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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Fayres & local events, Featured articles

4 festivals in Cambridge. 3 Free Summer Festivals by #Narrowboat

We’ve already kicked off the festival season this year with St George’s Fayre here in March, and we are now looking forward to a summer full of fun in Cambridgeshire. If you love live music why not combine your narrowboat holiday with one of these free outdoor events?

1) Strawberry Fayre

This popular, free festival has been going for over 40 years, and this year will be held on June 2nd 2018. The day begins with a parade that goes around Cambridge’s city centre, and then returns to Midsummer Common for the start of the fair at midday. There will be over a dozen stages, marquees and areas of entertainment, continuing all day until the festival finale at 10.30pm.

Strawberry Fair is entirely volunteer run, and attracts over 30,000 visitors. Check out the Strawberry Fair website  to find out more about this colourful celebration of music and art.

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. When Strawberry Fayre is over there is plenty more to see in this world famous University City.

2) March Fest

The 2018 March Summer Festival will be in West End Park, March from 8th to 10th June. Our narrowboat hire base is in the town of March, on the Middle Level Waterways, close to the River Ouse and River Nene. At this free festival there will be an open air stage and activities appealing to all ages. Live music ranges from pop, dance and jazz, to brass and folk. There are always plenty of food stalls and a funfair too. The festival attracts hundreds of people, but after you’ve enjoyed the music, parade, classic vehicles and floats, stalls and amusements you can head back to your own cosy holiday narrowboat for some peaceful downtime. Alternatively, just visit March for the day and try out the boat trips we offer here during the festival.

3) Ely’s Aquafest

March to Ely is approximately an 18 hour return trip by boat, and the Aquafest enters it’s 40th year in 2018! On Sunday 1st July Aquafest will be covering three premier sites along the riverside, Lavender Green, Jubilee Gardens and the Maltings Green, and it attracts families of all ages and interests.

Come for the fun fair, beer tent, burger bar and stalls – and stay for the Annual Raft Race on the River Ouse, with numerous decorated rafts. The two arenas will provide varied entertainment throughout the day, often featuring local talent. There will be music, dancing, interesting demonstration and audience participation. To find out more visit Aquafest.

While you’re moored at the pleasant and busy waterfront in Ely, don’t miss the city centre shops, famous cathedral and the museum at Oliver Cromwell’s House.  The Stained Glass Museum at the cathedral is stunning, and Ely is also well-known for the Antiques Centre close to the river.

4) Ely Folk Festival

This festival isn’t free but it’s worth a mention. It’s an intimate and friendly little folk and roots festival running from 13th to 15th July.

Visitors can enjoy a real ale bar, kids’ activities, Morris dancing displays, ceilidhs, workshops and music sessions. Many live-aboard boaters love a bit of folk and a real ale, so why not join them for the weekend this year? Check out Ely Folk Festival. Early bird tickets are on sale until 31st May.

If you’d like your narrowboat holiday this year to coincide with one of these free festivals checkout our bookings page now, and see if your boat of choice is available for the dates you want.

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Canal boaters & writers, Featured articles, Towns & villages

wadenhoe mooring jan pickles

Photograph provided by kind permission of Jan Pickles

Are you experiencing stress?

Do you sometimes feel like you have a heavy workload or too much responsibility?

Are you currently facing a life challenge that is affecting your emotional health?

A narrowboat trip to an unknown village could be the easy solution you are looking for.

Stress is actually a normal part of life and at times, it serves a useful purpose. Stress can motivate you to get that promotion at work, or take action to change an uncomfortable situation. But if you don’t give yourself a break sometimes, it can begin to affect your work, relationships and health.

Exercise, spending time in nature, and practising mindfulness are all effective ways of managing stress. Read on to learn five ways that a canal boat trip to an English village can soothe your soul.

1) Mindful Boating

Mindfulness is simply practicing living life in the present moment, and it can be extremely useful for stopping stress and anxiety in its tracks. The idea is to focus your attention completely on the task at hand, and narrowboating offers the perfect opportunity to do this. Whether you are the steerer, operating the locks, or reading the waterways map, being part of a narrowboat crew gives you something practical to focus on, instead of the negative chatter in your mind. A trip to the unspoilt village of Wadenhoe from our hire boat base will take around three days, by boat. This village with attractive stone buildings and a rich history dates back to Saxon times.  To get there by canal boat, just take it easy and “go with the flow”, along the Old River Nene, through the Middle Levels and onto the River Nene.

