Actually, you don’t need an inland waterways helmsman certificate to hire a day boat from Fox Narrowboats. You don’t even need any experience on the water. And you won’t be handed a set of keys on a cork keyring, and sent off down the river. Our team gives you a full talk and initiation before you leave the mooring, so by the time you’re casting off, you’ll be feeling ready.

All you will need is snacks, a decent pair of sunglasses, and a “can do” attitude!

A proper day out. Not just a boat trip.

Day boat hire from our marina in March, Cambridgeshire, isn’t just about getting from A to B. It’s about cruising along a pretty stretch of the Old River Nene, or the moment someone spots a heron standing very still in the reeds and everyone goes quiet. It’s sometimes about the debate with your crew, about whether to stop for fish and chips or have lunch at a waterside pub. It’s always about a break away from screen time, notifications and emails.

heron still fenland waterways – deposit

The Fens don’t look like anywhere else in England: Big skies, flat landscapes, ancient towns and atmospheric legends that have been woven into classic novels.  (Think Philip Pullman, and Philippa Pearce.) If you’ve spent the last few weekends at soft play, a garden centre or a shopping centre this is going to feel a bit different.

Pick your route. We’ve done the planning for you.

Depending on how adventurous you’re feeling and what kind of places you’d like to stop in, there’s a route to suit you. See our fenland waterways map

fenland waterways interactive map – fox

Best for families with young children: Three Holes or Benwick

Both of these routes are lock-free, which means no stress and no queue. Head out along the Middle Level Navigations towards Three Holes for a route that’s become something of a wildlife corridor; brilliant for spotting kingfishers, herons and the occasional swan. There’s space to moor up for a picnic, and the kids can try their hand at net fishing from the bankside. It’s about four hours of cruising in total, so quite manageable with an early start and a packed lunch.

rustic corner cafe benwick march – rustic

Benwick is another gentle option heading west, with moorings near the village and the Five Alls pub at the far end of the route at weekends. This rural, dog-friendly pub has outside tables to sit at in the summertime. Muddy paws and boots are welcome all year round. The Rustic Corner Café inside the Spar shop does excellent breakfasts and cakes, and the Facebook reviews describe it as a “hidden gem.”

Best for a longer day: Upwell and Outwell

If you want to make a full day of it, the journey east towards Upwell and Outwell is one of the most picturesque in the Fens. You’ll pass through Marmont Priory Lock and arrive at Upwell, a village that seems almost too pretty to be real; Dutch-style houses lining the waterway, are a stunning photo opportunity. There is time for a stop at The Creek public house.

At Outwell basin, there’s a natural turning point and a good spot for a picnic. On the way back through Upwell, J.R. Stott Fish and Chips is the place to be (but check opening times on 01945 772345 before you go).

This route takes around seven and a half hours return with two locks, so it’s a proper full-day adventure. Comfortable for adults and older children who are up for a longer cruise.

Best for a relaxed start: through the town of March

Some routes pass through March itself, which means you can start your morning with breakfast at The Acre riverside pub (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) or a full English at Ye Olde Griffin Hotel any day of the week. And on the way back, the Ship Inn has moorings right outside and a cold drink with your name on it.

March isn’t the most famous Fenland town, but its hidden charms are worth slowing down for.

A note to the first-time skipper

Yes, you can steer a hire boat without having done it before. Thousands of people do it every year, including people who were considerably more nervous about it than you are. The boat’s easy to handle, the Fenland waterways give you plenty of room, and the speed limit on the navigation is 4mph, about the same pace as a brisk walk. But that’s not a goal to aim for, you won’t be travelling fast enough to do anything so dramatic!

Locks may sound intimidating until you’ve done one, at which point they become the most satisfying part of the day. On the lockless routes, you don’t have to worry about them at all.

Before you set off, our team will walk you through everything you need to know: how to steer, how to slow down, how to moor up, and what to do at a lock if your route includes one. You’ll leave feeling calm and capable rather than like you’ve been handed a manual and wished good luck.

