Have you seen the latest addition to the flags flying here in the mooring basin?
Fenland Flag Centre
Our newest addition to the flags that we fly here is the Fenland Flag designed by James Bowman. On the flag design the yellow centre background recognises agriculture, the blue on either side represents the waterways and in the middle is a “Fenland Tiger”.
According to the website British County Flags the term “Fen Tigers” was first used of the local inhabitants by Dutch engineers who arrived to assist with the drainage of the Fens, resulting in considerable land reclamation. The locals apparently exhibited some hostility to the incomers and were given the term “tigers” as a result. The concept was sufficiently recognised in the twentieth century for tigers to be included as supporters in the arms.
The Fenland Flag travels by narrowboat on the tidal river Thames (photo Simon Judge)
Local boater Simon Judge has travelled the Inland Waterways with his flag
Sarah Cliss wrote in the Fenland Citizen earlier this year about James quest for the Fenland Flag.
James Bowen, 47, has been pushing for the region to have its own official flag and came up with a design which include’s a tiger on a yellow background with blue stripes running down the edges on either side.
Mr Bowman said: “The obvious symbol of the Fens is the Fen Tiger. This designation derives from the sometimes violent opposition of the local population to the drainage schemes of the 16th and 17th centuries.
“The term has subsequently been used for various clubs and associations. The proposed design features a heraldic tiger placed in a central field of yellow, representing agricultural prosperity. The blue outer fields represent the region’s natural and man-made waterways.”
For the flag to be officially registered in the UK, Mr Bowman needs to prove to the Flag Institute that there is a clear expression of support for it.
He needs to pull together evidence of people using it and present it to the organisation.
To do this, Mr Bowman has made car stickers and postcards of the design and gathered support from across the area including MP Lucy Frazer.
The MP for South East Cambridgeshire wrote a letter to the Flag Institute in support of the idea.
In a letter to Mr Bowman, the MP wrote: “Thanks you for writing to me about your design for a Fenland Flag.
“I was pleased to receive to receive the postcard you enclosed bearing your Fenland Flag design. “It is certainly a very smart and well-thought-out design and I wish you luck in your efforts of getting it officially accepted by the Flag Institute.
“As such, I have written to the Flag Institute to express my support for your proposal.”
To keep upto date you can follow the Fenland Flag on Facebook
The Middle Level waterways are an unusual mixture of natural rivers and man-made canals in Cambridgeshire. When the Bedford Level area of the Fens was first drained in the 17th century, it created interconnected navigations that now link the River Nene to the River Ouse. Over the years the land here has sunk so that most of the area is now below sea-level. Middle Level rivers now have to be pumped up to sea-level to drain the land.
Fox Narrowboats is in a great position, nestled in the centre of the Middle Level Waterways, not far from the idyllic riverside villages of Upwell and Outwell. On a boating holiday beginning at our marina in March, you can easily visit these five places by narrowboat.
Before you set off on your Middle Level cruise, check out this little museum in the heart of the town centre for a fascinating insight into our community’s social history. A variety of displays and collections, along with audio points and interactive elements, will guide you through the history of the town, and admission is free.
2) St Wendreda’s Church
double hammer beam angel roof
It’s also worth seeing St Wendreda’s Church which is just a short 20 minute walk away from the town centre moorings. It’s the oldest church in our town and is known for its magnificent double-hammer beam roof with 120 carved angels; regarded as one of the best of its kind. John Betjeman described the church as “worth cycling 40 miles in a head wind to see.”
3) The Acre
We think you’ll love this charming little backstreet pub beside the river, known for its friendly staff, prompt service and home-cooked Sunday carvery, which is sometimes accompanied by live jazz. This place is a local favourite of ours because of the warm, friendly atmosphere and good value food. If you want to eat there it’s worth booking a table in advance. There is outdoor seating for fair weather days, and there are moorings nearby if you are arriving by narrowboat.
The Acre, 9 the Acre, March, PE15 9JD
4) St Peter’s Church
As you navigate your way through the Middle Levels it is worth stopping at the picturesque village of Upwell on the Well Creek. St Peter’s is a 13th century church with an unusual tower. We love the 25 carved oak angels in the roof, looking down into two Victorian galleries. Try mooring at The Five Bells Inn for a real ale in Upwell. Beyond Upwell, Outwell Basin also provides some idyllic moorings and The Crown Lodge Hotel moorings are the last chance to moor for a drink before the tidal crossing at Salters Lode.
