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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Customer Reviews

Perfect way to watch the world go by

narrowboat-hire-easy-cruisingBooked Explorer for the day to celebrate our Anniversary. What a brilliant time.
The staff are exceptionally good, and we were shown how to drive the boat etc. Children were all fitted with life jackets, and made to feel part of the team.
We then spent the next 7 hours watching the world go by as we headed to Outwell.
Would recommend this to anyone, and will be back soon to have another go.

Robert L (first posted on Trip Advisor May 2017)

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Amazing things to see, Canal Blog, Ely & Cambridge, Featured articles, Historic sites
Attribution: Wikipedia Oxyman
Oliver Cromwells Birthplace

Attribution: Wikipedia Oxyman

If you’ve been browsing the internet reading about narrowboats you probably think you have a good idea of what a narrowboat hire holiday is like. It’s just slowly drifting through narrow canals and English countryside with occasional stops at country pubs right?

Or is it? I thought I’d feature one of our more unusual cruises which offers four things that you don’t normally see on the English canals!

The March to Cambridge holiday presents a seventeenth century sluice, the home of Oliver Cromwell, a thousand year old cathedral, and a world famous university city.

1) Denver Sluice

Denver sluice was first built in 1651 and has suffered many mishaps, collapses, closures and repairs since. It famously held back the sea from drowning most of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk; and Dorothy L. Sayers based some dramatic events around it in her renowned 1930s novel, The Nine Tailors.

The sluice plays a vital role in the drainage of the fens. It is here you would leave the Middle Level Navigations to cross the tidal river Great Ouse. Read more in our article: Our Top Safety Tips for the Salters and Denver Tidal Crossing.

2) Oliver Cromwell’s birthplace

As you travel up the Great Ouse, you’ll discover St Ives, famous in medieval times for its international fairs, and now famous as the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell. Today it is a quiet market town with a variety of restaurants of different cultural origins from Italian, Chinese, Indian and a Greek Taverna. The town also has a number of pubs, hotels, tea rooms and cafes where you can eat. Lovely little shops can be found in Tudor style buildings and alleyways.

There are moorings at St Ives Quay (with a water point) and The Waites. Moorings are also available for customers at The Dolphin Hotel. Carry on cruising to Ely to visit Oliver Cromwell’s house.

3) Ely Cathedral

The famous lantern tower of this cathedral can be seen for miles around, but Ely is also known for its antique centres, ancient narrow streets, timbered houses and medieval gateways. The waterfront is popular among walkers, cyclists and boaters. When you visit the cathedral you’ll see the delicate carved stonework of the Lady Chapel, and the Stained Glass Window Museum is a hidden treasure within the cathedral, with a display of over 100 original stained glass panels.

4) Cambridge

Cambridge is a beautiful city bustling with students and bicycles. The architecture of the ancient colleges is truly stunning, and if you want to enjoy an alternative kind of boating you must try punting. A good way to take in the city is an open top bus tour. Shopping offers an intriguing mix of craft workshops, antique centres, jewellers, art galleries and familiar high street stores.

If you’d like a canal holiday with a difference this journey offers a variety of “one off” experiences. Have a look at our full itinerary of cruises for more ideas on which places to visit.

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Fayres & local events, Featured articles
elyaquafest.org.uk
ely aquafest - from elyaquafest.org.uk

elyaquafest.org.uk

If you missed March’s St Georges Fayre in April this year there are still five more festivals you could include in your narrowboat holiday itinerary this summer. Our narrowboat hire base is located in the town of March, nestled in the Fens on the Middle Level Waterways, close to the River Ouse and River Nene, and this summer is busy with a variety of events.

1) March Fest

March Summer Festival is a free event and in 2017 it will be held from 9th to 11th June. There will be music and activities appealing to all ages and tastes and an open air stage set up in West End Park for the weekend. The live music includes pop, dance, jazz, brass and folk, plus there’ll be a funfair and plenty of food stalls.

Last year hundreds of people gathered at West End Park to enjoy the music, parade of walkers, classic vehicles and floats and a variety of stalls and amusements. There is a gallery of photographs of the event, courtesy of Anthony Hylton, at The March Summer Festival website. Fox Boats run boat trips at the event.