2) Walking

Like any other cardiovascular exercise, brisk walking boosts endorphins, which can reduce stress hormones, alleviate mild depression, improve mood and increase self-esteem.

So, once you are moored up in the village you can take a stress-busting walk! The Nene Way long distance footpath passes through Wadenhoe and the circular walk between the villages of Wadenhoe and Aldwincle take in many sites of interest. The countryside around Wadenhoe is regarded as among the most picturesque in the East Midlands and is perfect for ramblers.

3) Village life

Narrowboat blogger Sue from nb No Problem loves cruising the East Anglian rivers and the Nene is her favourite river. She advises taking it slow on the journey so that you can enjoy the beautiful lock surroundings with ancient mills. She recommends stopping in Wadenhoe Village because of the stone cottages, thatched rooves, the post office, the Kings Head, the church and Wadenhoe House; a Jacobean 17C manor house. Doesn’t that sound like a place you could chill out?

4) Country Pub

Jan Moyes is a keen boater who also enjoys The Nene, and likes to moor at the historic King’s Head at Wadenhoe. There is a water point next to the pub which is accessible with a River Nene Lock Key. (If there’s already another boat there it’s OK to moor alongside to gain access to it.)

This 17th century thatched inn has been serving food and drink for over 400 years.  In the summertime the grassy riverside paddock is a picturesque hive of activity, where drinkers can sit in the shade of the willow trees and watch the colourful narrowboats passing through the lock. This is a dog-friendly pub and their website has a few great suggestions of river and woodland walks.

They welcome overnight moorings but charge a fee of £10 if you do not use the pub. Let them know if you are planning to stay overnight.

5) Cream Tea

Boaters ‘H’ and Jan Pickles (and their three cats) are also regular visitors to the River Nene and like to relax in Wadenhoe. Jan says, “The Old Barn Tea Rooms do a wicked cooked breakfast and lovely cakes, as well as gifts, plants and even free range eggs can be purchased there. You can also moor a little further upstream against the SSSI (site of special scientific interest). It costs nothing to moor there and the pub and tea rooms are still within easy reach.”

The tea rooms use fresh produce, locally sourced where possible, to create quality, healthy dishes. Visit for lunch or afternoon tea or buy food to takeaway. You can even book a Mad Hatters Tea Party with Alice in Wonderland waitresses!

Soothe Your Soul

There are two good moorings in Wadenhoe, one near the church and the woodland, the other at the pub. You can also take a bus to Peterborough from here, which gives you a day out in the city to visit the shops and cathedral.

For a stress-relieving trip to Wadenhoe you’ll need to book a week long boating holiday with Fox Narrowboats. Check availability here and watch your stress just melt away!

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by Paula SyredPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Featured articles, Towns & villages
Fithteenth Century Chapel

On a glorious Bank holiday Monday after a busy morning at work, we visited Old River Port St Ives on the river Great Ouse.  On our arrival we passed the pub the Seven Wives, presumably named after the children’s nursery rhyme.

As I was going to St Ives I met a man with seven wives,

Each wife had seven sacks, Each sack had seven cats,

Each cat had seven kits: kits, cats, sacks and wives,

How many were going to St Ives?

The town moorings were vibrant and there was a busy amount of river traffic, although not crowded.  There are also moorings available at The Waites and for patrons The Dolphin hotel.