This independent museum on the edge of a small Fenland town is housed in renovated 17th century farm buildings. To get to Ramsey by boat you would cruise west in the opposite direction to Upwell and Outwell. The museum is full of items and exhibits donated by local companies and the public. There is a variety of machinery, implements and vehicles spanning 200 years of rural life, plus a Chemist Shop and a Cobblers Shop. A history of the drainage of the Fens can be found in the Pump Room along with tools used for hedging, ditching and turfing. We love browsing the second-hand bookshop and visiting the tea room for a piece of cake.
The Middle Levels are one of the best kept secrets of the UK waterways; so holiday makers benefit from uncrowded rivers and stunning scenery with wide open skies.
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More than half a century ago, one of the founding fathers of the Inland Waterways Association, Robert Aickman wrote about the “Seven Wonders of the Waterways”. I’ve boated each of these Wonders and ticked them off my ‘to visit’ list. Although such structures as the Pontycysyllte Aqueduct obviously deserve every accolade available, while I marveled at Stanedge Tunnel, half way through I did ‘wonder’ just how much I was enjoying it. When we started up Caen Hill in tandem with another narrowboat, (who decided without warning to turn back after the lower 7 locks!), I ‘wondered’ how much I was enjoying the experience when halfway up the remaining 22 locks a descending hire boat decided to fully open the sluices of the empty lock I was in, without either asking, or warning, me !
I have another, personal, list – the “Seven Most Wonderful Places to Boat”. There are some occasions on which I have had to pinch myself because I can’t believe that I’m lucky enough to be boating in such a breathtakingly wonderful place. Clearly, crossing the Pontycysyllte comes high up on the list. But add to that list, mooring in the historic Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool- oozing history from every piece of stone and iron column, or visiting Bristol floating harbour and steaming past the S.S. Great Britain to visit the Harbour Master. Mooring in the heart of Bath with the gorgeous Georgian terraces rolling down the hill in front of you. The breathtaking beauty of crossing the Pennines on the Leeds & Liverpool, or mooring on the Thames in front of Hampton Court Palace with the evening sunlight bathing Jean Tijou’s magnificent wrought iron gates in its golden glow. Travelling up the truly beautiful River Nene in spring when the may blossom fills the valley of the clear flowing river, populated with historic watermills and beautiful stone villages each crowned by a picturesque church. These are just some of my favourite things !
And on a roasting, shirtsleeved February day (the warmest since records began) in bright sunshine we experienced a new ‘drop-dead gorgeous’, not to be missed, special boating location – the Cambridge Backs. This is probably the most beautiful area of the River Cam, above Jesus Green Lock. It flows past some of Cambridge’s finest buildings (including King’s College Chapel) and provides that world-famous view of Cambridge.
Navigation is prohibited to powered craft during the summer. This is probably just as well because in high season this part of the river becomes a confused mass of hundreds of punts, bobbing haphazardly across the river like a confused giant children’s game of ‘Pick-Up Sticks’. But between 1st October and 31 March access is permitted, so long as you give the river manager 48 hours notice.
The idea of taking up this seasonal opportunity to boat this famous stretch of water was put into our minds by Simon Judge, doyen of St Pancras Cruising Club, in a Facebook entry inviting interested parties to join him on a cruise on the last Saturday of February. We jumped at the opportunity to accompany Simon in our 45 narrowboat ‘Lily May’, bought the necessary Cam Licence (an addition to the EA licence required to get as far up the Cam as Bottisham Lock).
We boated up to Cambridge on the Friday, easily finding space on the visitor moorings below Jesus Green Lock. Being permitted to take your home (snail like) and moor it in the middle of one of our great cities is to me one of the true marvels on boating the Inland Waterways. We over-nighted in Cambridge (where the cost of an hotel is eye watering) for absolutely nothing !
As the sun struggled to burn through the morning mist we assembled at the lock, where Simon joined us in ‘Scholar Gypsy’ (title of a poem by Matthew Arnold, son of that other great University City, Oxford). Jesus Green Lock is one of those logic defying locks with the only means of crossing from one side of the lock to the other, by swing bridge which spans the lock and has to be removed before you can fill the lock, a seeming impossibility for the single-handed boater. Fortunately between the two boats we were well crewed.
