Why not make Mothering Sunday extra special this year by suggesting that her favourite family members get together for a memorable daytrip to March, in Cambridgeshire?

Mothers’ Day and Mothering Sunday are actually two separate things, although they are held on the same day in England. Mothering Sunday is traditionally the fourth Sunday in lent, when parishioners return to their ‘mother’ church. Mothers’ Day first started in the 1950’s, as a way to say thank you for all of the things that mothers do. Planning a family day out boating on Cambridgeshire’s peaceful inland waterways could be a lovely way to say ‘thank you’ this Mothers’ Day (10^th March 2024).

Hire a Narrowboat

If your family are new to canal boating, our experienced instructors will show you how to steer the boat, moor up and work the locks. Our day boats are equipped with cutlery, crockery, a hob, a fridge and a sink in the galley area, so you can make snacks and hot drinks on board, or bring a picnic. There is also a toilet, dinette, and a seating area. We can arrange to have groceries, or an afternoon tea waiting for you on board. Alternatively, you can stop at a waterside pub for refreshments, or visit a fish and chip shop for dinner.

Our annual boating season begins in April, so you can book a day trip in advance and surprise your mum with the news on Mothers’ Day. Boating appeals to all ages and is a great way to bring the family together.

Read: The Top 3 Mothers Day Ideas For The Narrowboat Mum

Day boats ‘March Adventurer’ and ‘March Explorer’ can carry up to ten people each.  Prices start from £260 and include fuel and insurance.

Find out more about our day boat hire.

Read All About It

Alternatively, if your mum, wife, or gran is a woman who enjoys narrowboating, or dreams of getting afloat, then you may also consider getting her a book revealing the pro’s and cons of parenting on board. When my children were young we lived on board a narrowboat, so I loved seeking out stories about mothers on canal boats; both biographical and fictional.

Read: Five Surprising Mothers Day Gifts for the Narrowboat Mum

Pushing the Boat Out

But perhaps you’re looking for more than a book, flowers or chocolates as a gift? Maybe you are looking for that elusive family holiday; the one that can please all of the people all of the time? Relaxing, yet adventurous, a change from everyday life, without the modern day hassle of traffic and airports? We’ve got the perfect family holiday for you. Enjoy the scenic countryside and quality time together, explore new places and learn to steer a boat and work a lock.

Read: Why Narrowboating is the Perfect Family Holiday

It’s more than a Mothers’ Day gift, but if you have been planning a multi-generational holiday this year, then boating has something for everyone. Fox Narrowboats in Cambridgeshire is a short distance from London, ideally located for everyone to get together. After all, what better day than Mothers’ Day to get together and appreciate one another’s company, and plan special treats for the year ahead?

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 Hire a Canal Boat for Mothers Day appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

Are you looking for the best gift ideas this year?

Does your mum deserve to get away from it all?

Want to surprise her with a family day out?

This year Mothering Sunday is on March 19^th and our annual boating season begins in April, so you can book a day trip in advance and surprise your mum with the news on Mother’s Day. Boating appeals to all ages and is a great way to bring the family together.

1) Day Boat Hire

Our colourfully painted luxury day boats, The March Adventurer and the March Explorer, are both equipped a small galley, a toilet and a seating area. On board you’ll also find a 12v mobile phone charging point, so that you can keep taking pictures of mum’s day out as you travel.

You and your crew will be fully trained in boat handling as part of the boat handover. One of our qualified instructors will explain how to steer the boat and operate the locks ensuring that you feel comfortable and confident before you set off. Day boat hire is a popular choice with families wanting to spend the day together to celebrate a special occasion. Making memories together can sometimes be the best gift.

2) Canal Boat Holiday

If you really want to push the boat out you could book a week on board with the family.

Read: Why Narrowboating is the Perfect Family Holiday

Although a holiday is not exactly the traditional Mothers Day gift, it will be a good opportunity to spoil your mum, and show her that she is appreciated; especially if the crew share the chores on board and take turns at cooking meals. On a longer cruise you would have time to visit Peterborough, Ely or Cambridge. If you stop at the visitor moorings on the waterfront in Ely, mum can visit the antiques centre, the city centre shops, the famous Ely Cathedral and the museum at Oliver Cromwell’s House.  Or in Cambridge she may enjoy shopping, restaurants and punting, while admiring the incredible architecture.

Get into your mum’s good books this year by suggesting that her favourite people get together for a memorable trip on the Fenland waterways.

3) Boating Books

Talking of books, that’s another good idea for a gift! If she dreams of a life aboard, or has already lived aboard a canal boat in the past, there are some great books about parenting on board. From historical novels to a modern travelogue through the French canals, the books in this article show various different aspects of boating with children.

Read: Five Surprising Mothers Day Gifts for the Narrowboat Mum

If she doesn’t want to read about parenting, try Favourite Boating Recipes by Cas Best instead, or the classic ‘Narrow Boat’ book by LTC Rolt. This lovely, lyrical diary of Tom and Angela’s travels back in 1939, has become a classic among canal-boat enthusiasts. Tom Rolt is now considered to be one of the pioneers of the leisure cruising industry on Britain’s inland waterways.

Read: Was This the Very First Narrowboat Holiday?

Whichever option you choose, giving your mum a narrowboat themed book, or experience, will make this Mothers Day a bit different this year and give her something to remember.