Old River Port St Ives Quay
Fithteenth Century Chapel
Inside The Fithteenth Century Chapel
Still Used As A Place Of Worship Fifteenth Century Chapel

Our first stop was the Fifteenth Century Chapel bridge (one of only four in the country) which as well as still being a place of worship also hosts regular arts events. We descended the steps and walked out onto the balcony to view the moorings from the middle of the river.  When we left the chapel on looking upstream to the right we spotted the river terrace café and popped in for a spot of lunch.  I had the traditional Welsh Rerebit with apple and ale chutney whilst mum had a mini baked Camembert with rosemary.  Both meals were well presented and delicious.

river terrace café
a mini baked Camembert with rosemary
Welsh Rerebit with apple and ale chutney

Following lunch, we browsed the busy Monday market, stopping to listen to the entertainment.  There were stalls a plenty selling clothing, plants and food.  Only a couple of minutes’ walk from the moorings it is unsurprising that so many boaters were in attendance.  The market is held every Monday and Friday. Although the Friday market is smaller. There is also a farmer’s market held on the sheep market on the first and third Saturdays of the month.

tempting market stalls
entertainment

When exploring the town, you will come across a statue of Oliver Cromwell as well as the Norris Museum.  The Norris museum tells the story of Huntingdonshire from 160 million years ago to the present day.

For further details of all that St Ives offers the visiting boater and all visitors it is worth checking the local website the Old River Port St Ives.

For those interested in numbers and the riddle in the rhyme there was only one man going to St Ives the other man and his 7 wives 49 sacks 343 cats 2401 kits were  leaving presumably having all visited the market!

To visit St Ives on your Fox Narrowboats holiday you will need to spend a week on board.  Journey time there and back approx. 32 cruising hours.

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Amazing things to do, Amazing things to see, Canal Blog, Featured articles, Towns & villages

Have you ever had a fun day out discovering English heritage, and visiting places that offer a kind of nostalgic magic? Don’t you just love it when an ancient building triggers your imagination and sends your mind time-travelling off into the distant past?

A visit to a museum can not only be surprisingly fun, but it is often a free day out!

18th May is International Museum Day: a global day celebrating museums, highlighting the challenges museums face, and making programs, activities and projects more accessible to audiences. Some barriers are simply emotional and intellectual. The assumption that museums are only for clever, educated, or wealthy people is one of them. But another misconception is that museums just aren’t supposed to be that much fun.

Are museums supposed to be fun?

Historical records, temporary exhibitions and treasured artefacts sometimes have tragic tales to tell that can’t necessarily be described as fun. Stories of poverty, wars, and disaster; stories of less privileged people, and awareness-raising projects about migrants or disabilities can be typical topics on display.

Sobering subjects and serious issues are not necessarily fun in themselves, because they cannot be described as entertaining or amusing. But if fun can be perceived as engaging in an enjoyable activity then museums do strive to provide fun for their visitors, regardless of the themes presented. Museums display some of the extremes of life; both the beauty and the struggles, and learning about these things can be pleasurable. Absorbing knowledge, discovering culture, traditions and the history of times gone by can be enjoyable. So, meaningful exhibitions about difficult topics can definitely be fun to visit and experience.

Narrowboat Holiday

On a narrowboat holiday you can combine a cruise through the beautiful Fenland countryside with visits to historic towns and cities, like Ely and Cambridge. Travelling at a leisurely pace on your cosy canal boat you can choose where to moor and what to see. From our hire boat base in Cambridgeshire you can either travel towards Ely and Cambridge, or in the opposite direction take the picturesque River Nene to Peterborough. You won’t believe these seven days out are either free or very low cost.

1) Peterborough Museum is located in one of the city’s most historic buildings, and has a wealth of stories to fascinate and enthral the whole family. With amazing objects and interactive displays for all ages, the collections comprise over 200,000 items of great national and international importance.

2) March and District Museum is in the heart of the town centre and offers a fascinating insight into the community’s social history through a variety of exciting displays and collections, along with audio points and interactive elements to help guide you through the history of the town. Admission and helpful advice is all free.

3) Ely Museum is a bright and friendly local history museum, located in the Bishop’s Gaol in the centre of the historical city of Ely. The museum is the history centre for the Isle of Ely and the Fens and it takes you on a journey through time from prehistory to the twentieth century.

4) Oliver Cromwell’s House in Ely, has been refurbished to show how it may have looked during Cromwell’s lifetime. The house has eight period rooms and the kitchen dates from around 1215.

5) The stunning Stained Glass Museum is located within Ely Cathedral and displays an inspirational collection of stained glass, from medieval to modern.