What to bring

Pack as though you’re going for a long picnic that happens to take place on water. Layers are your friend in the Fens; the skies are wide open and the wider waterways can be breezy. Bring more food than you think you’ll need, a blanket, sunscreen, hat and something to keep the children occupied during the quieter stretches. A spotters guide to Fenland birds could make the day more interesting too.

You might also want to look up opening times for wherever you’re planning to stop for food. Canal-side pubs and small town cafés are charming, but if you’re planning a day around a particular stop you’ll need to be sure it’s open and consider pre booking.

Ready to book?

June is peak season on the waterways; the days are long, the light is amazing, and the Fens are genuinely at their best. Day boats go quickly at this time of year, (even though they move slowly!) so if you’re thinking about it, now is the time to stop thinking and start booking.

Visit Day Boat Hire to check availability and book your day out on the water. We’re based in Cambridgeshire, and we’ll be very glad to see you.

No experience necessary. Happy memories guaranteed.

You may also like: Why Your Kids Will Love a Narrowboat Summer Holiday

Don’t miss more articles about what to see and do when narrowboating in the Fens: Sign up to follow this blog in the sidebar on the right.

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

Photo credits: Marina Fox Narrowboats, Heron Deposit Photos, Ship Inn riverside, 

The post You Don’t Need to Know What You’re Doing. That’s the Adventure! appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

fens waterways | credit: see posts

Are you thinking of booking a romantic boat trip in February? Or perhaps you want to surprise your mum with an idyllic Mother’s Day outing? Are you curious about a day in the life of a liveaboard boater? Last year on our blog we covered all of these topics, and we also enjoyed watching ‘Narrow Escapes’, learning the cost of living aboard, and we published a mini-guide to our must-see local attractions. Here are some of the best parts of 2024 on the Cambridgeshire waterways.

The third Monday in January is “Blue Monday”; the most depressing day of the year. But this was only created in 2005 by a travel firm, so the “science” is of dubious credibility! However, the media now use the idea of the January blues to promote self-care and mental health awareness. So, if you are feeling a little bit gloomy this month, we hope that daydreaming about narrowboating will cheer you up!

Historic waterside pubs and quiet rural moorings make narrowboat day hire the perfect romantic getaway. If you hire a boat for one day you can enjoy a peaceful cruise getting close to nature under the wide Fenland skies. If you’re celebrating a relationship milestone, or even planning a marriage proposal, we can arrange for some fancy food platters to be available on board.

From last February, read: This Valentines Offer is a Romantic Idea for Couples

Planning a family day out boating on Cambridgeshire’s peaceful inland waterways can be a lovely way to say ‘thank you’ this Mothers’ Day (30th March 2025). 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. You can stop at a waterside pub for refreshments, or visit a fish and chip shop for dinner.

From last March, read: Hire a Canal Boat for Mothers Day

In 2024 we began offering skippered boat trips along the Middle Level waterways. Setting off from our marina in March, allow our qualified skipper to take the tiller, and point out the many interesting things that can only be seen from the river. Each boat trip is 90 minutes aboard our newest day-hire narrowboat.

Read: New: Skippered Cambridgeshire River Trips on a Canal Boat

The TV documentary series, ‘Narrow Escapes’ was new to Channel 4 in April 2024. It features various roving canal traders, live-aboard characters, and boaters renovating their current boat. This series offers a lovely escape from the January blues. Who doesn’t love a bit of armchair canal-boating?!

Read: 8 Good Reasons to Watch Channel 4’s Narrow Escapes

From the tranquil morning mist lifting off the canal, to the vibrant sunset over the water, imagining a typical summer’s day aboard a narrowboat in the Fens, may also lift your spirits.

Read: A Day in the Life: Experience the Serenity of Fox Narrowboats’ Routes

If you’ve ever dreamed of living on a boat, then you could hire a narrowboat from us for one or two weeks, to see if you take to it, “like a duck to water”. You can find the answer to many of your questions about what the costs may be in last autumn’s article:

Read: The Costs Of Living On A Narrowboat

Making such a major lifestyle change can be scary, but… if you enjoy being scared, then snuggle up with some Fenland-inspired horror fiction from M R James, and consider visiting these eerie, reclaimed marshlands and isolated villages by boat. Laughing children, rattling chains, and a wandering nun are just some of the spectres you may encounter on a narrowboat holiday, in one of England’s most haunted areas!