2) Cambridgeshire Yoga and Vegan Festival

Cambridgeshire’s first-ever Yoga and Vegan Festival will be held at The Paradise Centre, Newnham Street, in Ely this year. There will be more than 40 yoga and meditation sessions, a variety of vegan food and stalls, plus many free talks included in the entrance price. It will take place on Sunday 11th June from 9.15am-5pm, with a £5 entry fee, and children go free. It seems like the perfect complement to a calming narrowboat cruise. March to Ely is approximately an 18 hour return trip by boat.

3) Ely’s Aquafest

Aquafest, on Sunday 2nd July 2017 is a family event covering three premier sites along Ely’s riverside, Lavender Green, Jubilee Gardens and the Maltings Green. There will be a fun fair, beer tent, burger bar and stalls. Two arenas provide varied entertainment, and there is music, dancing, demonstrations and audience participation. A highlight of the event is the Annual Raft Race on the River Ouse, with numerous decorated rafts. For more information visit Aquafest.

4) Ely Folk Festival

This intimate and friendly little folk and roots festival takes place over the weekend of 7th to 9th July. There are on-site camping facilities, a real ale bar, lots of kids’ activities, Morris dancing displays, ceilidhs, workshops and music sessions. The folk scene is popular among live-aboard boaters, so why not become one of them just for this weekend, and arrive on your own narrowboat home? Check out Ely Folk Festival.

5) Strawberry Fayre

On Saturday 3rd June 2017 Midsummer Common will once more become a festival of vitality, music and colour. The day begins with a parade that goes around the 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 website

Arriving by Narrowboat

To get to Cambridge from March 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.

So, why not time your narrowboat holiday this year to coincide with one of these festivals? Check 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, Fayres & local events, Featured articles

brian cox peterborough catherdral starwar For a really memorable holiday, why not try your hand at some new skills, such as steering a canal boat and operating locks? If you haven’t hired a narrowboat before, you may be surprised to find out that it’s very straightforward. Many of our customers are first-timers. As part of our handover process we’ll guide you through the basics, so that you’re confident to cruise off in search of new experiences. Here are three surprising things you can try on your boating holiday; only in the Fens this May.

1) Space Out in Peterborough

Any Star Wars fan will know that May 4th is unofficially Star Wars Day, (the joke being, “May the 4th be with you!”) Can you imagine watching The Force Awakens in the spectacular surroundings of a cathedral nave? Catch up with the adventures of Rey, Finn and BB-8 at Peterborough Cathedral’s movie night on May 4th. Peterborough is just a short cruise away from our narrowboat hire base.

Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens at Peterborough Cathedral

If you want to take a different sort of journey through space and time, delving into ‘high science’ and freewheeling on the edges of the known cosmos, you are invited to an evening with Professor Brian Cox at Peterborough Arena. Brian Cox is a physicist, TV presenter and author; captivating, continually surprising and always pushing the boundaries; he makes complex ideas accessible to all.

Professor Brian Cox: Live at Peterborough Arena

Whichever space-date you choose I bet you’ll be the only group arriving by narrowboat! The trip from our hire base to Peterborough is a 12 hours return trip – ideal for a short break, or take the boat further towards Wisbech or Northampton, for a longer holiday. Take it slowly as you travel down the River Nene, and enjoy beautiful lock surroundings with ancient mills, stone cottages and thatched rooves. (Read: The 3 Best Moorings When Narrowboating on the Nene.)

2) Ely’s Eel Festival

The cruise to Ely is approximately 18 hours return trip from March, and involves the passage of a short length of tidal river between Salter’s Lode and Denver Sluice. You will also pass through the twin villages of Upwell and Outwell, where the village streets line both sides of the river, and you’ll pass houses, gardens, shops, pubs and churches. In the springtime the river banks here are crowded with daffodils.

Ely takes its name from the humble eel, and celebrates its origins with a quirky, annual festival, involving many local traders, acts, demonstrations, celebrity chefs and community organisations. Visitors can discover more than jellied eels, roasted eel and eel pate on the Eel Food Safari, and take part in the World Eel Throwing Competition as part of Eel Day!

Ely Eel Festival Weekend is 28th April – 1st May 2017.

3) Fancy Studying Wine at Cambridge?

When you’re in Cambridge make sure you take an official guided tour of King’s College and The Backs, and hear an expert bring the history of Cambridge to life with fun facts and great stories.

Learn about the famous people connected with Cambridge whilst taking in some of the most impressive sights the city has to offer.