6) Prickwillow Museum offers a family day out with a difference. It tells the story of the drainage of the Fens, the history of the local area, and showcases some of the region’s finest examples of restored diesel engines.

7) The University of Cambridge Museums and Collections are all within short walking distance of the city centre. Visitors can explore more than five million works of art, artefacts and specimens in one square mile of Cambridge. The University’s collections are a world-class resource for researchers, students and members of the public. Cambridge has England’s highest concentration of internationally important collections outside London.

Are these museums actually fun? Probably. But within these seven choices can you also find something unusual, something quirky, something famous, and something impressive? Definitely. So how could your day out get any better? Simple. Arrive by narrowboat.

Check narrowboat availability for this summer!

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by Paula SyredPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Fayres & local events, Featured articles, In media
March on the Middle Level Navigation

boat trips at the open day

Wow, what a busy week we have had here at Fox Narrowboats.  Firstly, we started with the Drifters hire boat open day on Sunday 15th April.  This was attended by approximately 300 people with around 200 of them taking to the water for the first time under the instruction of our qualified team.

Guests could also take part in games and competitions and had the opportunity to try their hand at canal art as well as visiting the popular refreshment stall. Bookings for both Day hire and holidays were received at the events.

canal art

The open day was also the first time our selfie board and photo frame were used.  Next time you visit us here have a look and take a picture.  The board and frame were designed by local artist Nicola Baxter who is the daughter of Tracey and Gary.

Selfie Board

Mrs Tawn posted 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.”

Sunday 22nd April was the annual St George’s Fayre in the town and Gary once again took the helm of March Explorer running boat trips through the town centre every half hour during the day. Over 100 people took to the water for a boat trip during the day

Managing Director Paula Syred said of these events. “It has been fantastic to introduce so many people to narrowboating.  My staff all know that boating is a wonderful way to slow down, relax and unwind.  Now so many other people have had the opportunity to experience this. My thanks go to all the staff who go the extra mile for these events to ensure that our visitors receive the best possible experience.”

During the week we are delighted to report that we have also raised £973.45 for our charity of the year Heart of the Fens, defibrillators for March.

 

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Fayres & local events, Featured articles

Are you interested in canal boating?

Want to try narrowboating for free?

Think that sounds too good to be true?

Well, you can try canal boating for free, here at March Marina in Cambridgeshire on Sunday 15th April 2018. On Drifters’ National Open Day, Drifters are offering the chance to get afloat for free; you can find out more about canal boat holidays at 20 of their bases across England and Wales. Fox Narrowboats are happy to be involved in this event which is from 11am to 4pm. The idea is to, “Find out why canal boat holidays are the fastest way to slow down”.

Here at March Marina you’ll be able to enjoy a relaxing boat trip on one of our holiday boats. There will also be boats to look around, refreshments available, games and competitions.

We’d love to welcome you on a complimentary trip on one of our holiday boats at our open day.

Our marina is located on some very beautiful waterways. On a free trip at the Open Day you can enjoy the tranquillity of the local picturesque rivers and discover the abundance of wildlife that lives on the Fens.

If you are considering a boating holiday or day boat hire, but don’t know what to expect come along and see us on April 15th. But be warned, just one visit can get you addicted to canal boating! A visitor to our Facebook page recently commented;

“It was as a result of attending one of these excellent events that John and I fell in love with the canals! We bought our beautiful narrowboat “Ally’s Mist” not long afterwards and spent many happy days on it.”

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday 15th April for boat trips, boats to look round, refreshments, games and competitions.

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Fayres & local events, Featured articles

st georges fayre 2018 boating

Do you love live music?

Do you enjoy a lively festival?

Want to combine a festival with this year’s narrowboat holiday?

Time is running out to book a narrowboat holiday that coincides with St Georges Fayre, our local festival that welcomes thousands of people into March each year. You can expect to enjoy live music and dragons, great food, Morris dancing, a craft market and an art exhibition. This year our town fayre, celebrating England’s patron saint, is on Sunday 22nd April 2018. The town centre will be pedestrianised, creating space for a bustling street market, a fun fair, and dance performances throughout the day.

