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

ouse-fest-banner

 

The Ouse Fest is coming – a fortnight of exciting events celebrating the Ouse Washes landscape and communities. Events are happening from Denver to St Ives, and from Ely to Chatteris. There will be wildlife safaris, walking tours, arts and literature, museum trails, filming workshops, family fun days and more.

On 28th July 2015 the Environment Agency is hosting an OuseFest event at Denver Sluice Complex. Just a short cruise away from our hire boat base at March, you can enjoy boat trips, rowing, wildlife, birds – and the local eel man! Here are some of the highlights of the day:

1) Denver Sluice

The sluice is an important flood defence and land drainage structure, essential to East Anglia’s land drainage, flood defence, navigation and water resources. Although Denver Sluice is at the tidal limit of the River Great Ouse there is a 17km non-tidal navigation along the Flood Relief Channel towards King’s Lynn, and 48 hour moorings are available near the lock. The complex is worth a visit, even without the festival.

2) Eels and Fish

You’ll be able to get up close to eels and fish with the Environment Agency Eel Tank and meet Peter Carter, the local Eel Man. You can also explore the history of eels with The Field Theatre Group’s intriguing installation. Take a taster session with the King’s Lynn Angling Association.

3) Birds

Explore local wildlife and birds with Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the RSPB.

4) Ouse Washes Experience

See the Ouse Washes Experience Roadshow video with Ely Hereward Rotary Club.

5) Go Boating

Take a boat trip with the River Inspector or have a mini session with the West Norfolk Rowing Club. Alternatively, hire a holiday boat or day boat from Fox Narrowboats.

With so many fun activities, it’s an event not to miss! The OuseFest is on 20th July to 2nd August and is hosted by Ouse Washes Landscape Partnership

Check out the full programme at http://ousewashes.org.uk/ousefest/

You could also visit the St Ives Riverport Discovery Day by boat on Saturday July 25th: more here http://ousewashes.org.uk/events/ousefest-old-riverport-st-ives-discovery-day/. There are plenty of moorings in St Ives!

Alternatively, visit Denver Sluice, explore local wildlife and birds and take an extended boat trip on a date to suit you. Check availability
Day Boat Hire on the Middle Level: Check availability

by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Featured articles, Pubs & restaurants
river cam canal boating

river cam canal boating

An advantage of taking a British summer holiday is that there’s nothing quite like visiting a succession of traditional English pubs to enjoy a cosy, nostalgic feeling of times gone by. For those that enjoy a leisurely pub stroll, a canal boat holiday is possibly even better: Enjoy beautiful scenery and pretty villages, with the convenience of taking your holiday accommodation with you on your journey!

Here are five places to moor and seek out refreshments, as you lose yourself exploring by boat on the River Cam.

1) Upware

Next to Upware marina there are plenty of moorings along the frontage of the Five Miles From Anywhere, No Hurry Inn (formerly named the Lord Nelson). It was rebuilt in 1980, some time after the previous building was destroyed by fire in 1957.

King of Upware

In the 1850s a university club founded the Upware Republic at the Five Miles from Anywhere with a president, a consul, a treasurer, a justice, its own laws, and its own money. Then, in the 1870s, Richard Fielder MA, Member of Lincolns Inn, declared himself King of Upware. Wearing a red waistcoat and corduroy trousers, he would drink from a six-gallon jug of punch known as His Majesty’s Pint, and argue with passing bargees.

2) Clayhithe

The Bridge Hotel is opposite the large 19th century yellow brick Conservators House at Clayhithe and has moorings for customers. There is also a, the plough 100 metre stretch of 48 hour mooring available just upstream of Clayhithe Bridge. (Mooring elsewhere, beside the towpath is forbidden by the Cam Conservancy.) Nearby in the village of Horningsea are the Plough and Fleece, and Crown and Punch Bowl public houses where food is available.

3) Fen Ditton

Stop in Fen Ditton to see thatched cottages and 16th and 17th century houses with graceful terraced lawns sweeping down to the river. You will find refreshments at The Plough Inn, the Kings Head, the Blue Lion or the Ancient Shepherds. This listed building was originally built as three cottages in 1540, and so it has plenty of traditional charm and character. It offers guest and house ales and a varied menu.

