melody narrowboat alice elgie

This season is my favourite, and for me, on the canals of England is the only place to be when it begins to take hold. Blackthorn blossom floating like confetti, hawthorn leaves, shiny and green, bursting their buds in quick succession, and goslings, ducklings, baby moorhens (which I like to affectionally call ‘pom poms’!)…there is a sense of life in the air and in my opinion, there really is nowhere like it anywhere else on earth.

goslings – alice elgie

If you’re looking to experience wildlife and nature at its best whilst on your narrowboat holiday on the fens, try Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve which can be accessed from the canal:

Fox Blog – Wicken Fen

wicken fen visitors centre – credit: fox narrowboats

I moved onto my very first narrowboat in the spring of 2010. See more about buying my first narrowboat on this blog. Those weeks spent watching the wintry world come to life through numerous windows, have stayed with me. I thought I’d hit the jackpot to be sharing my daily life with such an abundance of wildlife and as the season unfurled in all her glory, I also found myself spending far more time outside than usual.

Wicken Mill

There’s something about narrowboats being nestled so within nature that you can’t help but be drawn outside. In a house, you never know what the weather is doing and it’s easy to get complacent and comfortable, staying glued to a favourite TV show, or endlessly scrolling on a screen. But nature through a narrowboat window sucks you in—and ultimately out!—like no YouTube show ever can.

Do you long to make time for more walking?

Being on the canals also encourages us to exercise more, with a plethora of opportunities to don your walking boots and go out exploring on relatively flat and easy ground. Even BBC are extolling the benefits of walking (article on BBC website) and if you’re on a narrowboat holiday, you can take the opportunity to let inspiration lead you.

holme fen credit wiki wehh

Whether the sun is shining, or there’s a shower on the horizon, stepping outside never fails to lift the mood, as well as give us a boost of vitamin D. With a number of picturesque places to visit on the Fens—including pubs, restaurants, or perhaps even a gentle stroll to the local shop—there’s no excuse to not indulge.

Looking for Inspiration? Then check out this interactive Fens Waterways Map for Narrowboaters: 

So if you’re looking for a boost and need to be reminded of the simple joys in life, or you’re perhaps just craving respite from the busyness, spring on the waterways might be just the ticket—even with those noisy geese!

What is the cut?

Alice Elgie is a nature-loving writer who shares words about her wandering lifestyle through hold-in-the-hand letters and recorded reflections. aliceelgie.com

Credits: Narrowboat – Alice Elgie, Goslings, Wicken Fen Visitors Centre – Fox Wicken Mill, Holme Fen – wiki wehh

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What are you like at sticking to New Year’s resolutions? Does goal setting make you feel disheartened? Does the thought of optimistic pledges and promises just make you groan?

#houghtonmill #wickenfen #strethamengine #fenswildlife #nenevalleyrailway

A more cheerful way to start the year is by creating a ‘bucket list’ of fun things to do.

A bucket list is traditionally a list of things to do before you kick the proverbial bucket, but after enduring two years of coronavirus restrictions, we thought that now is a good time to plan a few things to look forward to. Here are our best suggestions for fun things you can do while narrowboating in the Fens.

Learn to work a lock and steer a boat. Locks are easy to operate and at Fox Narrowboats we have qualified instructors that will give you full training during the boat handover. If you’re wondering if it’s difficult to learn the ropes read: What’s it Like to Actually Steer a Narrowboat?

Visit ‘Mother’, a thatched structure at Wicken Fen by Studio Morison. The nature reserve here is a favourite with our customers. This art installation is inspired by the restorative qualities of the beautiful fen landscape as described in Richard Mabey’s book ‘Nature Cure’. It is a sculptural structure, and also a pavilion, that you can sit inside, and contemplate nature. Read: How to Get Top Author’s ‘Nature Cure’ on a Narrowboat Holiday

Visit Houghton Mill, a National Trust property on the River Great Ouse. Centred on an island on the Great Ouse at Houghton, stands Houghton Mill a large timber-built watermill with operational machinery. The Mill is open to the public at weekends, and flour is still milled and sold to visitors.

Visit Stretham Engine, five miles south of Ely on the Old West River. It is the sole surviving operational steam engine in the Black Fen. It was installed in 1831, replacing four wind pumps. The engine has limited opening times in the summer months. This steam-powered pumping station was used to drain the Fens in the 19th and early 20th centuries. https://strethamoldengine.org.uk

Spot wildlife, like the great crested grebe and the occasional kingfisher. On a riverside walk, or in our local nature reserves, you may see dragonflies, damselflies, otters or water voles. Read: 3 Ways to See More Fenland Wildlife

Try punting on ‘The Backs’ in Cambridge. The River Cam navigation for powered craft ends at Jesus Green Lock, but above the lock Scudamore’s offer a wide range of tour and self-hire punting options. Punting is a traditional Cambridge pastime; see famous landmarks like the Bridge of Sighs, while floating down the river. Read: Three Amazing Things to Do in Cambridge

The Nene Valley Railway can be visited from the Environment Agency moorings at Wansford Station. From here you can take a trip aboard a heritage steam or diesel train. This can be planned as part of a narrowboat cruise towards Peterborough. Read: The Canal Boat Holiday That Train Enthusiasts Will Love.

