional divers working over a period of 4 days.

Four rural moorings have been installed.

We have appointed a full-time navigation officer to liaise with users of the system and Kev will now be well known now to many of you.

Contact number 07725 134170.

Marmont Priory Lock has been dewatered and remedials have been undertaken.  Marmont Priory upstream moorings have been fully refurbished.

We have removed a number of sunken or abandoned boats from the system.

We have worked with the Environment Agency and Conservators of the River Cam to agree the Anglian Pass bolt on which allows vessel owners the option (for a modest sum) to annually cruise the whole of the watercourse system covered by the 3 authorities.

We have also set money aside for future facility provision on the link route.

What planned for this spring (2022)?

Work will commence on installing 120m of piled moorings on High Lode near the Town of Ramsey. These new moorings will be owned and maintained by the MLC. Ramsey Town Council will supply fresh water and rubbish disposal facilities for visiting boats.

Four further sets of rural moorings will be installed.

Another phase of dredging for navigation will commence on the Well Creek stretching from the Aqueduct to Newton’s Bridge

We will be levelling the area of land outside the George public house on the Forty Foot (near Ramsey) to create an area where people can sit and enjoy the local water environment.

Marmont Priory Downstream moorings are to be refurbished.

And for the future

We are in discussions with Fenland District Council on possible improvements which can be implemented through the March Town river corridor.

We have had early discussions with Chatteris Town Council and possible future moorings at Carters Bridge.

We have been investigating co-funding moorings outside the George public house near Ramsey on the Forty Foot Drain.

We will be developing plans for new facilities on the link route and elsewhere.

Look to develop a scheme to dredge through March Town centre.

Seek to develop new and strengthen existing links with user group bodies who share our vision of an improved system benefiting all users.

So, in summary we believe that much has happened in the last eighteen months and it is our hope with your help we can maintain this rate of change.

The post Middle Level Navigation Spring Newsletter 2022 appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

My friend, and fellow former Senior Proctor (though a year or two before I was Senior Proctor!), Gordon Johnson, asked me to write a few words about the bit of river — Sandall’s Cut — that is hosting the boat race this afternoon, as it also did in 1944. Here are those few words, which I hope you’ll find interesting.

I thought it’d be helpful to overlay a modern map with some reasonable approximations of old courses of some of the Fen rivers, which I’ve colour-coded for convenience. Red shows the course of the Ely Ouse from around 1110 to 1830.

Green shows an old course of the Little Ouse before it was diverted north. No one is entirely sure when that happened. In the Middle Ages, the old Ely Ouse and the old Little Ouse joined roughly where indicated, and then flowed off to the northwest towards Outwell as the Wellenhee (from where Welney gets its name) along what is now the mouth of Littleport Boathaven, and on to Wisbech.

The yellow course is the old course before the river was diverted in the early twelfth century to run through Ely and allow stone to be brought from Barnack Quarry in Northamptonshire, along the Nene to Wisbech, Wellenhee to Littleport, and on to Ely on the red course, to build the cathedral.

This red course via Prickwillow is the one we’re interested in today. Sandall’s Cut, the course used for the boat race, is the long, straight section you can see connecting the two open ends of the old red course.

Before drainage began in the seventeenth century, Wisbech was a sea port on The Wash. Cargo was unloaded there onto smaller boats, which took the Wellenhee across to Littleport, where it was reloaded onto yet smaller boats for the circuitous and difficult journey via Prickwillow to Ely, shown in red.

At some point in the Middle Ages — dating is very difficult, maybe in the fifteenth century, but could possibly have been a bit earlier — a cut was made to connect Lynn (later King’s Lynn) with Littleport, Wisbech’s importance faded, and the once-mighty Wellenhee became a backwater, before finally being bisected by Vermuyden’s Bedford Rivers in the seventeenth century.
Most cargo now came up river from Lynn directly to Littleport in large vessels, but there it met with a problem.

This old, natural, course between Littleport and Ely was too shallow and unreliable for navigation — often too dry in the summer and too boggy in the winter — which is why Sandall’s, or Sandy’s, Cut was dug between 1828 and 1830, offering almost straight navigation on a canalised new river more than 100 feet wide and, at the time, 20 feet deep.

It’s said that some 20,000 navvies dug the cut over two and a half years, all by hand, of course, in those days. The Cutter Inn in Ely took its name not from the boats called cutters, but from those men who cut their way through Middle Fen and Padnal Fen to shorten and straighten the river, and who presumably liked a pint or two at the end of a hard day’s work!