Magdalen BridgeBridge of SighsSt John'sSt john'sSt John's BridgeTrinity BridgeClare BridgeClare BridgeClare BridgeMathematical BridgeMathematical BridgeSilver StreetSliver Street
The short journey requires passing under 10 bridges. By the time we had reached the first, Magdalen, the sun had conquered its battle with the morning mist, and we were bathed in glorious sunshine !
There are two considerations that the intrepid boater of Cambridge Backs ignores at their peril. Bridges and punts ! The height of the bridges requires careful attention. The third one you pass under, St. John’s Kitchen Bridge is the lowest, with a published air clearance of six foot nine inches. However one is well advised to remember that:-
a) like any river the water levels in the Cam rise after rain, and clearances quickly reduce,
b) the published height is to the centre of an arc, and will be lower where the corners of your boat pass under,
c) the computation of air clearance assumes that your boat is passing under at right angles to the line of the bridge, and on a narrow and bendy river the effects of wind and other boaters can combine to make it harder to ‘shoot the bridge‘ in a perpendicular line.
A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow and stern, about 24 feet long and 3 feet wide, designed for use in small rivers and shallow water. The punter propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a 12 – 16 foot long pole. Pleasure punting developed on the river Thames in the 1860s and arrived in Cambridge about 1902. The bows of a punt features a flat raised deck known as the ‘trill’ and the stern called the ‘huff’, which features cross plans (a.k.a. treads). The punter (propelling the boat) stands at one of the ends and pushes the boat away from him (or her). In Oxford the punter stands with a secure foot hold in the stern and proceeds bow first. However in Cambridge the punter stands on the flat raised bow or deck (with little secure foot grip) and propels the boat stern first. This less stable practice is said to have arisen in the Edwardian era when the lady undergraduates of Girton College felt it better showed off their ankles.
There is no towpath along this section of the Cam. In the 18th and 19th Centuries when deliveries were made to the Colleges it was by horse drawn barge. The Cam isn’t deep, and old prints show the horses wading chest-deep through the water, pulling barges and lighters. To facilitate this a cobbled causeway was laid down the centre of the river.
There are two kinds of punts in Cambridge, single width boats hired by the hour, generally to absolute novices, who laugh and splash and pose for selfies as they career haphazardly along the river, often crashing from side to side, sometimes assisted by the occasional alcoholic libation. There are also double width boats with ‘professional’ chauffeurs, propelling the boat, seemingly effortlessly, in a straight line (while dodging the beginners) straight up the middle of the river. These seasoned punters are following the hidden causeway along the centre of the river because it is far easier to propel their heavily laden boat by pushing off against solid cobbles than to allow the pole to sink into the clinging mud either side of this causeway.
The ‘middle of the river’ punt chauffeurs certainly aren’t prepared to surrender the precious centre of the bridges to narrowboats, pinball punting novices, or even other chauffeur punts. There is a famous annual 420 rowing boats race on the Thames in London where every cox has been told to ‘aim for the second lamp post on the right’ on Hammersmith Bridge, and the onlooker can revel in the chaos as all the boats steer for the same point, seemingly regardless of other boats. Similarly on the Cam, everyone heads for the centre of the bridges, with little or no consideration for other boats eyeing up the same destination !
The universal rule ‘steam gives way to sail’ clearly still applies, even if it has been transcribed to ‘beta 43 marine engine gives way to madly waving pole’ ! Of course it hasn’t crossed the punters’ minds that our boat may weigh 15 tons and doesn’t have brakes. Picking your way through, often on no more than tick-over, can feel like you are dancing around delicate china in hob nailed boots !
The custodians of the river, the Cam Conservators recommend positioning a look out in the bows, just to watch for wayward punts. By the first bridge punts were coming, from seemingly every direction, thick and fast. After the rather stodgy cast iron Victorian Magdalen Bridge, the next one is the Grade 1 listed Bridge of Sighs. There are a number of similarly named bridges around the world, but the inspirational original was constructed in 1600 in Venice and given the nick-name (which stuck) by Lord Byron. Cambridge’s was built in 1831, and bathed in the strong spring sunlight was breathtaking !
The next bridge, St John’s Kitchen Bridge, is a pleasant stone bridge. The Conservators ‘guide to navigating the … backs’ advises caution:
“this is the lowest and most challenging of all the bridges. Headroom at the apex of the largest middle arch is 2.08m / 6’9”. the curvature of the arch constrains the width available. You must ensure that your vessel is aligned dead-centre before proceeding. On the return passage, the entrance to the bridge is blind. Take especial care.”