Parade

The day begins with a parade, in celebration of St George, moving from The Fountain, Broad Street to the Market Place, where the Mayor will do the official opening at 10.30am.  The judging of the Fancy Dress Competition follows at 10.35am. The free entertainment on offer during the day includes Punch and Judy shows, circus skill workshops, and falconry.

Fox Narrowboats will be running 30 minute boat trips throughout the day and this year we are raising money for March Heart of the Fens Defibrillators for March. 12 boat trips run throughout the day along the Old Nene between the town bridge and West End park. The trips last 30 minutes and give people a chance to experience a journey by water.

Who makes it happen?

St George’s Fayre is one of four ‘Four Seasons’ events which take place in Fenland’s market towns throughout the year. The Fayre is organised by Fenland District Council and a committee of volunteers; it is also supported by March Town Council. Town community organisations that have contributed to the event’s success over the years include; Fen Craft Fairs, The Chamber of Commerce, March Library, March Museum, March Society, Churches Together, The Rotary Club, March Lions, Georges, Markets and Events Ltd and many more.

Dragons

Check out the live music and dragons in this two minute video at the St Georges Fayre Facebook page. Remember there will be over 100 stalls, a craft fayre, fun fair, street food and much more.

Offers

We have some special offers on at the moment that mean you could combine your last minute holiday booking with this festival. For example you could book narrowboat Leisurely Fox, (which sleeps 4-6) for seven nights starting from Monday 16th April. The price was previously £1575, but is now on offer at £1350 – and you can finish your week off by attending the festival. Search for more special offers here; prices start at just £699. But hurry, the fayre is on 22nd April!

You may also like: How to Celebrate St Georges Day on a Narrowboat Holiday

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Books TV online narrowboating, Canal Blog, Featured articles

narrowboating-on-kennet-avon-canal

Want to explore the quieter parts of England?

Feel like cruising through amazing scenery?

Planning to spend quality time with a loved one?

In Channel 4’s television series, Great Canal Journeys, Timothy West and Prunella Scales now take canal barge and narrowboat trips in various countries around the world. But the programme originally began with focussing on their life-long love of the British inland waterways. Back in 1990 the actors were on the first narrowboat to travel the newly restored section of the Kennet and Avon between Bath and Devizes.

In the TV series they’ve travelled the popular Kennet and Avon, the Llangollen Canal, Oxford, Grand Union Canal and the Norfolk Broads, but have yet to feature the lesser-known Fenland Waterways. Sometimes referred to as the waterways best-kept secret; we find our local canals to be much less crowded; perfect for escaping the paparazzi! (BBC Countryfile presenter Adam Henson described the Fenlands as “a hidden gem,” in the Ely Standard.)

Matthew Corbett, Toyah Wilcox, Timothy Spall, Nicholas Cage, David Suchet, Heston Blumenthal, Brian Blessed, Camilla Parker Bowles, Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones) and Calista Flockhart have all tried escaping to the waterways for a narrowboat holiday. (Read more: How to Holiday Like a Celebrity Without it Costing a Fortune).

However, English canals, waterways and narrowboats are rarely featured in fictional films and television. (Read more: Movies That Feature Narrowboating Life).

Timothy and Prunella love discovering places that they haven’t been before, meeting new people, and taking life at a gentle pace. There is also something very poignant about watching their relationship, and seeing them reminisce about memories in their past.

You don’t have to be of retirement age to enjoy a narrowboat holiday though. What these programmes show us is that a boating holiday is a wonderful chance to get away from modern, busy distractions, and focus on our human relationships; the people that matter. In Marie Browne’s memoir, Narrow Margins, her young family discover how to slow down and reconnect with one another. She also describes travelling the River Nene – a route covered by Fox Boats holidays. (Read more: 3 Things this Book Can Tell Us About Narrowboat Holidays).

If you want to reconnect with the ones you love and spend some quality time together, then why not take a short narrowboat holiday break and experience your own Great Canal Journey? Slow down, and create new memories with the ones you love.

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.)

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Booking budget tips, Canal Blog, Featured articles

book early narrowboat hire

Do you know the shocking truth about last minute bookings?

What little-known factors can affect your holiday price?

How safe is your ideal narrowboat from being fully booked?

