Are you looking for scenic walks and waterside pubs this summer?

Do you enjoy wandering around idyllic villages and market towns?

Want to explore a historic network of man-made waterways?

More than seven million visitors go to the Norfolk Broads every year, attracted by the beautiful countryside, wildlife, history, cultural activities and shopping opportunities. Norfolk has become famous for the man-made Broads, a National Park with over 125 miles of navigable waterways, which is teeming with holiday cruisers in the summer months.

But this popularity can make boating a busy, and at times, overcrowded experience. Cambridgeshire, Norfolk’s nearest neighbour to the west, is a great uncrowded alternative to the Broads. Here you can hire a canal or barge style boat for a more comfortable living space. Our narrow boat hire base is central to the Fenland waterways; a lesser-known man-made network of navigations. From here you can explore the beautiful countryside, wildlife, history, cultural activities and shopping opportunities of the Fens, without struggling to find a mooring space during busy times.

Countryside

The Fenland Waterways are a large network of rivers and canals packed with wildlife. These navigations in the East of England include the River Ouse, the River Nene and the Middle Levels: interconnected waterways of rivers and canals.

Jan Pickles (narrowboater, and co-author of UK River and Canal Info) says, “We love the peace and tranquillity of the River Nene, as opposed to canals at this time of year.”

Blogger and narrowboater Sue from nb No Problem loves cruising the East Anglian rivers with her husband and two border collies. The Nene is her favourite river and she advises taking it slow so that you can enjoy the beautiful lock surroundings with ancient mills.

History and Culture

Visiting Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon, or Northampton, by narrowboat allows you to explore churches, art galleries, museums and the famous colleges of Cambridge University at your leisure. Don’t miss Ely Cathedral and Oliver Cromwell’s house if you’re cruising on the River Ouse.

Shopping

If you stop at the visitor moorings beside Ferry Meadows Park you can explore Peterborough city centre, to enjoy shopping, the theatre, markets and all the restaurants you would expect to find in a major city. If you take a holiday cruising in the opposite direction, you’ll find high street brands, local markets and bohemian boutiques in Cambridge. You may also discover quaint little market towns along the way, for local produce; and Ely is well-known for its antique shops.

If you want to enjoy a narrowboat holiday while avoiding the overcrowded Norfolk Broads, the Fenland Waterways could be just what you are looking for: They are one of England’s best kept secrets! Our warm, friendly family business and boating holiday experience stretches back generations. We’ll give you some training in boat handling if you need a refresher. Join us for a holiday break, or day hire with friends this summer.

Not ready to book yet? 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 Alternative Boating Holiday is by Narrowboat: Avoid the Busy Norfolk Broads appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

swift fox stopped for lunch on a narrowboat holiday

If you’ve never tried a boating holiday on the Fenland Waterways you may discover a number of unexpected benefits that make it a little different from your average canal boat holiday.

Among Cambridgeshire’s attractive villages and cities is an impressive network of tranquil rivers, offering strikingly flat landscapes, underneath expansive skies. Here are our top 5 reasons why we love boating in Cambridgeshire.

1) More Water Than the Broads

The Fenland waterways offer more than twice the navigational distance than the Norfolk Broads, although your boating holiday may be a similar experience, enjoying working the locks and cruising through natural surroundings. However, there is so much more choice of place to explore and routes to take!

2) Divine Inspiration

This area has earned itself the name ‘The Holy Land of the English’ because of the churches and cathedrals of Ely, Ramsey, Crowland, Thorney and Peterborough. Ely Cathedral is particularly popular with visitors and is known locally as the ‘Ship of the Fens’ because of its waterway surroundings. If you are fond of discovering our heritage and exploring places of worship then these waterways will provide a fascinating adventure for you. Places to visit

3) Nature Reserves

The Fens nature reserves are a beautiful place to discover a variety of wildlife such as birds, wild flowers and dragonflies, as well as endangered species like the water vole. Travelling far from the rush of traffic and modern life you can get really lost in the natural beauty.

4) Places to Eat

Exploring the rivers and waterways of Cambridgeshire you won’t be short of a tempting choice of places to stop. From traditional country pubs, to fine dining in city restaurants there are many small villages and large towns that will cater for the travelling boater.

5) March

Fox Boats is based in March Town where you will find plenty of places to eat, as well as a museum and a church dedicated to the town’s saint, St Wendreda. March is a Fenland market town and like many Fenland towns, it was once an island surrounded by marshes. March lies on the banks of the old course of the navigable Nene, and today is very popular for leisure boating.

To find out more about boating in Cambridgeshire you may like to follow us on Facebook or sign up to receive blog articles by email. (See ‘Follow Blog’ in the sidebar on the right.)

The post 5 Surprising Rewards of Choosing a Cambridge Boating Holiday appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.