Trinity Bridge, next, is another stone built bridge and is the second lowest bridge that we passed under. However, as we’d just squeezed under St John’s Kitchen Bridge, it wasn’t a problem. After a nondescript modern pedestrian bridge (Garret Hostel bridge) we arrived at Cambridge’s oldest, Clare Bridge. This is the only bridge to survive the English Civil War. Its considerable antiquity can be seen in its higgledy piggledy appearance.
After another stone bridge (King’s) we came to probably Cambridge’s most famous, the Mathematical Bridge. There is a popular myth that this bridge was designed and built by Sir Isaac Newton without the use of nuts or bolts, and that in the past students dismantled it, but couldn’t work out how to reassemble it again without using bolts. In fact mechanical fixings were always part of the design, it’s just that originally it employed spikes driven through the joints from outside (where they could not be seen from the inside of the parapets), whereas when it was rebuilt, big hand cut square bolts were used which are still highly visible. The bridge was originally constructed in 1749. Newton had already died in 1727 so his direct involvement in the bridge’s construction appears unlikely.
The last bridge is Silver Street. It’s a single span bridge, clad in Portland Stone, designed by Sr Edward Lutyens, and built in the late 1950s. In the middle it has a generous 8’7” air draft, but immediately upstream (to the left as we were travelling) is Mill Lane punting station with rafts of moored punts. We had to turn 90 degrees right immediately as we emerged from under the bridge, a manoeuvre made harder by extremely slow speed and punts absolutely everywhere.
We had reached Head of Navigation. There is a small weir, and the only boats that could access the river above the weir (here called Granta, despite remaining the Cam) were either boats that could be lifted by hand, or punts which are dragged across rollers. We winded in the mill pond, known as the Mill Pit. The Conservator’s navigation guide advises: “allow the water coming over the weir to carry the bows around”.
Travelling up the Cam from Jesus Green Lock had taken about an hour. It took at least another hour to retrace our route back to Jesus Green Lock. If possible, progress was even slower on the return journey, as the unseasonably stunning weather had attracted even more punts to the water. I often observe “if I was in a hurry I wouldn’t have bought a boat”. Nowhere does this more apply than to the Cambridge Backs. However the most leisurely cruising speed I can ever remember adopting, gives you more time to enjoy the uniquely special views of Cambridge from the water.
The Backs have become a firm entry into my “Seven Most Wonderful Places to Boat” list of uniquely special locations, but I doubt, however many times we might boat the Backs again in the future, that the weather will ever be so kind to us as on this trip !
Please be aware that a trip on the backs cannot be done during the hire boat season. You can however take a punt from Scudamores to recreate this journey on a weeks boating holiday from our March base..
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We had such a good day at St George’s Fayre on 28th April. Thousands of people visited March for a festival of live music and dragons, dancing, market stalls, and a fun fair: We also took over 100 people out on boat trips with us during that day.
If you missed St George’s Fayre why not combine this year’s narrowboat holiday with one of these festivals this summer?
1) Strawberry Fair
This legendary, free music festival has been going for over 40 years, and will be held on Saturday 1st June 2019. This year the theme is love. It kicks off with a parade around Cambridge’s city centre, and then returns to Midsummer Common for the start of the fair at midday. There are usually over a dozen stages, marquees and areas of entertainment and it goes on until 11pm. Each year it attracts over 30,000 visitors. Check out the Strawberry Fair website to find out more.
To get to Cambridge from March by boat you’ll pass through the Middle Levels, and up the Ely section of the Great Ouse. When in Cambridge your cruise will actually take you through Midsummer Common and onwards to Jesus Green and the public moorings near the limit of the navigation. Come for Strawberry Fayre, but stay to visit the world famous universities, art galleries, shops and restaurants in this beautiful, ancient city.
2) March Fest
The 2019 March Summer Festival will be in West End Park, March from 7th to 9th June. This is a free festival with open air stages, food stalls and a fun fair. The live music varies from pop, dance and jazz, to brass and folk. Hundreds of people come to enjoy the music, parade, classic vehicles and stalls. Our hire boat base is in March and so the festival can be visited as a weekend break. Alternatively, start or end your narrowboat hire holiday with this festival.