4) Chesterton

Chesterton is now a suburb of Cambridge and offers the travelling boater a popular riverside pub; The Tudor Green Dragon.

5) Cambridge

Passing through Midsummer Common and Jesus Green you will have your choice of The Fort St George, a popular riverside pub, The Boathouse, The Rat and Parrot, The Graduate, Midsummer House Restaurant and Restaurant Twenty-two.

So, get yourself moored up near Jesus Lock, and go forth and explore the pubs of Cambridge!

Ref. The information featured in this article can be found in The River Great Ouse and Tributaries, an Imray guide, by Andrew Hunter Blair.

Update: Since the Imray guide was published there have been a few changes. Fen Ditton and Chesterton no longer have visitor moorings, and there have been some notable changes to the pubs: The Tudor Green Dragon is now just the Green Dragon, The Graduate became the The Tivoli in 2011 and then burnt down earlier this year, and the Rat and Parrot is now closed. Also, please be advised that Midsummer House and Twenty Two are not places to just stop for a drink, but are lavish “fine dining” restaurants.

Travel to Cambridge by boat: Check availability
Cambridgeshire Day Boat Hire: Check availability

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by Paula SyredPosted on Posted in Charity, In media

cambs-times March Lions Club take a boat trip with Fox Narrowboats to fundraise for EACH

by Paula SyredPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Foxes News

Congratulations to 9 year old Alijah who has won our children’s colouring completion to win a mid week family day on one of our day boats either March Adventurer or March Explorer.

The competition was judged by Fox Narrowboats mooring customer and member of March art group Gordon Wills.

Alijah and her family will have the opportunity to take a family day out along the tranquil Fenland Waterways on either of our day hire boats the March Adventurer or March Explorer through the town of March Eastwards towards the picturesque village of Upwell (approx 6hrs 30mins) or… Alternatively take a trip west passing Floods Ferry Marina Park arriving at Ashline Lock and the town of Whittlesey.

colouring comp winner

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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Fayres & local events, Featured articles
strawberry fair by the river flyer

This year marks the 41st year of Cambridge’s famous Strawberry Fair, when Midsummer Common will once more become a festival of vitality, music and colour. It begins with a parade that wanders around the city centre from 10.30am, 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.

Down by the River Theme

strawberry fair by the river flyer

strawberry fair by the river flyer

This year’s theme is “Down By The River” and each area of the fair will be taking its own angle on this idea: from a cruise ship, to the Amazon. (A previous theme included a world-record breaking gathering of fairies a few years ago.)

This year’s fair is on Saturday 6th June, and on Sunday 3rd May the festivities will continue with Strawberry Sundae at The Portland Arms: A family-friendly day of entertainment and activities, including traders, music, dance, workshops, food, ales and beer.

Strawberry Fair website

Arrive by Narrowboat

If you really want to honour the “Down By The River” theme have you considered arriving by narrowboat this year? Travelling south down the River Cam from Fen Ditton you’ll pass the many college boathouses which line the north bank to Victoria Bridge and beyond. You’ll also notice Stourbridge Common, which is the former site of Stourbridge Fair and used to last for three weeks, from 7th September! On the edge of the common, Garlic Row and Oyster Row take their names from former wares sold at the fair.

Mooring your boat

After a group of houseboats your cruise will take you onwards through Midsummer Common itself and then past the Fort St George; a riverside pub. The River Cam then flows under Victoria Road bridge reaching Jesus Green and the limit of the navigation. There are public moorings at Jesus Green Lock. Some mooring is also permitted between Stourbridge Common and Jesus Lock but check the local signs for details. There is also a 48 hour visitor mooring opposite the pump-out at Jesus Green. Motorised craft are not allowed to travel upstream of Jesus Lock from 1st April to 30th September.