Sandall’s Cut opened in 1830, and there was now a quick, reliable, deep, straight channel, suitable for larger boats, between Littleport and Ely, and river trade flourished.
Well, it didn’t flourish for long. Within twenty years, the railway connecting Ely to the south with Cambridge and London was extended north to King’s Lynn, and from 1850 cargo could travel directly from the docks at Lynn to London on the same day.

Sandall’s Cut’s heyday was short, which is why we’re left today with an impressive four and a half mile long, deep, wide canal that took nearly three years and cost a fortune to cut, connecting two quiet Fenland towns in the middle of nowhere!

If you wish to cruise this route by narrowboat you can check out our holidays and short breaks we recommend a 4 night break to comfortably visit Ely.

The post As Ely hosts the Boat Race looking at the course on the Ely Ouse. appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

Middle Level Commissioners

Middle Level Commissioners Chief Executive Officer David Thomas shares his response to the Cambridgeshire Times newspaper with us following enquiries by local MP Stephen Barclay.

“I was aware that there are a number of boaters who are not happy with the level of charges and I can appreciate if you were getting something for free, introduction of fees is not necessarily going to be welcomed with opened arms. However the position is that for decades the cost of running the navigation has been borne by home owning and agricultural ratepayers. The charges that have now been set are considered fair and match with those of the Environment Agency Anglian Waterways, which have three to four times the density of boats per mile of waterway, hence have a significantly higher potential for income. For this reason it will remain the position that unless boat numbers within the Middle Level increase many fold the best we can hope for is to is reduce the subsidising required for navigation. On this point though it is clear, that with the introduction of charging, the Middle Level Commissioners do for the first time in recent history have a reason to invest in the watercourses to attract and retain users.

In the knowledge that we were planning for the introduction of charging by pursing a new Act through parliament we started an annual cycle of dredging of the perched waterway forming the Well Creek. Spending on this has cost several hundred thousand. This year we are looking to; spend fifteen thousand on replacement moorings at Salters Lode, will be carrying out minor refurbishments at Marmont Priory Lock, will be servicing the guillotine flood gate on Salters Lode Lock and will be introducing rural mooring spots in remote areas in response to requests from boaters. We are also working closely with Fenland District Council on proposals for improvements through March Town and in Ramsey. Plus are starting work on developing a residential mooring strategy, which will be produced through close liaison with Fenland District Council who are in the process of reviewing their Local Plan so this work is well timed.

I attach a link on licencing which is located on our website which might help. I would also draw your attention to the fact that contrary to the suggestion that the Commissioners currently provide nothing for boaters we are building upon our current position of employing two lock keepers, cut weed and dredge for navigation and have been closely managing water levels for navigation, within a tight range which would not be the case if we were using the system simply for water resource management and flood risk management. We are now building on this through the employment of a dedicated Navigation Officer implementing the works mentioned above and are setting aside 25% of the income from licencing for implementing improvements on the River Nene to Great Ouse link route which will meet the minimum standards recommended by the Inland Waterways Association.

https://middlelevel.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Licence-Fee-Questions.pdf”

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From the secure perspective of the 21st Century we all know which camp we belong to, Zetetics or Globularists. No longer do heated arguments rage in the Pub over whether the Earth is flat (Zetetic) or round (Globularist). However in the 19th Century this important concern was a hot subject for debate. Thanks to its straightness the Old Bedford River became the proving ground for the counter arguments.

In 1838 Samuel Rowbotham endeavoured to prove the earth flat by making observation along the 6 mile straight above Welney. Using a telescope he observed barges six miles away. Samuel argued that if the earth was round (as some scientists then argued) the barges would only be visible for 3 miles before they disappeared from sight as a result of the curvature of the Earth. As he could still make the barges out that were 6 miles distant, ipso facto there was no curve.

We now understand that Rowbotham’s apparent ability to see further than the expected 3 miles was caused by the phenomenon of the refraction (bending) of light over water.

This apparent ‘proof’ stood unchallenged until 1870 when Alfred Russel Wallace, inspired to renewed scientific scrutiny by Charles Darwin’s work on evolution, conducted a further experiment on the Old Bedford River. Three barges, each with a pole of identical length erected on them, were moored at two mile intervals. If the earth was flat, the tops of the three rods would line up when observed through a telescope. However the second marker was a clear 32 inches above a line between the first and third markers, proving, quod erat demonstrandum, the curvature of the Earth.

Remarkably, when these measurements were employed to calculate the diameter of the earth, a figure of 7,920 miles was achieved. We now believe, with the benefits of modern scientific instrumentation, that the diameter of the earth at the equator is 7,926 miles !

