Which annual religious festival held in Ely leant its name to a word meaning “showy but cheap and of poor quality”?

Who were the Littleport rioters and what did they do that was so bad that five of them were executed?

I subscribe to the theory “that the past is a foreign country”. I’m not that old, but when I was young I lived through times that we now look back on as being of great change. However to me at the time change was invisible – its was ‘same old – same old’. The Prime Minister was always either Ted Heath or Harold Wilson, and I was too young to realise that the 1960s were ‘swinging’. We all know that Fenland used to be very different. A marshy and difficult land with no proper roads and only a few tracks that were impassible in Winter. Often the only way to get around was on stilts or by water. In winter there were dehabiliting freeze-ups. The Fen Ague was a malaria like illness which did for local boy ‘made good’ – Oliver Cromwell. After the great freezes, came great floods. The struggle for existence was the battle against the elements.

In our modern sanitised society with proper roads and successful water management, the past can appear to have disappeared. But scratch the surface – and its echoes are often still to be heard !

One of the best means of rediscovering that past is through literature. There are three books which I particularly treasure and which vividly evoke a Fenland past.

These are Hereward the Wake: Last of the English. This was published in 1866  by the Rev Charles Kingsley (also known for writing the Water Babies). It tells of events in 1071/2 when the Anglo Saxon leader Hereward led resistance against the conquering Normans (1066 and all that) from his base in Ely. It popularised Hereward and elevated him into a Robin Hood type hero. There are varying accounts of Hereward’s life and struggles. I recently read one by an eminent historian denigrating Charles Kingsley’s as being hugely inaccurate. Somewhat in disgust I put aside this anaesthetised version and returned to Kingsley’s rip-roaring, dramatic and exciting version of this gripping tale!

Aldreth GOBA Mooring Fens Sunset

It is difficult to imagine both life, and the pre-drainage landscape nearly 1,000 years ago. But Kingsley brilliantly paints a picture. Hereward refused to swear allegiance to the invading King William (a.k.a. ‘William the bastard!). He brilliantly defeated William’s troops at the river crossing on the Old West River near Aldreth as they marched on Ely from Cambridge. There is a remote GOBA mooring near this spot and a farm bridge now crosses the river. We’ve enjoyed mooring here several times, and I can report that we haven’t (yet) been troubled by the ghosts of the long slain Normans.

Aldreth Bridge River Ouse

Hereward was later betrayed to William by the monks of Ely. There is a strong suggestion that Hereward’s successes relied heavily on the support and advice of his first wife Torfrida. However he was persuaded to divorce her and instead marry Alftruda, who in modern terms could be described as ‘more celebrity’. Under her influence he wimped out and lost his fire, eventually submitting and swearing allegiance to William the Conqueror.

Hereward

Walking down Ely High Street I recently noticed a pupil of King’s School Ely wearing a sweat shirt emblazoned “Torfrida”. On inquiry I learned that one of the school’s houses is called Torfrida. I was delighted to learn that the ‘real brains behind Hereward’ had been so commemorated. (one of the other school houses is called Etheldreda – another name with major resonance in Ely !)

Another historical novel which vividly conjures up ‘lost Fenland’ is Cheap Jack Zita, published in 1893 by Sabine Baring-Gould. The period after major wars is often one of great social change. Returning soldiers often cause unemployment, grain shortages and inflation. This was evidenced more recently by the great changes which swept Britain after WWll (leading to the surprise election of a reforming Labour Government and the establishment of the National Health Service). This novel is a wholly fictional account based on actual events. It starts outside the great Galilee porch on Ely Cathedral. The death in 879 of Ethelreda, founder of Ely Cathedral was commemorated annually by holding a fair, St Etheldreda’s Fair, which became commonly known as St Audrey’s Fair. Cheap and flashy goods were often sold at the fair, leading to ‘St Audrey’ becoming abbreviated to the word ‘tawdry’. A ‘cheap jack’ was a seller of cheap inferior goods, typically a hawker at a fair or market. Zita was the eponymous daughter of a cheap jack. This is another fast moving and exciting tale which details the landscape and hardships of the area (particularly along the River Lark). It culminates in May 1816 with an account of the actual the march from Littleport to Ely of angry and frustrated rioters. The riot was halted by soldiers and during the following assizes in Ely 23 men and one women were condemned, and five hanged. Plaques commemorate their terrible fate. In Ely, near the Cathedral, and a stone plaque was installed on the west side of St Mary’s Church which ends “May their awful Fate be a warning to others” The other convicts were transported to Australia.

