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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Amazing things to do, Canal Blog, Featured articles

day boat hire alternative to punting

 

Trying to plan a day out in Cambridgeshire?

Want to surprise your group with a comfortable alternative to punting?

Whether it’s a hen party, stag ‘do’ or a special family occasion, it’s a challenge to organise a memorable boat trip, without settling for the obvious option.

But if you want to delight your friends and family with a self-drive adventure through the stunning scenery of Cambridgeshire, then narrowboat day hire could be just what you are looking for.

A narrowboat or canal boat is a more traditional style of vessel that can carry up to 10 passengers per boat.

Just 30 minutes from Cambridge by train, you will find our day boat hire base in the lovely Fenland Market town of March. Our marina is on the navigable River Nene, which is perfect for pleasure boating. We’re a family-run business offering a personal and friendly service to both new and experienced boaters, so don’t be afraid to ask any questions when you meet us.

The English Experience

Our charming day boats are the March Adventurer and the March Explorer. Both boats have a seating area and a toilet, and you will find the galley complete with hob, fridge, sink, crockery and cutlery. Bring on board your own cream tea with Prosecco, or have a cup of tea with fish and chips, and turn the day out into the ultimate English experience! (OK I know Prosecco isn’t English but who wouldn’t like bubbles on their countryside cruise?!)

Our marina is surrounded by the tranquil Fenland Waterways. If you travel east through the town of March towards the picturesque village of Upwell the journey will take you about six and a half hours. Alternatively if you decide to cruise west you will pass Floods Ferry Marina Park and arrive at Ashline Lock and the town of Whittlesey.

Both of these relaxing boat trips offer beautiful scenery and wildlife, and with plenty of room at the bow or stern, everyone can be outside. You can even bring your dog! All you need to find now is the perfect excuse for a group celebration or outing. So who will you surprise with this alternative summer boat trip?

Check out the stunning local scenery in this short video clip: Day boat hire near Cambridge and Ely.

For more surprising and unusual tips and ideas for days out in Cambridgeshire, enter your email address in the box in the right side bar (‘Follow blog’) and we’ll send you articles direct to your in box.

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Amazing things to see, Canal Blog, Featured articles

Wiki commons - Peter Skuce

How do you keep everybody happy, when you’re planning a narrowboat holiday?

Mum wants to browse the shops in a pretty market town, the kids want to run wild through the meadows and woodland, and Dad just wants a quiet real ale in a country pub somewhere.

But what if you could do all of these things and include a trip aboard a heritage steam or diesel train? Imagine relaxing in a restored wooden panelled coach or compartment and being taken back in time to the golden age of steam!

The Nene Valley steam railway is based near Peterborough, so you can easily include it in your narrowboat holiday. Foxboats Route 3 – March to Ferry Meadows Country Park is a 12 hours return trip and ideal for a short break.

If you want to plan a narrowboat holiday that keeps everybody happy, and includes something a little different, you could consider a steam train trip in your holiday plans.

The Nene Valley Railway line travels through a tunnel, (built in 1845,) to a country station at Yarwell on the Northamptonshire border. Visitors can use the train as a base to explore the stations at Wansford, Ferry Meadows with its country park, Orton Mere and its riverside walks and lakes, and the station in Peterborough.

The Narrowboat Journey

Setting off from our hire boat base in March, Cambridgeshire, you’ll pass Floods Ferry and the Greenwich Meridian, before heading on to Ashline Lock at the historic market town of Whittlesey. After leaving Whittlesey you’ll pass a couple of pubs and then head into more open countryside, travelling beside a deep brick pit. On the approach to Peterborough you will see the cathedral across the flat fields that lead to Stanground Lock. Peterborough Cathedral is the resting place of Katherine of Aragon and former resting place of Mary Queen of Scots, dating back to 654 AD.

A short branch of the River Nene leads from this lock, with Stanground Village on the left and a nature reserve on the right, before the river goes under the railway bridge and onto the wide waters of the Nene. Turn left here to find visitor moorings along the length of the park; which are really convenient for the city centre.

Carrying on up the river from the centre of Peterborough you will see a series of open spaces and wild areas on the right that are part of Nene Park: acres of meadows, lakes and woods running alongside the River Nene.

Further up river from Peterborough Bridge, after some guillotine locks and the moorings of Peterborough Yacht Club, you will come to the entrance of Ferry Meadows Country Park on the left. Then, a short connecting channel will take you into Orton Lake. Head towards the left-hand side of the lake and you will see some pontoons provided for visitor moorings.

Ferry Meadows is great for families, offering cycle hire, a visitor centre, shop, play areas, a miniature railway, walking, kite-flying, pony riding, nature-spotting and fishing as well as facilities for various water sports at the water sports centre and on its associated ponds and lakes.

So perhaps you could moor here and then join the steam train at Ferry Meadows Country Park. There is a regular steam train service and occasional diesel hauled services.

The NVR has just celebrated 40 years with a week of special anniversary events, with a number of special trains and attractions. You may like to visit the NVR website to find out about more upcoming special events and experiences.