3) Ely’s Aquafest
Aquafest is a family-friendly event taking place in July at three sites along the River Ouse in Ely: Lavender Green, Jubilee Gardens and the Maltings Green. You can expect to find live music, dancing, a fun fair, beer tent, burger bar and stalls. Many decorated rafts will take part in the annual raft race on the Ouse. For a narrowboat, the journey from March to Ely is approximately an 18 hour return trip. To find out more about the festival visit Aquafest.
There are visitor moorings on the waterfront in Ely. While you’re there you can visit the antiques centre, the city centre shops, the famous Ely Cathedral and the museum at Oliver Cromwell’s House.
4) Ely Folk Festival
This intimate and friendly little folk and roots festival, in mid July, offers a real ale bar, kids’ activities, Morris dancing displays, ceilidhs, workshops and music sessions. Check out Ely Folk Festival. Early bird tickets are on sale until 31st May.
If you’d like to travel to one of these festivals by narrowboat checkout our bookings page now, and see if your boat of choice is available for the dates you want.
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What’s a sophisticated narrowboater to do on a rainy day?
Where can a cultured canal cruiser go to view art?
And which local exhibitions are free to enjoy?
When the unpredictable British weather makes you moor up, why not take shelter in a nearby art gallery, and view some amazing works of art?
Cruising the Fenland waterways is one of the most relaxing ways to enjoy the stunning natural beauty of Cambridgeshire, but don’t miss the chance to see some incredible artwork when you visit these cities along our holiday routes. Here are four places to visit that every cultured boater will want to explore.
1) City Gallery
City Gallery is inside Peterborough Museum, on Priestgate and has a rolling programme of contemporary art throughout the year. There is also a live camera monitoring the museum for ghost activity! Additionally there are several small, independent galleries around Peterborough sourcing original work in a variety of mediums, from talented artists. Some of these galleries host artist talks and demonstrations, workshops and community art events. Check out Art in the Heart, 13 Westgate Arcade, Prints Charming Gallery, 391 Lincoln Road, Millfield and The Dolby Gallery, 30 West Street, Oundle.
To get to Peterborough by boat, from our hire boat base in March, is a 12 hour return trip along the River Nene, which is ideal for a short break, and takes in some lovely countryside and pretty villages along the way.
2) Babylon Art Gallery
The Babylon Gallery is on the Waterside in Ely and hosts workshops, exhibitions, study days, poetry nights and other events. Ely’s visitor moorings are close to the gallery, Jubilee Park and the antique centre. In the summer visitors to Ely can also enjoy riverside concerts.
From March to Ely is an eighteen hour return trip by boat from Fox Narrowboats marina, through the Middle Levels and along the River Ouse.
While you’re in Ely you can also visit The Stained Glass Museum at the cathedral. Ted Coney’s Family Portraits in Ely is an unusual pop-up gallery which opens on Sunday afternoons.
3) Fitzwilliam Museum
From Ely to Cambridge takes about five hours cruising by narrowboat. Cambridge has a high concentration of museums and art galleries and there are many independent galleries and exhibitions displaying pieces from local and international artists.
The Fitzwilliam Museum is the arts and antiquities museum for the University of Cambridge. It is located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge and admission is free. The impressive collection includes artworks by Monet, Picasso, Rubens, Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt, Cézanne, Van Dyck, and Canaletto.
4) Kettle’s Yard
Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge is an art gallery and house, with a shop and café. The permanent collection is made up of paintings, sculptures and objects collected by Jim Ede. These are mainly works from the British avant-garde of the first half of the 20th century. Entry is free.
You could also take a stroll around the Ruskin Gallery, New Hall Art Collection, and Byard Art Gallery in Cambridge.
If you’d like to visit some of these art galleries on your next narrowboat holiday check out our current Narrowboat Hire Special Offers.
Are you planning to surprise your loved one this spring?
Looking for something different to the usual ideas, gifts, hotels and breaks?
Want to avoid staying in an overbooked hotel with dozens of other couples?
The answer is to book a romantic getaway, on a narrowboat, this year!
This surprise boat trip with your partner is an alternative idea for a romantic break. Our narrowboats are available to hire from April onwards, and will give you something to look forward to. Escape crowded hotels and enjoy the solitude of your own boat on the quiet waterways. As the warmer weather encourages animals out of hibernation you may see ducks, swans and moorhens with their fluffy young ones bobbing along behind them. Listen out for the high-pitched shriek of a bright blue kingfisher on the canals. As the vegetation bursts into life in April you will see cowslips, primroses and daffodils near England’s waterways. Trees will blossom and herons will form breeding colonies in the crowns of any tall trees close to water.