Read: Halloween: Five Haunted Destinations for Your Narrowboat Holiday

If you have never been to the Fens, and want to visit charming English villages, as the skipper of your own canal boat, then we have the answer: Discover the hidden gems of Cambridgeshire’s waterways on a journey, where historic landmarks, and scenic landscapes await at every lock and bend.

Read: From Locks to Landmarks: A Guide to Cambridgeshire’s Must-See Attractions by Boat

Our canal boat hire base can be found on the Middle Level, between the River Ouse and the River Nene. Our friendly, family business has been here for generations, offering you a warm welcome, from the descendants of respected local boat builder, Charlie Fox.

If you enjoyed reading ‘A Year in the Life of Fox Narrowboats’, look for ‘Follow Blog’ in the sidebar on the right and enter your email address. We’ll send you occasional stories, tips and advice about narrowboating around the Fens. (We never share or sell email addresses – your details are safe with us.) If you want to beat the winter blues and book a canal holiday in 2025 check availability now.

Waterways Map

You may also like: Why January is the Best Time to Book Your Hire Boat Holiday

The post A Year in the Life of Fox Narrowboats appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

All in the golden afternoon

Full leisurely we glide;

For both our oars, with little skill,

By little arms are plied,

While little hands make vain pretence

Our wanderings to guide.

This dreamy poem, at the beginning of the children’s novel, Alice in Wonderland, describes a real boat trip in Oxford, where three young girls once begged Lewis Carroll to tell them a story about “The dream-child moving through a land, Of wonders wild and new…” It describes perfectly the lazy feeling of drifting along a river, enjoying the serenity of nature, and the tranquillity of being on the water.

We don’t offer rowing boat hire at Fox Narrowboats, but better than that, we are now offering skippered boat trips along the tranquil waters of the Middle Level. We already offer day boat hire, and narrowboat holidays, but these new boat trips are for those visitors who don’t want to steer a boat. Departing from our marina in March, Cambridgeshire, just allow our qualified skipper to take the tiller, and point out the many interesting features that can only be seen from the river. Each boat trip is 90 minutes aboard the ‘March Explorer’. This is our newest day hire narrowboat with room for 10 passengers on board. There is a seating area undercover as well as toilet on board. There is also plenty of space to sit outside on a summers day and enjoy being close to nature.

From our hire boat marina you will leisurely glide along the old course of the River Nene, which is a quieter river, and part of the Fenland waterways network. The waterways that make up the Middle Level system are a mixture of natural rivers and man-made canals that were started in the early 17th century. An unexpected consequence of the draining of the Fens was the shrinking of the dried out land. Most of this area is now below sea-level, because the land has sunk, so the Middle Level rivers now have to be pumped up to sea-level to drain the land.

The town of March is a short train journey from Cambridge or London, and was once a small island community. It was developed as a Tudor Port, and later as a railway town in the 19th century. The River Nene flows through the town centre, so pretty cottages and buildings, open fields and parks can be seen from the river banks as you pass through. If you are already familiar with March, this is a chance to learn about our riverside history and see the town from a different perspective. Boat cruises begin and end at Fox Narrowboats marina. Look out for kingfishers, fish, heron and dragonflies, as “full leisurely we glide.”

We expect these trips to be popular, and availability is limited, so book your own “golden afternoon” now.

90 min boat trips – June 2024

Book Now: Skippered Boat Trips on March Explorer

Are you new here? Click ‘Blog’ (top right) and look for ‘Follow Blog’ in the right sidebar to get the latest helpful boating tips. (We never share or sell email addresses, we’ll just be sending you selected articles from our blog.)

The post New: Skippered Cambridgeshire River Trips on a Canal Boat appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.