If you are interested in exploring the Fenland Waterways we have day hire narrowboats and holiday boats available.

Hey! Are you new here? Subscribe on the right to receive more secrets of the undiscovered Fenland waterways, by email. (We never share or sell email addresses, we’ll only be sending you our local, insider knowledge, every two weeks.)

The post Proving the curvature of the earth on the Old Bedford River appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

The Fenlands

Fox Boat owner Chris shares his thoughts on Fenland names throughout time.

What’s in a name ?

Fenland has been described by many nicknames over the years – and each one sheds a different light on various aspects of its history..

In the Medieval times the area had a number of major ecclesiastical establishments, including Crowland, Ramsey, Chatteris and Thorney Abbeys, as well as Ely and Peterborough Cathedrals. Reflecting this ample provision for the Spiritual, the name The Holy Land of the English was applied.

Prior to Vermuyden’s draining of the Fens, the area was often times referred to as The Great Eastern Swamp, or The Old Drowned Lands.

Vermuyden’s first drainage scheme was intended to provide relief from flooding during summer months and gave rise to the description The Summer Lands.

During WWII the productive rich black soil of the Fens was put to use feeding the Country, which was in danger of going hungry as the German blockade of shipping tightened. The area acquired the deserved nickname The Breadbasket of Britain.

The flat countryside, devoid of hills, with its great panoramic landscapes has given rise to the name The Land of the Three-quarter Sky.

And because it is home to Fenland’s only service marina, which builds the best boats, and hosts the only hire fleet, us boaters also call it Fox Boat Country !

If you enjoyed this post consider reading Five Things You’ll Love about teh Middle Levels

Hey! Are you new here? Subscribe on the right to receive more secrets of the undiscovered Fenland waterways, by email. (We never share or sell email addresses, we’ll only be sending you our local, insider knowledge, every two weeks.)

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Historian and Author Bill Smith

Local Historian and Author Bill Smith tells us about the Upwell and Outwell Tram Projects. Bill has been a member of the Well Creek Trust since the 1970’s when our own founder Charlie Fox was also a member. This is a unique article Bill has written for us and edited by Susan Lowe.  It is the first time he has publically mentioned the dontation that enable the project to get started Ted Harper.

The Wisbech to Upwell Tram Projects –  Background and  history information.

The  memento  Projects is to celebrate the memory of the Wisbech Upwell Tramway. The Wisbech to Outwell Tramway opened as an experiment in 1883 and was extended to Upwell in 1884. At its peak, six trams a day in each direction provided passenger and, most importantly, freight services for local produce to Wisbech and then via the main railway link to larger towns and cities. Competition from motorised buses ended passenger services in 1927. Freight continued until 1966 when it was cut as part of the “Beeching Axe”. The final tram journey took place May 20, 1966.

Remembering the Tramway is of importance for all living in the area but also for those much further afield – for rail aficionados and enthusiasts, for local history lovers and tourists and also for millions of fans of Thomas the Tank Engine the creation of the Reverend Wilbert Awdry who was vicar of the nearby village of Emneth (1953 -1965). Toby the Tram Engine and his coach, Henrietta and later, Mavis, the Drewry diesel  tram (1952) were based on rolling stock used on the Tramway. Very little evidence of the former Tramway remain today which highlighted the necessity for the Wisbech to Upwell tram projects.

The idea for the Wisbech to Upwell Tram Project came from a conversation, back in the early 1980s  between William (Bill) Smith and Andrew Ingram (who had at that time written The Wisbech & Upwell Tramway Centenary Album -1983).   Andrew remarked to Bill that, “The people of Outwell and Upwell should have kept some reminders of the tramway.  It would have elevated those two villages as there is a vast interest in the old railways”.  Following that exchange, Bill decided to produce a tram memento for Outwell, the village in which he lives.

Bill first embarked upon producing a tram memento for the former tram yard site at Outwell and was given an old Norfolk County Council, spherical road sign marked “Outwell” that had been buried at Bexwell Airfield in1940 during the Second World War.  It would eventually form the centre-piece of the Outwell Memento.  Then, aided by his friends John Button and Tony Judd, he started to source discarded tram-related relics and other authentic railway materials contacting many organisations in the process. They spoke to staff at Bressingham Steam Museum who directed them to a railway “graveyard” at Hardingham in Norfolk.  Bill was offered two full-size Victorian tram wheels fixed to an axle (these gave birth to the Upwell memento idea) and other parts needed to make an installation for Upwell.  These very early tram wheels and axle were designed to run on “bull-head rail” the same type used for the Wisbech to Upwell tramway.