It’s March already, the beginning of the cruising season, which means that many boaters have already booked and begun their narrowboat holiday! If you haven’t booked your canal holiday yet, read on for the truth about last minute bookings.

1) Decide on your dates

Research done by ABTA, the UK’s largest travel association, has found that British holidaymakers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of booking early. 62 percent of people cited better deals and cheaper prices as their motivation for booking early. Thinking about this year’s dates right now, means you can begin your holiday research today, and avoid missing out.

2) Book time off work

Hastily searching for last minute deals can sometimes be fun, but early booking has several benefits. There will be more availability of the dates that you want, making it easier to get time off work if you plan ahead. Remember also that you may have to factor in your partner’s work commitments, and avoid clashing with other scheduled family plans this year.

3) Select your narrowboat

Booking early gives you more choices of available prices, and booking online can often get you a cheaper deal. If you are a couple, save money by hiring a smaller boat than that which would be needed by a large family. For example Urban Fox sleeps 2-4 people; Platinum Fox sleeps 4-6. A large group of 7 could share Silver Fox, a luxury narrow boat suitable for a group, and share the cost.

At Fox Narrowboats you’re more likely to get the boat of your choice if you browse what’s available now, and reserve it early. Have a look at floor plans, colour photographs and a full list of on-board equipment and luxuries. The Fox Boats fleet are either cruiser or semi-traditional sterns: Narrowboat stern types.

Remember it’s not just UK travellers who are looking forward to their summer holiday, but hundreds of visitors from other countries too. We have a limited number of available boats and dates.

We’re currently taking bookings for this year’s boating season. Will you join us on an adventure?

If you enjoyed these tips about early booking, sign up to follow our blog in the right sidebar. (We don’t send spam or salesy type stuff – just holiday inspiration and insider knowledge about our local waterways!)

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Featured articles, Pubs & restaurants

eating out river cruise ely cambridge

Are you a food and dining enthusiast?

Do you love cooking at home?

Are you a follower of TV chefs?

Whether you are eating in or dining out on your narrowboat holiday there are plenty of ways to enjoy good food in the Fenlands of Cambridgeshire.

Shopping

You may like to bring some basic food supplies with you when you arrive at our narrowboat hire base to begin your holiday. However you could also do a food shop here in March at nearby Sainsbury’s or Iceland. If you’re hiring a day-boat you could stop to shop in Upwell Village stores on the riverside, or at Outwell village shop, which is a two minute walk from the river. On a longer holiday cruise you will find Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury’s in Ely, or Asda in Peterborough, conveniently beside the river.

If you like to shop local, seeking out organic produce and browsing farmers markets then you’ll love this article about British Food Fortnight. How to #LoveBritishFood While You Hire a Narrowboat

Cooking

Our holiday boats are equipped with a fridge with a small freezer compartment, and a gas cooker, which has a four ring hob, oven and a grill. So you should be able to cook most things that you would normally cook at home. Here are six of the best suggestions, tried and tested by real boaters. The 6 Best Narrowboat Summer Holiday Recipes

There are also some great ideas in the Narrowboat Recipes Facebook group.  You may also like this selection of recipes ‘From the Galley’ written by the team at Boatshed. I enjoyed the Camembert and Spinach Tortilla!

During National Picnic Week in June, our blog offered three simple steps to the perfect waterside picnic. How to Use Your Canal Boat Holiday to Plan the Perfect Picnic

Eating Out

We asked the Fox Narrowboats team about some of the best pubs on the Fenland waterways and they suggested these three riverside pubs Our Top 3 Pubs for Your Fenland Narrowboat Holiday

Gerald and Paula also visited The Ship Inn at Brandon Creek.  They sat at a table looking down The Great Ouse river towards Denver and watched the early evening boats travel downstream towards Denver Lock. Read more: Review of The Ship.

There’s nothing quite like visiting a succession of traditional English pubs on your narrowboat holiday. If you decide to cruise towards Cambridge here are 5 Places to Stop for a Drink When Cruising on the Cam. Cambridge also has a wonderful selection of restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets. As well as a guided tour of Kings College you could also book yourself a wine tasting day with champagne and lunch in the beautiful college of Gonville and Caius.

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