Cannon at the Gallillee Porch Ely Cathedral

The expression ‘the queens of crime’ refers not to female villains, but to the four authors Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh. Dorothy L Sayers (June 1893 – December 1957) grew up in first in Bluntisham, and later in Christchurch where her father was rector. The family seat of her aristocratic fictional detective, Lord Peter Wimsey’s was Denver. Wimsey helped defend his brother, the 16th Duke of Denver, when he became the chief murder suspect in Sayers’ novel ‘Clouds of Witnesses’ in which he was tried by his peers, before the full House of Lords. Her choice of the name ‘Denver’ for the fictional Dukedom reveals her Fenland roots.

Bluntisham church near st ives fens waterways

Her 1934 mystery the award winning ‘The Nine Tailors’ is set in the fictional fenland village of Fenchurch St. Paul. The end of the book includes a vivid description of a massive flood, and it is hard to avoid the conclusion that Sayers must herself have witnessed similar flooding while growing up in the fens. It is rumoured that several characters in the book share names with graves in Bluntisham churchyard.

Wisbech Upwell Tramway historic photo

Deserving an honourable mention in our Fenland Literature ‘hall of fame’ is the Rev. Wilbert Awdry (June 1911 – March 1997) creator of Thomas the Tank Engine. The Rev Awdry served as Minister in the South Cambridgeshire villages of Elsworth with Knapwell, Bourn and in Emneth (Norfolk). He was a fan of Wisbech and Upwell tramway, and in his book Toby the Tram Engine, Toby, and the coach Henrietta are based on stock used on the line.

the steam tram wisbech old photo

The last book which, through its powerful and sometimes almost poetic prose, draws us back into a more recent past is Tom’s Midnight Garden (first published 1958) by Philippa Pearce. This story for children slips between a present in the 1950s and a late Victorian past in the 1880s – 1890s. It memorably includes a description of skating from Ely to Great Shelford (near Cambridge) along the frozen rivers Ouse and Cam during the ‘mini ice age’ which permitted the great frost fairs held on the river Thames, and described by Dickens.

Tom’s Midnight Garden book cover

The late Mike Rowse, several times Mayor of Ely, and dedicated local historian, once related to me that Philippa Pearce (the author) once visited Ely Cathedral and read the skating passage from the pulpit. He described it as a moving and unforgettable experience.

I have been a devotee of skating since reading the book as a child. Outdoor skating is an unique experience and it is of great regret to me that warmer winters appear to have largely relegated it to the past!

Cheap Jack Zita, published in 1893 by Sabine Baring-Gould, Tom’s Midnight Garden, written by Philips Pearce in 1958

Blog by C Howes

The post Time Travelling Through Literature Of The Fens appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

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.

With so much countryside, wildlife, heritage and things to see and do on the East Anglian waterways you may enjoy spending some time planning your ideal holiday route, before you come.

Our first tip is that you should never over-estimate how far you can go on your holiday!

A canal boat’s maximum speed is four miles an hour, but you’ll often find yourself moving much slower than that. You also need to factor in the locks, which take at least twenty minutes each, more if you are waiting for another boat to come through: So don’t try to do too much. However, going slow is part of the charm of a narrowboat holiday – it’s as much about the journey as it is about the places that you visit on the way!

“Canals are the fastest way of slowing down”.

You can stop to moor your boat at a variety of moorings; just not near bridges, junctions, locks or in other company’s boat yards without their permission. Environment Agency and other mooring sites are listed in the waterway guides and maps. Our company is also a member of GOBA so on the river Great Ouse their moorings are also available for your use. Your hire boat is supplied with mooring ropes fore and aft, steel ‘mooring pins’ and hammer.

Here are five brilliant resources for planning your lazy holiday cruise.

1) Fox Waterways Routes

First you can get a rough idea of where you want to go, from our website. Our online route guide will take you through the possible boating journeys, showing highlights on the waterways and good places to visit. You will cruise through rivers, canals and open sections during your boat hire holiday. From our hire boat base there is a choice of the waterways of East England, including the River Ouse, the Nene and the Middle Levels. See our simple maps and descriptions of places to visit here: Fox Waterways Routes.