In April 2016 (03/04/2016) on behalf of the people of Outwell and Upwell, Bill submitted a planning application to the Borough Council King’s Lynn & West Norfolk (BCKLWN) for the two mementos to be located in the old tram yards of the two villages.  The submission was supported by  Outwell & Upwell Parish Councillors, local residents adjacent to each site and also the Middle Level Internal Drainage Board (at Outwell) and the Health Centre Managers (at Upwell).  In addition, Michael Walsh (BCKLWN, Property Services) also gave his support.

The Outwell Memento, phase one was unveiled July 2016 (pic A) by two of Outwell’s oldest residents, Norman Wenn and Iris Risebrow – pictured  with Bill Smith.  A vast selection of historical photographs, from Bill’s collection, was also put on display in St Clement’s Church.  The photographs were collected by Bill over the past 40 odd years that has resulted in him producing six local history books.

Welle Film Productions – a local film-making group – captured footage of the event with the intention of adding to it by following the future progress of the Wisbech to Upwell Tram Project.

About the same time, Bill being a Well Creek Trust (WCT) member since 1970 approached them to act as fund-holders for the cash donations that were being pledged for the Project.  WCT, which serves to maintain the ‘survival for all time’ of another local amenity once earmarked for closure – the Well Creek – was a natural choice as their constitution allows them to support other amenities.

Later that year the Project suffered a major setback involving ‘people and politics’ and a lengthy series of very unfortunate occurrences that saw the Upwell installation being put on-hold indefinitely and many of the railway materials that had taken so much effort to source were lost.  These events caused much anxiety and stress to many local people, particularly Bill and his family, and cast a dark cloud over what to that point had been an enjoyable and rewarding process for all involved.

Fortunately the realisation of the importance for the local area came to the rescue.  The Project was put back on track by a committee, primarily of WCT members rallied by Bill, who approached Wisbech Town and Elm and Emneth Parish Councils with the aim of applying for grant funding to produce further mementos for installation not only at Upwell but also along the entire Tramway route.

To beat the expiry date of the original planning permission Ted Harper a newcomer to the area  donated five hundred pounds to prompt the start of the Phase Two project. Sadly Ted died soon after the Upwell project had been unveiled but he did get to see our project reach fruition. Ted’s contribution allowed us to begin the building and installation of the Upwell Tram Memorial (Phase Two)  to go ahead before the middle of August 2019.  Local company, SDM Fabrication of March, offered its services free-of-charge to build and transport the memorial ready for public display.  The event took place on Saturday 27th July and Bill Smith awarded the unveiling honour to ninety-year old Mary Williamson whose husband Bill was manager (until 1974) of Coote & Warren Ltd coal merchants who had a branch at the Upwell tram depot.  Despite a downpour a good crowd turned out to witness the event and then attended the display of tram photographs and other memorabilia coordinated by Bill, assisted by Upwell WI and St Peter’s Church members.  The whole day was again filmed by Welle Film Productions – look out for more details once editing has been completed.

All pictures and text were supplied by William (Bill) Smith .

If you are interested in the Tramway Project Bill is giving a presentation with a unique collection of images at Upwell Village Hall on Friday 29th November Starting at 7.30pm. Address  6 New Road, Upwell, PE14 9AB all proceeds are for the Well Creek Trust and Tram Phase Three Project.

It is possible to visit the Tram Project on a day out by boat from our marina at March.

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The post The Wisbech to Upwell Tram Projects appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

I’m currently moored near Prickwillow on the River Lark, somewhere between the middle of nowhere and the back of beyond.

I’ve just been reading a local folk tale of a lady who had come from India to live near Prickwillow with a ‘child’ who appeared to be half human and half ape. The child was captured and taken to Cambridge but escaped, terrifying the local townsfolk. 

Although she was shot and wounded, she managed to make her way home across the fen, killing those she met. She died after strangling the lady who had looked after her. The derelict cottage lies near a remote mooring on the River Lark.  No one goes near the old home as, on a misty night, two shadowy figures can be seen, one a lady, the other an ape with its arm around the lady’s waist.

There’s just been an awful commotion outside of the boat’s window,  I’ve managed to snatch a picture, and I’m going out to investigate ………

the email abruptly finished there. This is the photo that came with it :-

If ghosts and the paranormal are your thing you might wish to check out some of our previous mysterious Fenland stories. How to hunt Fenland Ghoasts, Even when it isn’t Halloween or 5 Halloween Stories that will Haunt your Holiday Plans.

The post still missing one year later – abandoned boat found but no clue ….. a halloween post by mooring customer Chris appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.