As well as this traditional tour, you could also book yourself a wine tasting day with champagne and lunch in the beautiful college of Gonville and Caius. I visited my friend when he was studying at Caius College, and the architecture is truly stunning. On this fun, interactive, wine tasting day you’ll learn the basics about wine, and discover which wines match best with which foods. Gonville and Caius is one of the oldest colleges (founded 1348) and the wine tasting is held in the Senior parlour, a spacious panelled room with lovely views overlooking Gonville Court.

Wine Tasting Day in a Cambridge College

Cambridge, on the River Cam is just 5 hours cruise from Ely, passing through some electric locks and the village of Fen Ditton.

These are just three surprising things you can try on a narrowboat holiday in the Fens this May, which you’re unlikely to find on your average narrowboat holiday. That’s in addition to the fact that the uncrowded East Anglian Waterways offer a most unique cruising area, with stunning, impressive skyscapes as you travel in solitude, discovering occasional villages and market towns along the way.

Ready to plan your adventure? Check availability here.

  1. PS. Get more tips and inspiration about East Anglian boating direct to your inbox: Look for ‘Follow Blog’ in the sidebar on the right.

Photo Attribution – Peterborough Cathedral
By Diliff – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35039783

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

st georges day boat tripSt Georges Day 2017 is on Sunday 23rd April. The patron saint of England is most commonly associated with the mythical tale of St George and the Dragon.

Legend has it that George slayed a dragon that was terrorising the countryside, intent on devouring a beautiful princess. The story is loosely based on a real-life George who was a Christian soldier of the Roman Empire, born around 280AD. The idea of George as the nation’s patron saint probably began around William Shakespeare’s time. In his play ‘Henry V’, the king’s famous battle cry is, “God for Harry, England and St George!”

What makes a narrowboat holiday in the Fens so special is the charming illusion of travelling quietly back in time, through the quaint villages of Upwell and Outwell, visiting traditional English pubs and famous historical buildings, such as Oliver Cromwell’s House, Ely Cathedral and the colleges of Cambridge University.

If you time it right you could even include March’s St Georges Fayre in your holiday plans. It will be held for the 10th year running on 23rd April this year. The town centre streets will be pedestrianised to make space for markets stalls and a fun fair. The day begins with an opening parade at 10.15am in the market place, followed by a fancy dress competition, live music and dance performances. Free entertainment throughout the day includes Punch and Judy shows and circus skills workshops, and the decorations will be themed red and white for England’s national day. St George’s Fayre is delivered by Fenland District Council and a committee of volunteers; it’s one of four ‘Four Seasons’ events which take place in Fenland’s market towns throughout the year.

Other attractions will include sword dancers, stilt walkers, mini golf, birds of prey, traditional games, storytelling, a vintage fire engine, a duck race and shining knights in armour.

Fox Narrowboats will be offering river trips on board the March Adventurer day boat with a qualified skipper. Visitors can enjoy a half hour trip along the slow waters of the Nene departing from the town bridge every half hour. The cruise travels through a beautiful park continuing down the quiet Nene Parade.

However, if you prefer to skipper your own boat and head off on a real English adventure you can choose from week boating holidays (7 nights), midweek boating breaks (4 nights), or weekend boating breaks (3 nights). We have different narrowboats available depending on the size of your group, and you can view the different boat layouts here: Fox Holiday Hire Fleet.

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.

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by Paula SyredPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Guest & customer articles
Old Bedford river

Progress on the Old Bedford river

Non tidal access to the historic Old Bedford River was lost in 2006 when the E.A. closed Welches Dam Lock, thus stopping access to a waterway that had been navigated for over 350 years. Since the closure various attempts have been made to access the Old Bedford from its outfall into the tidal Great Ouse. In 2009 an enterprising couple, Lois and Roy Parker, succeeded in getting onto the river and through to Welches Dam in their shallow drafted cruiser, but no narrowboat is known to have managed it.

On 4th April 2017 veteran of several previous tries, John Revell, lead another attempt in his 41ft narrowboat ‘Olive Emily’. He was joined by Chris Howes in his 45ft narrowboat ‘Lily May’ and Jeff Walters in his 50ft narrowboat ‘ever after’. The boats marshaled at Salter’s Lode lock on the Well Creek.

Currently access to the Old Bedford river can only be gained at low water on a ‘neap tide’ (which is the highest low tide, occurring only fortnightly). However because of silt build up at the mouth of the river to the Great Ouse, there is only a few inches of water and the passage can be described as between ‘very difficult’ and ‘damn near impossible’ ! However after much writhing about in the mud, and over an hour of trying, all three boats scraped through.

