Cambridge & Return - 7hrs per day - 7 nights - 10 locks

Fox's Marina to Cambridge – through Marmont Priory Lock, Salter's Lode Lock, Denver Tidal Sluice and back

Experience landscapes full of sky, and skies full of birds, along this route that communes with nature. The journey also takes you travelling through time to touch some of Britain's most potent history. You'll cruise across a place described as the 'Holy Land of the English' because of its cathedrals, and its celestial reputation makes sense as you steep in far-reaching panoramas of the charismatic flat fenlands.

Before the drainage of the Fens, Fox's Marina was once an island surrounded by marshes, so as you pass through the town your eye view is up from water level. Sir John Betjeman would be disappointed if you didn't moor up here to visit St Wendreda's church, just a short walk from the town centre. He once declared it was "worth cycling forty miles into a head wind" to see the angel roof of the church. The roof from inside is a terrific vision of over a hundred carved angels that hail the beautiful silence of a 15th-century church.

Leaving Fox's Marina behind, you cruise through Marmont Priory Lock and then pass the distinctive Dutch style buildings of Upwell and Outwell. These two inseparable villages were once one, known as Welle or Wella. The Romans battled with taming the water here and successfully used Wella as an inland port until they left in 407 and then left the fenland to return to swamp. The Vikings were bound to spy their chance too, and in 850 AD, they roared down the Wash, storming through Upwell on their way for a good looting opportunity in Ely. As well as herculean tales from history, Upwell has a more gentle and recent connection - from 1953-1965, Revd Wilbert Awdry was a vicar nearby and it is said he was inspired by the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway at Upwell to write some of the Thomas the Tank Engine stories.

The sustainability of the Fenlands, most of which lie within a few metres of sea level, relies on artificial drainage. A couple of miles along Well Creek, the route crosses Middle Level Main Drain which showcases huge pumps that hurl water out to sea. As you pass through Salter's Lode Lock, alongside your tranquil cruise through open countryside a fabulous tension rises with a short tidal approach to Denver. A great feat of engineering, Denver Tidal Sluice protects thousands of homes in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk from flooding as incoming tides are diverted away from the Great Ouse River. Denver Sluice dates back 400 years, but was renewed by Rennie in 1749, and reinforced since.

After the achievement of cruising through this amazing distraction, there's the chance to moor up and explore the sights of the village and Denver Windmill. If you have time, you can also go through the new lock into the Relief Channel to visit Downham Market. Shortly beyond Denver you pass junctions with the River Wissey, the Little Ouse River, as well as the village of Littleport before your grand arrival in Ely.

As you enter the city you will be following the footsteps of many powerful figures of the past. It's said King Canute regularly rowed into Ely in the 11th century and Oliver Cromwell lived here for around 10 years in his time too. Visitor attractions include Cromwell's house, the Ely Museum at the Old Gaol, and a Stained Glass Museum at the cathedral. The extraordinary size of Ely Cathedral, in relation to its small city, reflects the steadfastly spiritual story of the land it occupies. The location has been a place of worship since 673, and it was after Ely Cathedral was built in 1109 that the town grew up around it.

From Ely you'll cruise the River Ouse to Wicken Fen where there is a wetland nature reserve owned by the National Trust. They say it is home to over 9000 recorded species - bitterns, swallows, sand martins, swifts, warblers, cuckoos, Bewick & Whooper swans, pink-footed &white-fronted geese, widgeon, teal and countless more - as well as butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies and wildflowers with heaven's scents and all shades of English colours to fill your senses!

Heading along the River Cam, amongst the silent echoes of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, you pass through some locks and then reach Cambridge, world famous for its university founded in 1209. The city is bursting with places to eat, shop and enjoy the cerebral culture of museums and art galleries. Whilst sightseeing in the city you may hear the seats of the church and choirs of Kings College Chapel descanting to the fens - and in the stillness you'll know a feeling of remoteness and tranquillity is calling for your return journey.

 

Huntingdon & Return - 6.5hrs per day - 7 nights - 14 locks

Fox's Marina to Huntingdon - through Marmont Priory Lock, Salter's Lode Lock, Denver Tidal Sluice and back.

Travel through wide open landscapes that expand with nature's free will yet steer along waterways that have been managed by the tenacity of man too. Your cruise tempts you to enjoy anything from bird watching to visiting the remains of a 17th-century fort, and there's even a chance to see the bones of giant reptiles that stomped around in this region over one hundred million years ago (*temporarily closed until 2017).