For more surprising and unusual tips and ideas for your narrowboat holiday, enter your email address in the box in the right side bar (‘Follow blog’) and we’ll send you articles direct to your in box.

Image Attribution
By PeterSkuce – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

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by Paula SyredPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Customer Reviews

The boatbuilding and maintenance team were delighted to receive these kind words from Mike and Malena about the work undertaken on their boat over recent times.

Once again Fox’s have done us proud with a great job of painting our narrow-boat. They have always been good to deal with, everybody has been kind and helpful. We’re attaching 3 piccies. The first is when the boat was new in 2005 (not from Fox’s) seriously under-powered with an outboard motor. The second after Fox’s extended it and replaced outboards with Isuzu 35hp inboard. Superb workmanship by Alan; and the last is this year when we had it repainted with another superb job by Gary. Not to forget Tracey and everybody else who were always pleased to see us and never minded when we took photographs of work in progress.

thanks to all Mike & Malena

The original boat
after the extension and new engine
after the repaint

 

 

 

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Amazing things to do, Canal Blog, Featured articles

national picnic cambridge boat hire

Planning a family holiday can be daunting.

We’ve all felt frustrated trying to find locations without asking for directions, avoiding arguments in the car, and keeping the kids entertained, without spending a fortune.

That’s where the great British tradition of a picnic comes in.

A picnic offers the opportunity to spend some quality family time together, gets everyone outdoors and costs very little money. To eliminate any travel stress, you ideally want to travel to a picnic by narrowboat!

National Picnic Week (16th to 25th June 2017) encourages people to get together and eat al fresco, offering advice, tips, recipes and information to make sure everyone enjoys the perfect picnic.

If you want to plan a picnic without any traffic troubles or tantrums, follow these 3 simple steps to the perfect waterside picnic.

1) Pick Your Ideal Location

River banks and inland waterways provide some of the best scenery that England has to offer. On a Fox boats narrowboat holiday you can stop just about anywhere you like. (Just don’t moor your holiday narrowboat near bridges, junctions, locks or in other company’s boat yards without their permission.) You can plan your boating route on our website, or get inspired about where to stop, by browsing an Imray guide to our local rivers.

On our day-boat routes Lance Hunter Rowe Boat Basin at Outwell, and West End Park moorings in March are good picnic places. If your holiday plans are to cruise towards Ely, try stopping for a picnic in Huntingdon Park, or on the riverside at Ely. If your journey takes you in the other direction, Peterborough Embankment and Ferry Meadows Country Park are both good picnic spots.

2) Be Prepared

When packing for your narrowboat holiday you may like to bring along some deck chairs, a blanket, a cool box, backpacks or a picnic hamper. If you have young children you could also bring unbreakable cutlery, plates and cups. For the best picnic experience bring toys you can play with as a family, such as ball games or a Frisbee. You could also try card games, charades, or a hands-free pie eating contest! Bring an acoustic guitar and percussion instruments for a family sing-a-long, or magazines, comics, colouring books and novels if you fancy a quieter picnic.

3) Stress-free Food Shopping

You can either bring supplies of food with you on holiday, or shop locally in March before you set off on your cruise. Sainsbury’s and Iceland are a two minute walk from the moorings. If you’re going out on 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 there is an Asda in Peterborough on the riverside, plus various shops in the city. Cruising towards Cambridge you will find Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury’s in Ely.

So those are the 3 simple steps to planning a perfect canal-side picnic. Avoid family friction, and squabbling with the sat-nav: Travel by Fox boat to your next family feast!

You may also like: The 6 Best Narrowboat Summer Holiday Recipes

To get more surprising ideas of how to really enjoy your narrowboat holiday subscribe to our blog in the right sidebar – look for Follow Blog. (We don’t send spam or salesy type stuff – just interesting articles about boats and waterways!)

Image licenced to Fox Narrowboats by Deposit Photos

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by Paula SyredPosted on Posted in Canal Blog

June is the perfect time to explore the waterways of the Cambridgeshire Fens!

We have asked our staff for their top 3 picks for a short break.

narrowboat holiday ely

narrowboat holiday ely

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TraceyTracey our finance director would head off to Ferry Meadows Country Park on the river Nene with it’s visitor moorings in Overton lake.  It’s perfect for families you may wish to walk, cycle, play in the children’s playground, ride a train or visit the on site café and visitors centre.

 

Emily fox narrowboatsEmily our general manager likes to head to Ely on the river Great Ouse with its riverside mooring and dining scene, she says it is also worth taking time to visit the cathedral which has it origins in AD672. The present building dates back to 1083 with its most famous feature being the stunning octagonal tower and lantern.

 

paula syred foxboats directorPaula our managing director likes the peace and tranquillity of exploring the Middle Level Navigations and mooring in open countryside to relax, unwind and read a book and to watch for wildlife such as the kingfishers of the old river Nene and goes on to say that if you are extremely lucky you may spot an otter playing before dusk. She also recommends an evening meal at the Golden Lion, Stonea. Although its a scramble up the river bank to reach  and you do have to watch the road the portion sizes are worth it. Just make sure you are hungry.

Check the availability for a last minute break.

 

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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.

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