The E.A. had kindly raised the water level in the river sufficient for comfortable passage to be made, and previous problems of cot weed and ‘bottoming out’ were avoided, The E.A. had also lifted the guillotine gate at Welney, which is generally an obstacle to navigation.

Guillotine gate Welney

Guillotine gate Welney

In the morning the three returned to Salter’s Lode for low tide. Again it was very difficult to get through the sluice gates onto the Great Ouse, but after two hours of trying the happy trio and their mud splattered boats finally made it !

An emotional John Revell observed “I was one of the last boaters to use Welches Dam lock from Horseway Channel before EA suddenly piled across the lock entrance in 2006. I never thought it would take another 11 years to reach it from Salters Lode. I’d like to give a big ‘thank you’ to the E.A. for their support this time, without which the trip would have failed. I’d also like to pay tribute to the late, great, inspirational Charlie Fox, it can be no coincidence that 2 out of 3 of the boats that made the difficult passage were Fox boats !”

Welches Dam lock

Welches Dam lock

Chris Howes added “after the great difficulties getting onto the Old Bedford through the silted up estuary entrance, the journey itself was lovely. The huge frustration was that when we eventually made it to Welches Dam Lock we were only one closed lock and approximately 2 miles of de-watered channel away from the navigable network.”

Jeff Walters also added “I’d like to join in the thanks to the E.A. for their fantastic co-operation. As a member of the Project Hereward restoration team, can I make a heartfelt plea that the E.A. continue this invigorating, fresh spirit of working together by now facilitating the entry of the IWA’S highly qualified engineers into Welches Dam Lock to assess the true extent of necessary restoration?”

Chris Howes.

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by Paula SyredPosted on Posted in Foxes News, Uncategorized

narrowboat-marina-cambridge-5

Currently we have no staff vacancies.

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Featured articles

narrowboat holiday for londoners

If you’re based in London looking for a UK holiday, or ‘staycation’, you may be surprised to find out that you don’t have to travel far to get away from it all. Our narrowboat hire base is less than 100 miles from London, and is accessible by train from Kings Cross in about 90 minutes. It’s the perfect starting point to enjoy some rural wildlife, stunning landscapes and quaint English towns and villages.

If you’ve already looked into canal boat holidays you may have heard of the Llangollen canal in Wales, the Kennet and Avon in the West Country or the Norfolk Broads. However, the first two choices are some distance from London and the Norfolk Broads are surprisingly busy, compared with our uncrowded Fenland Waterways. Perhaps this is why BBC Countryfile’s Adam Henson described the east of England waterways as a “hidden gem”.

I had actually lived on a narrowboat in London for several years before I even realised that Cambridge and Ely are connected to the nationwide canal network! Not far from London there’s a whole other secret waterway network that nobody tells you about. You won’t find the East Anglian waterways mentioned in the Nicholson’s guides because they don’t cover this area. Instead you’ll find that the Great Ouse, River Cam and Middle Level waterways are covered by the Imray canal guides.

Boaters who do know about these undiscovered rivers, return time and again because they offer such peaceful and idyllic countryside cruises, pretty walks, villages, and churches. You can also enjoy shopping and eating in Ely and Cambridge, cosy pubs, and the steam trains of the Nene Valley Railway. If you’re looking for uncrowded waters, beautiful little rivers, tourist attractions and historical places to visit then you may just have discovered the waterways’ best-kept secret.

Can you imagine visiting Ely Cathedral and the world famous Cambridge University by canal boat? On the way you’ll find wildlife and wild flowers, traditional pubs and historic monuments. You can also visit the birth place of Oliver Cromwell at St Ives. Travelling down the river has to be the prettiest and most relaxing way to see Cambridge, and you can choose a size and style of boat to suit you. (Check out 3 Things You Must Do When Visiting Cambridge.)

If you’re keen to discover new places, and try boating in an area that you haven’t been to before, then our hire base at March is in such a convenient location for London. Check availability today and soon you’ll be boldly exploring the unknown, at three miles per hour, with a mug of coffee on the roof.

If you’re interested in reading about boats and canal life, then enter your email address on the right (under ‘Follow Blog’) and we’ll send you regular blog articles with tips, advice and stories from the waterways. (We never share or sell email addresses, your details are safe with us.)