Day boat hire starts at £225 Search Day Boat Hire.

You may also like: 5 Memorable Things to See on a Day Boat Trip

For more surprising and unusual tips and ideas for days out in Cambridgeshire, 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. (We never share or sell email addresses, this is just to send you our latest blog posts.)

The post The Top 3 Mothers Day Ideas For The Narrowboat Mum appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

Are you looking for a special gift idea this Mothering Sunday?

Something more original than flowers or chocolates?

Something that she’ll remember for years to come?

A family boat trip on the Fenland Waterways could be just what you are looking for.

Cruise into your mum’s good books this year by suggesting that her favourite family members get together for an unforgettable day-trip to March, in Cambridgeshire.

Mothers Day and Mothering Sunday are actually separate celebrations, although they are held on the same day in the UK. Mothering Sunday is traditionally the fourth Sunday in lent that you return to your mother church within your area, while Mothers Day originated in the UK in the 1950’s, as a way to say thank you for all of the things that our mothers do for us.

In 2020 the day falls on Sunday March 22^nd, and the Fox boating season begins in April. If you book a day-trip now you could surprise your mum with the idea on Mothers Day. Boating appeals to all ages; so family members can be as active or relaxed as they like. You could bring a picnic, buy fish and chips, or find a pub or restaurant along the way.

Our day boats are equipped with a hob, fridge and sink, crockery and cutlery, a toilet and a seating area. On board you’ll also find a 12v mobile phone charging point, so that you can keep taking pictures of mum’s special day.

Before you set off, one of our qualified instructors will explain how to steer the boat and operate the locks, so you will be fully trained in boat handling.

“Eight of us hired a narrowboat here for a day this week. We absolutely loved it! Very helpful advice and instructions which we appreciated.

The boat itself is lovely, especially enjoyed being able to sit at the front and watch the world go by. There are cooking facilities on board (a hob) which we made good use of with bacon rolls in the morning! Well stocked with plates, cups, glasses, cutlery, frying pan and kettle.

We took a leisurely trip on the river and moored up at a public mooring spot and had a short walk to a pub (The Five Bells in Upwell) which was very pleasant. Also enjoyed mooring up later in the day for our dinner.

All eight of us thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would happily hire again. Thanks for a lovely day!”

• Matt F on Trip Advisor.

A narrowboat travels at around three miles an hour, and our staff will help you to plan your route and timings before you set off.

The Fenland waterways in Spring time are really peaceful, with spectacular scenery. If you are used to the more touristy areas of England’s canals you may be surprised at how uncrowded our local navigations are, with long stretches of open water, and stunning vast sky-scapes.

This year, show your mum, gran, step-mother, or partner just how much you appreciate her, and make some treasured memories together.

Want to treat your mum to a day afloat this year? Check here for availability of boats and dates to suit you and buy a gift voucher.

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 The Ultimate Mother’s Day Surprise appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

Are you looking for a unique idea for Mother’s Day?

Are you struggling to come up with a gift that is better than last years?

Want to show your mum, gran, step-mother, or the mother of your children just how much she means to you?

Day boat hire on the Fenland waterways offers the chance to treat that special someone to a most relaxing and memorable day. Invite up to ten members of your family along, to share in a day out cruising the waterways on a narrowboat.

This year Mothering Sunday is on March 31^st and our annual boating season begins the following week, so you can book a trip in advance and surprise your mum with the news on Mother’s Day. Boating brings the whole family together as it appeals to all ages. You can bring your own picnic and snacks, or stop at a waterside pub on the journey.

We have two luxury day boats available to hire: The March Adventurer and the March Explorer. They are both colourfully painted, and equipped with with a hob, fridge and sink, crockery and cutlery, a toilet and a seating area. On board you’ll also find a 12v mobile phone charging point, so that you can keep taking pictures with your phone.

Don’t worry if you’re new to boating. You will be fully trained as part of the boat handover routine. One of our RYA qualified instructors will explain how to steer the boat and operate the locks ensuring that you feel comfortable and confident before you set off.

“Having never done this before, we were amazed at just how easy it was – we were taken through the safety procedures by a lovely lady called Paula and then given a short demonstration as to how to start/stop/manoeuvre the narrowboat before being let loose on the water…

This is a great day out and a really different way of seeing the Fens from a totally different perspective. We especially liked that dogs are openly welcomed so we were able to bring along our furry friends. We will definitely do it again.”

– Paula J on Trip Advisor

It’s a leisurely day out as you only average around three miles an hour, so you won’t be travelling very far. Our friendly staff will help you to plan your route and timings before you set off. If you head for the twin villages of Upwell and Outwell you could book a table for lunch at the Crown Lodge in advance. Then relax with some drinks on the boat on your way back to the hire base.

If you’re used to cruising the canals you may find the Fens quite different to the rest of the waterways. There are very few locks and the navigation is managed by the Environment Agency instead of the Canal and Rivers Trust. You’ll also find it to be quite uncrowded with long stretches of open water. There is rarely another a boat in sight, just beautiful scenery and wildlife.

Want to treat your mum to a day afloat this year? Check here for availability of boats and dates to suit you.

Hey! Are you new here? Subscrday ibe 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 Book a Boat Trip for a Mother’s Day Surprise appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.