If you’ve never been to Strawberry Fair, book now to hire a boat for Strawberry Fair 2016, and enjoy a scenic journey through stunning Fenland and picturesque villages on your way from March to Cambridge. Even if you don’t travel when the fair is on, there’s plenty to see and do in Cambridge!

Boating holiday in Cambridge: Check availability
Day Boat Hire in Cambridge: Check availability

by Paula SyredPosted on Posted in In media, Star media

cambridgeshireFollowing the BBC Four programme of a canal boat trip along the Kennet and Avon canal.  BBC radio Carmbridgeshire’s reporter Johnny Dee joined Paula Syred for a narrowboat journey through March on one of Fox Narrowboats Day boats the March Explorer. During the trip they passed through March town centre. You can listen to the live interview here. The interview was live on the Paul Stainton show on Monday 12th May 2015

Fox Narrowboats are offering hour and a half boat trips on Saturday 30th May for people to sample the delights of narrowboating.  Advanced booking essential, cost £10.  All proceeds are for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, Fox Narrowboats charity of the year 2015. To book tel 01354 652770

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by Paula SyredPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Pubs & restaurants

Grand Central Ely

This months riverside dining visit was to Grand Central in Ely on the river Great Ouse.  The restaurant situated in Annesdale was once the boathouse for Fenland boatbuilding company Appleyard and Lincoln. This is where our company founder Charlie Fox worked as an apprentice boatbuilder in the 1950’s.  As the name now implies the theme of the restaurant is Grand Central Station, New York.

The sharing bowl as a starter came on a large platter and consisted of southern fried chicken tenders, garic bread, crinkle cut potato dippers drizzled with marinana sauce, Wall Street BBQ wings, onion rings and a bowl of cheesy nachos topped with fiery chilli £13.95

For mains we chose a beef steak fajita, seasoned slices of beef steak with a smokey sauce £13.95 and a BBQ pulled pork fajita £12.95.  Both dishes were served on a bed of sizzling onions and peppers with flour tortillas.  On the side was grated cheese, lettuce and classic Mexican sauces.

Our visit was on Saturday 9th May 2015 as a 6pm Walk in.  The staff were friendly and attentative.

Would we go back? Yes

Paula and Gerald.

Riverside Dining

sharing bowl

Mexican sauces

Mexican sauces

riverside dining

pulled pork

 

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by Paula SyredPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Charity, Fayres & local events, Foxes News

St Georges Fayre A team from Fox Narrowboats took part in the March town St Georges Fayre on Sunday 26th April running boat trips to raise money for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.  12 boat trips ran throughout the day along the Old Nene between the town bridge and West End park. The trips lasted 30 minutes and gave people a chance to experience a journey by water, Skipper for the day was one of our RYA Inland Helmsman Instructors Gary Baxter and Steward was Gary’s daughter Inland Hem Nicola. Other staff ran the booking stall alongside a tombola and over the day an amazing £529 was raised for our charity of the year.

Finance Director Tracey Baxter said “I am delighted that we raised £529 and gave the people of March a taste of boating whether on a Day trip or a holiday the Waterways of Cambridgeshire are a great place to relax and play.  It is great to show a wider audience how much fun time on a narrowboat boat can be.”  The companies next fundraising Adventure for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices takes place on Saturday 30th May 2015 and will be their annual tea party cruise.  An hour and a half’s trip from the Marina including tea, coffee and freshly baked scones.  Tea Party trips can be booked by contacting the office on 01354 652770 and run from 10am.

 

 

 

 

St Georges Fayre 2015
St Georges Fayre 2015
St Georges Fayre 2015
St Georges Fayre 2015
St Georges Fayre 2015
St Georges Fayre 2015
St Georges Fayre 2015
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by Tim MarrowPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Featured articles

You would expect cruising the River Great Ouse to be both peaceful and picturesque; your journey should be relaxed and unhurried, simply absorbing the local history, folklore and architecture.  But in this article, FoxBoats reveal what the local boaters won’t tell you: three little known stories from the past that could affect your serene impression of the tidal Ouse.  Heading through the Middle Level from Foxboats Marina you’ll first meet the Ouse at Salter’s Lode*.