On a short boating break with the one you love you could travel towards Ely or Peterborough and explore the Middle Level Waterways, The River Ouse or The River Nene. Here are our top three ideas for a cosy boat trip for two.
1) Peterborough
From March to Ferry Meadows Country Park is a 12 hour return trip by narrowboat, which is ideal for a short romantic break. On the approach to Peterborough the cathedral can be clearly seen across the flat fields. If you stop at the visitor moorings beside the park you can explore the city centre, where you can enjoy shopping, the theatre, markets and all the restaurants you would expect to find in a major city. However, you can also enjoy peaceful waterside walks, cycling, fishing or a cup of tea in the cafe at Ferry Meadows Park. This destination has all the benefits of city life plus some added rural relaxation.
2) Downham Market
If you’re adventurous and want to get off the beaten track, then from the River Ouse you can cruise along the relief channel and moor the narrowboat at Downham Market. This little town on the edge of the Fens has a variety of shops for stocking up with provisions, as well as a local market held on Fridays and Saturdays. The town dates back to the Middle Ages, and was once known for its butter market and horse fairs. Check out the Victorian clock tower when you visit, and wander around hand in hand imagining that you’ve gone back in time together…
3) The Pub
A romantic break away would not be complete without a romantic meal. Waterside pubs offer the chance to moor up outside, and it’s therefore only a short walk home to your boat at the end of the evening. A waterways guide book is provided with your boat and will show you many cosy pubs along the route you have chosen. The Fox Boats team like to eat at The Acre in March, The Swan on the River near Ely, and The Cutter. Read: Our Top 3 Pubs for Your Fenland Narrowboat Holiday
That article will tell you all about Urban Fox, a pretty little boat, painted brightly in the Fox Boat colours of red, yellow and green. Need more inspiration? You’ll also love Two Valentines Breaks to Fall in Love With.
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Looking for a short break on the canals or rivers of England?
Searching for late booking deals on the Fenland waterways?
Foxboats offer day boat hire near Ely and Cambridge, and holidays on the River Nene and Ouse. Our family friendly business provides full training to new boaters and our luxury canal boats include free Wi-Fi and all mod cons.
The Easter weekend is a popular time for boaters to get back out on the water, as the weather improves and springtime begins. Our local waterways are far less crowded than the Norfolk broads. From our hire boat base you can easily explore the Middle Levels, River Nene, River Ouse and the River Cam.
If you’ve previously tried a canal boat break in the summer, you could benefit from better prices by booking now for the spring. A spring break away means that the waterways are less busy, the wildlife are awakening from hibernation and new baby animals and waterfowl are born. Daffodils, primroses and other seasonal flowers line the waterways.
A holiday in the Fens provides peaceful countryside cruises, pretty walks, villages, churches, cosy pubs, and even the steam trains of the Nene Valley Railway. Picturesque English market towns offer restaurants and retail therapy. Try shopping for Easter eggs in Peterborough, Ely, Cambridge or smaller towns along the way. You may even spot some real life Easter bunnies along the waterside on your travels!
Our phones are busy in Spring with boats booking up fast, so if you have a particular boat in mind, or a particular date for your holiday then reserve your most suitable boat now to avoid disappointment.
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Would you like to take a short trip on a canal boat?
Want to explore inside one of our narrowboats?
Are you interested in holiday discounts?
Then come along on April 7th 2019 to our Open Day at March Marina, hosted with Drifters Waterways Holidays.
On Sunday April 7th you are invited to try canal boating for free at Fox Narrowboats, as part of a Drifters National Open Day event, supported by the Canal and River Trust. The taster sessions, which will be from 11am to 4pm, include free short trips on skippered narrowboats, as well as boat tours and holiday discounts. People of all ages are encouraged to take part, and no advanced booking is required.
Last year the Drifters hire boat open day was attended by about 300 people, with around 200 of them taking to the water for the first time under the instruction of our qualified team. Visitors also enjoyed having a go at canal art and taking part in games and competitions. The refreshments stall was popular throughout the day. We received several bookings for both day hire and holidays at last year’s open day.
One visitor shared on Facebook, “My daughter, grandson and myself came to the Open Day and how lovely it was too, thoroughly enjoyed the boat trip, stalls and friendly welcome by all. Well done.”