Treat yourself to a meal at a riverside pub. The Swan on the River at Littleport may be recognised as the finishing point for the 2021 Oxford Cambridge boat race. Read: Three Waterside Pubs to Visit.

Cruise over an aqueduct. Mullicourt aqueduct carries Well Creek over the Middle Level main drain.

Take a photo of St Ives Bridge; a 15^th century bridge crossing the River Great Ouse in St Ives. It is one of only four bridges in England to incorporate a chapel. Other photo opportunities on the waterways include wide skies at sunsets and sunrise with silhouettes of wind farms against the horizon.

And finally, moor up in the middle of nowhere, such as a quiet mooring at Benwick on the Middle Level navigation, (this village is a hidden gem). Read: Six Stunning Moorings on the Middle Level.

Plan Ahead

The New Year can often put us in the mood for planning ahead, so why not give yourself something to look forward to and organise this year’s narrowboat holiday? Booking in advance can mean better availability, and with Fox Narrowboats you’re more likely to get the boat of your choice. It’s also easier to get time off work on your intended dates if you plan well ahead.

What’s on your narrowboating New Year’s Bucket List? Let us know on Facebook.

You may also like: How to Cruise Your Way into Fitness this New Year

No time to plan your holiday right now? We get that. Instead, subscribe to our blog in the right sidebar; look for ‘Follow Blog’. We’ll send you two articles a month full of narrowboat holiday ideas in the Fens. (We don’t send spam or salesy type stuff – just interesting articles about boats and waterways!)

Image credit: Houghton Mill by Cmglee, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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Once upon a time, when my family lived on a narrowboat, in a village in Hertfordshire, we gradually got to know the local swans, Bonnie and Clyde.

I don’t know why I called them that: Perhaps it was their slightly aggressive attitude. They visited us regularly for bread, throughout the Autumn and Winter. My two young daughters, aged three and five, would sit on the front deck and call down the canal,

“Swan ATTENTION!”

For some reason they felt this was the appropriate call that should be used to summon the swans: And the swans came. Then the ducks came to try to fight for a bit of bread too. If there was any left over the big fat carp jumped up and had a bite as well. It was one of the loveliest luxuries of living on a boat to be friends with the swans; although it could be a demanding friendship at times. Clyde became bold enough to knock on the galley window with his beak if we were not on deck at a time when he wanted feeding. Once when I sat chatting with friends on the front deck he actually pecked me in the small of my back to let me know that he was there; ready and waiting for his bread.

But where was Bonnie? When the winter was over and daffodils grew beside our boat Bonnie was nowhere to be seen. Eventually we discovered their nest beside the next canal bridge; safely on the offside, undisturbed by towpath walkers. There Bonnie sat and waited, guarding her eggs. Clyde glided protectively around her, on the surface of the water, with his head held high and aloof, surveying the area.

When we returned from the school-run each day the would girls say,

“Can we check the swans?”

If it was cold and raining I would grumpily say, “No,” and drag the girls back to the boat for mugs of cocoa. But mostly I would smile and say, “Yes,” and we would sit on the canal bank opposite the nest and watch, and talk about the swans.

Then one Spring morning Clyde knocked on the bedroom window; Bonnie in tow, with three gorgeous grey fluffy cygnets too! I grabbed some bread and headed for the front deck calling for the girls as I went.

“Girls! The swans have had cygnets!”

Just one day earlier she had still been on her nest, so they must have been born that day and were straight in the water already!

“This must be their first outing,” said my husband.

“Those proud parents,” I mused. “I expect they said to themselves this morning, Let’s take the little ones down to The Bread Boat.”

“Yes,” laughed my five year old, “To the café!”

So the girls threw bread, I took photos, my husband took a video and we gleefully announced the news of the birth to other passing boaters and walkers on the towpath.

Spring is a beautiful time for boating on the Cambridgeshire waterways. Get closer to nature and book your boat holiday for next Spring. Bring a camera. (And some stale bread!)

Swans at Welney near Wisbech Cambrideshire

Find Swans and explore stunning wetlands, where incredible wildlife encounters take place everyday, set in the heart of the Fens.
Welney wetland centre

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