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Featured articles

easter boating holiday ducklings

The canal boating season is about to begin, and Easter weekend is often a popular holiday for those wanting to get out on the water. A holiday around Cambridge and the Fens offers peaceful countryside cruises, shopping and restaurants, pretty walks, villages, churches, cosy pubs, and the steam trains of the Nene Valley Railway. Our local waterways are split into the Middle Level, River Nene and River Ouse and are far less crowded than the Norfolk broads. Here are three good reasons to book a narrowboat break this Easter.

1) Springtime

A spring narrowboat holiday means that the waterways are less crowded than in summer time, but the weather is often just perfect for boating. Enjoy daffodils, primroses and blossoming trees as you pass through pretty villages. Animals awaken from hibernation, and swans, ducks and geese proudly swim along with their newborn young following behind. It’s lovely to have cygnets and ducklings as visitors to your boat! The Fen waterways are home to otters, kingfishers, hares and foxes. WWT Welney Wetland Centre, not far from the River Great Ouse, is a good place to start exploring the wetlands and get up close to the wildlife.

2) Easter Shopping

How about a relaxed stroll around a picturesque English market town? Try shopping for Easter chocolate treats in Peterborough, Ely, Cambridge or smaller towns along the way. When I lived on a narrowboat we would moor up somewhere rural at Easter time, and hide Easter eggs in the nearby fields and trees for our little ones to find on Easter morning. (My eldest still swears that she once saw the shadow of the Easter bunny on the towpath!)

Take a tea break during your shopping trip and discover quaint little tea shops for Easter cakes and hot cross buns. The Samovar Tea House is a unique and cosy café in Ely, serving a variety of loose teas and coffees, brunch, lunch and home-made cakes. They also sell a variety of tea ware and accessories, cards and gifts and the walls double up as a small art gallery showing a select range of artwork and photography for sale.

3) Save Money

Narrowboat hire prices are often cheaper in the spring time than they are in the summer. If you book online today you could save 10% on your Easter holiday! (You may also like How to Save Money on Your Narrowboat Holiday.)

Choose Your Adventure

If you head west from our hire base in March you will cross the Greenwich meridian line at Floods Ferry and cruise on to Whittlesey, Stanground, Peterborough and the Nene valley. Alternatively, if you travel east to Upwell and Outwell, then cross the tide at Salters Lode you can head on towards Littleport, Ely and Cambridge. See the full map of our suggested holiday routes.

To get more tips and advice about exploring Cambridgeshire and the Fens sign up now to receive regular articles by email. (See ‘Follow Blog’ to the right of this article.)

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Featured articles

stress-free-narrowboat-holiday-cam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work and other commitments can sometimes build up, creating an uncomfortable level of stress in your life. However, most of us rarely admit to ourselves that we DO deserve a holiday.

Whether it is your job, finances, family life or relationships it can seem that as soon as one problem is solved another one appears. While it may be impractical to immediately book a UK narrowboat holiday to get away from it all, there are a few things you can do today to reduce stress and give your brain a mini-holiday.

Stop.

Stop for a moment and pause. Taking three deep breaths can allow you to focus on the moment you’re in, instead of the next one coming. On the first breath think about mental calmness, or images of tranquil waterways that could calm your mind. On the second breath think about physical relaxation; imagine being curled up in a comfortable chair, on board a narrowboat. On the third breath think about confidence. Imagine how good it felt the last time someone paid you a compliment and go with that feeling.

Look.

Look at your problems and note them all down. This can mean downloading your thoughts on to one sheet of paper, writing an email to a friend or beginning to write a regular diary. If you’re feeling overwhelmed look at ways to reorganise your life. Prioritise your to do list, and put appointments onto a calendar. Break down bigger tasks into manageable chunks. Be realistic and see if there are any commitments that you can let go of.

Listen.

Not all stress relieving techniques work for all people so listen to your own intuition when deciding what works best. Share how you feel with someone who loves you and listen to their suggestions. Gain inspiration from books and poetry, like Max Ehrmann’s Desiderata:

“Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.”

If deadlines and duties are still stressing you out, then use visualisation to dream about a canal boat holiday on the Fenland Waterways.

Imagine a week or two somewhere far from the modern world of road-rage and computers, on a boat living close to nature. Leave your obligations behind and disconnect from the world. Life on the waterways can sometimes cause you to lose track of time all together, and the scenery of the Cambridgeshire countryside can be a refreshing change from your usual environment.

Think about it. Do YOU deserve some time in the slow lane?

“With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.” (From Desiderata)

Check availability now and get the holiday you deserve!

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