1) Long Lost Rivers and Ancient Inns

From Denver to Cawdle Fen, south of Ely, the entire course of the River Great Ouse is man-made and does not follow the ancient natural drainage pattern.  But traces of the original rivers still remain as small streams, ditches or lodes and parish and county boundaries still follow their course. The river passes through Denver, Southery and Littleport on the approach to Ely.

At the junction with the new Bedford River you’ll find that Jenyn’s Arms offers moorings, accommodation in the Sluice Lodge, a restaurant and bar snacks. Local facilities also include a public slipway, toilet pump-out and the Denver Sailing Club. In the village of Denver. Denver is also home to the eighteenth century house called East Hall Manor, the ancient and attractive church of St Mary and the Tudor Denver Hall, a local shop and a pub called The Bell.

Further upstream, you’ll discover the restored Littleport and Downham Pumping Station, built in 1819. It contained what was probably the second steam engine to be used for fen drainage and it remained steam powered until they changed to diesel engines in 1935.

At Ten Mile Bank, there are Environment Agency moorings, but from then onwards to Southery there is an uneventful stretch, giving the passing boater an opportunity for some quiet inward reflection!

2) The Murdered Ghosts of Southery

At Southery, a village built on a fenland isle, you will find the general store, post office, butcher, antique shop and the Old White Bell Inn. Between Southery and Littleport, the lonely low-lying fenland is criss-crossed by straight roads, straight railways and straight drainage ditches. Flood banks stand high above the wide fen and the land makes the sky appear majestically vast.

ouse-news-ad-Jan-144

The Ship Inn

 

There are moorings for customers at the 17th century Ship Inn, where the Little Ouse joins the Great Ouse at Brandon Creek. Here you may find local folklore and legend served up with your bar snacks and drinks. There were brutal, grisly killings: soldiers partly buried in the river banks left to drown in the rising tide, and murderers left to hang by a noose as the tide fell. They say their ghosts may still be seen on murky, foggy nights…

3) The Hanged Men of Littleport

Littleport also lies on a fenland isle and has its own gruesome history of violence and death. Poverty, exploitation and starvation lead to the Littleport Riots of May 1816. Drunk and dissenting local men attacked houses and took weapons and a wagon-mounted gun to Ely, then broke into shops and houses. A subsequent battle with the armed forces resulted in one death and many wounded. Numerous arrests were made and ultimately five men were hanged and 19 deported.

However, the local folks are friendly now, so don’t be afraid to stop in Littleport for shopping, pubs and restaurants! There are moorings for customers at The Swan on the River.

The river then cuts through lower-lying, agricultural fenland in a dead straight line; known as the Adelaide Course. The river is wide, the flood banks are high and the scenery is mostly unvaried and unremarkable for 6km, unless you encounter a Cambridge University boat-race crew in training.

This cruise will then bring you to the ancient city of Ely, where there are many more stories and ghosts to discover!  Book your summer cruise now and discover the real England!

*Before entering the tidal river, advice should be sought from the lock keeper Salter’s Lode 01366 382292 or St Ives Pilotage Co. 01480 495745

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by Paula SyredPosted on Posted in Canal Blog, Pubs & restaurants

The Ship Brandon Creek

riverside dining

Gerald and Paula visited The Ship Inn at Brandon Creek on 11th April.  They sat at a table looking down The Great Ouse river towards Denver and watched the early evening boats travel down stream towards Denver Lock. For starters they tried the Baked Wild Mushrooms in a cream sauce on homemade bread (£6), for mains Paula chose the Rosemary & Garlic Lamb Rump (£16) and Gerald opted for the 8oz Dry Aged Rib-eyed Steak (£17). They finished their meal with a Norfolk Cheese Board (£9) and can recommend the delicious Mrs Temples Binham Blue cheese.  The Ship Inn has moorings for patrons and the waiting staff were very helpful. The food arrived promptly and the chips were delicious.  Will they be going back?  It’s a definite YES!

riverside dining     riverside dining

Rosemary & Garlic Lamb Rump.   Rib-eyed Steak.

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