You may also like our other upcoming event, St Georges Fayre, on Sunday 28th April 2019. Thousands of people will be visiting March on that day to enjoy a festival of live music and dragons, great food, Morris dancing, market stalls, an art exhibition, a fun fair, and dance and music performances. At last year’s St Georges Fayre over 100 people came on a boat trip with us and this year we will be running boat trips again, throughout the day.
These two events are a great way for our friendly staff to introduce people our beautiful local waterways, and for those interested in boating to see what it’s like inside a canal boat. If you’re curious to see what our holiday boats are like, take a look at these pictures to see a typical boat layout. You may be surprised to discover that typical on-board luxuries include TV, DVD, stereo, microwave and more.
There’s no substitute for seeing the boats in person though, so come along to the open day and let us show you around!
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The waterways campaigners presenting their picture to The Lamb and Flag Welney.
The waterways campaigners presenting their picture to The Lamb and Flag Welney.
On Thursday 14th March Pat Fox and Paula were invited to a luncheon at the Lamb & Flag in Welney where waterways campaigner John Revell was to make a presentation to the landlords. Following an excellent lunch John invited Gina and Denis to join the assembled group whilst John said a few words.
John has now cruised on the Old Bedford numerous times campaigning to get the lock at Welches Dam re opened and the Horseway channel cleared for navigation.
Thank you all for coming. A particular thanks to Mike Daines for taking the 2 recent photographs and arranging for the framing and to Peter and Charlotte Cox who provided the 3rd photograph taken by the late Patrick Barry in March 1997.
The boating picture presented to The Lamb and Flag, Welney
Boats have been navigating the Old Bedford river since 1637, a mere 382 years. It is therefore one of the earliest, artificially built, navigable waterways in the UK.
This ancient waterway was in frequent use in the past including by the hire fleet run by Pat and Charlie Fox. Pat tells me that 46 boats used this route on a single day in 1973.
I first came here by boat on 5 November 2005 accompanied by Pat & Charlie Fox in their boat, Bill Badger. We were helped by Roger Mungham and Lois and Roy Parker who are still very much involved. To reach Welney we came along Horseway Channel (about 2 miles long and currently unnnavigable) and Welches Dam lock which the Environment Agency made impassable in 2006 when they piled the entrance to the lock with interlocked steel piles.
The Inland Waterways Association and others have been campaigning ever since to get this single lock and Horseway channel re-opened. During this time there have been several attempts to reach Welney and Welches Dam lock from the Salters Lode end. This is difficult but the 5 successful cruises to Welney and Welches Dam in the past 2 years show that it can be done by determined canal boaters.
On each of these 5 occasions we have received a very warm welcome from Gina and her team at the excellent Lamb & Flag.
Welney is now one of the destinations listed in IWA’s Silver Propellor Challenge together with Welches Dam lock and I hope that the national publicity created in recent times will encourage more boaters to visit the Lamb & Flag and put Welney back on the navigable waterways map.
Don’t you just love watching the narrowboats go by in the summer?
Did you know that watching boats pass by is known as “gongoozling”?
Do you want to stop gongoozling and have a go at boating this year?
You may like to join us for a short canal boat trip this April, at St George’s Fayre; tickets are just £5.
Thousands of people visit March every year to enjoy live music and dragons, great food, Morris dancing, a craft market and an art exhibition at St Georges Fayre. On Sunday 28th April 2019 our local town centre will be pedestrianised, to make way for a bustling street market, a fun fair, and dance performances.
We will be running boat trips throughout the day and this year we are raising money for The Ladybird Boat Trust. The trust offers boat trips to the disadvantaged or disabled, young or elderly (and their carers) from their base on the Great Ouse near Huntingdon. Many groups return year after year and the annual boat trip is a highlight in their year.
St Georges Fayre begins with a parade through the town to the Market Place, where the Mayor will officially open the day at 10.30am. There is free entertainment on offer all day including Punch and Judy shows, circus skill workshops, and falconry displays. There will also be over 100 stalls, a craft fayre, street food and plenty of live music. (Check out the live music and dragons in this two minute video at the St Georges Fayre Facebook page.)
We will be running 12 boat trips during the day along the Old Nene between the town bridge and West End park. Each trip lasts around 30 minutes and gives boat-watchers a chance to experience a journey by water. Trips are available by buying a ticket on the day, or advanced booking from 1st March by calling 01354 652770.
Offers
We have some special offers on at the moment that mean you could combine your visit to the fayre with a narrowboat holiday. Search for special offers here; prices start at just £699.
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