2) Guide Books and Maps

Once you’re on board your hire boat you will find that we provide Imray guide books and Lockmaster maps with each boat. The Imray guides cover our local navigable rivers, creeks and lodes. The maps in each book are accompanied by essential notes and interesting commentary to help you find your way. For example, they cover places to moor, pubs to visit, towns to see and useful phone numbers. Lockmaster Maps are a famous series of canal and inland waterway maps printed at 1/2″ to the mile and offer a beautifully, detailed navigation guide.

Before your holiday begins you can also play around at home with various online guides.

3) CanalPlanAC

Nick’s Canal Route Planner — CanalPlanAC — is an interactive online guide to the inland waterways.

It helps you to plan your journey or holiday by calculating the length (distance, number of locks, time taken) of your trip and shows information about pubs and shops etcetera on the way. There are also plenty of waterways photographs on the site, so that you can begin to imagine your trip.

4) Boat Sat Nav

This online guide is optimised for use on mobile GPS devices such as phones and tablets (best) but is still accessible online using a laptop or desktop computer. It shows lock positions, services, moorings, shops, chemists, cash points, takeaways, bus and rail connections and more. The info is constantly updated. On a mobile device all you need is the Google Maps App and a Google account. On a laptop or desktop you don’t need anything other than a web browser to use this.

Boat Sat Nav

5) Waterway Routes

Waterway routes offer downloadable cruising maps for your computer, Android, iPhone/iPad or printout. These are available to buy in PDF or QCT format. QCT (QuickChart) is the file format used by Memory-Map software to store digital maps and charts. They offer waterways guides individually, but you can save money by ordering a bundle, such as the three cruising maps for River Nene and Middle Level Navigations + River Great Ouse and Tributaries. Fox Boats director, Paula Syred, likes to use these maps.

Wi-Fi is available on all our boats, which also have in-car chargers and 240v power supplies. There is a 1.25GB allowance for short breaks and 2.5GB per week.

Which Boat?

While planning your holiday route why not also begin thinking about which boat you’d like to hire? We have different sized boats sleeping different numbers of people. See the different layouts inside the boats here: Fox Holiday Fleet.

You may also like: How to Plan a Narrowboat Holiday That Your Family Will Love

Get more FREE tips for planning your holiday 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.)

The post How to Plan a Fenland Narrowboat Hire Holiday appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

wiki commons: Dr Paul G Tuli

The Fenland waterways have a wealth of interesting and educational places to visit. When you’re boating with kids in the area, there are loads of ways to make learning fun. Here are our top three!

1. How the Fens were drained

Learn about the history of how the Fens were drained. Fenland water pumping technology started with wind pumps, then steam engines were introduced, followed by diesel engines. There are working examples of all three, and all of them are accessible by boat!

Wicken Fen Nature Reserve

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.

Stretham Old Engine

On the banks of the Great Ouse at Stretham, with handy GOBA moorings nearby stands the majestic steam pumping engine at Stretham. The steam engine is only run on certain days to check the website in advance to avoid disappointment.

The Prickwillow Engine Museum

The museum is located in the village of Prickwillow, on the banks of the river Lark with a convenient mooring nearby. The old diesel pumping engine and a host of others are on display and are run on event days and Bank Holidays. The next event coming up at is the 4th Prickwillow Ploughing Festival on October 3rd and 4th, with heavy horse and vintage tractor ploughing skill displays, classic cars, food stalls and of course the engines will be running!

2. Get out and about in a riverside nature reserve.

Fen Drayton Lakes

Just a short hop on the Guided Busway or walk from the moorings at St Ives takes you to the beautiful RSPB reserve atFen Drayton Lakes. There are events and guided walks held here (see website for details) or just bring binoculars, follow the nature trail and see what you can spot!

Wiki Commons: Sebastian Ballard

Ferry Meadows Park

Just off the River Nene in Peterborough is the fantastic Ferry Meadows Park. You can use the pontoon moorings provided in the lake there and go exploring! Children’s Nature Discovery Packs are available to borrow from the visitor centre, as are orienteering maps. There are also several play areas for younger children.

3. Try Geocaching

Geocaching is something you can do wherever you are, but there are plenty of hidden treasures to be found along the waterways. Simply download the app to your phone and see if there are any caches to be found near you! A great way to explore the area, for kids to learn about map reading and using a compass, and something the whole family can do for free!

Guest Blog by Amy-Alys Tillson

The post #BacktoSchool: Top Three Fun and Educational Activities on the Fenland Waterways appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.