Before the drainage of the Fens, Fox's Marina was once an island surrounded by marshes, so as you pass through the town your eye view is up from water level. Sir John Betjeman would be disappointed if you didn't moor up here to visit St Wendreda's church, just a short walk from the town centre. He once declared it was "worth cycling forty miles into a head wind" to see the angel roof of the church. The roof from inside is a terrific vision of over a hundred carved angels that hail the beautiful silence of a 15th-century church.

Leaving Fox's Marina behind, you cruise through Marmont Priory Lock and then pass the distinctive Dutch style buildings of Upwell and Outwell. These two inseparable villages were once one, known as Welle or Wella. The Romans battled with taming the water here and successfully used Wella as an inland port until they left in 407 and then left the fenland to return to swamp. The Vikings were bound to spy their chance too, and in 850 AD, they roared down the Wash, storming through Upwell on their way for a good looting opportunity in Ely. As well as herculean tales from history, Upwell has a more gentle and recent connection - from 1953-1965, Revd Wilbert Awdry was a vicar nearby and it is said he was inspired by the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway at Upwell to write some of the Thomas the Tank Engine stories.

The sustainability of the Fenlands, most of which lie within a few metres of sea level, relies on artificial drainage. A couple of miles along Well Creek, the route crosses Middle Level Main Drain which showcases huge pumps that hurl water out to sea. As you pass through Salter's Lode Lock, alongside your tranquil cruise through open countryside a fabulous tension rises with a short tidal approach to Denver. A great feat of engineering, Denver Tidal Sluice protects thousands of homes in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk from flooding as incoming tides are diverted away from the Great Ouse River. Denver Sluice dates back 400 years, but was renewed by Rennie in 1749, and reinforced since.

After the achievement of cruising through this amazing distraction, there's the chance to moor up and explore the sights of the village and Denver Windmill. If you have time, you can also go through the new lock into the Relief Channel to visit Downham Market. Shortly beyond Denver you pass junctions with the River Wissey, the Little Ouse River, as well as the village of Littleport before your grand arrival in Ely. As you enter the city you will be following the footsteps of many powerful figures of the past. It's said King Canute regularly rowed into Ely in the 11th century and Oliver Cromwell lived here for around 10 years too. Visitor attractions include Cromwell's house, the Ely Museum at the Old Gaol, and a Stained Glass Museum at the cathedral. The extraordinary size of Ely Cathedral, in relation to its small city, reflects the steadfastly spiritual story of the land it occupies. The location has been a place of worship since 673, and it was after Ely Cathedral was built in 1109 that the town grew up around it.

Cruising onwards down the Old West River you arrive at Earith village where the remains of an English Civil War fort rumble with stories from the mid-seventeenth century. After generations of war and peace, Earith Bulwark was used again in World War II when a gun turret was built on it. After exploring the trials of war, travel onwards to enjoy the more breezy affairs of the markets at St Ives. The bridge over the river gives St Ives spectacular appeal. This bustling town was once a busy inland port with boats sailing inland from the Wash carrying goods from Holland and across the continent. The life of a boatman over 400 years ago was thirsty work, and St Ives has proud historic pubs galore where bars today creak with old bargees' tales. Although a place to be lived in the moment, St Ives is bound to its past, and there are artefacts in the Norris Museum that stretch back to an alarming one hundred million years ago! The fossilised bones of giant reptiles that once galumphed across the fens are amongst the collections in this museum (*temporarily closed until 2017).

In entertaining irony this peaceful cruise keeps returning to its war stories. Arriving in Huntingdon the traveller bumps into the birth place of Oliver Cromwell, and the town is home to the Cromwell Museum where you can discover what life was like during the Civil War. Every secret corner in Huntingdon whispers of Oliver Cromwell's life - his place of baptism, his grammar school, and his headquarters in the Civil War. But the town has other famous residents too, including Samuel Pepys, John Montagu, John Major and the 4th Earl of Sandwich (without whose invention, goodness knows what we would do every lunchtime!)

The return journey retraces your route from Huntingdon back to Fox's Marina, with the chance to relax on the decks or, if you have time, to explore more along the way.

 

Ely & Return - 6hrs per day - 3/4 nights - 6 locks

Fox's Marina to Ely – through Marmont Priory Lock, Salter's Lode Lock, Denver Tidal Sluice and back – 3/4 nights

This route takes the water traveller on a journey bursting at its banks with history and wildlife - from the town that was once an island, following tranquil waters and wide skies, adventuring through the mighty Denver Tidal Sluice and reaching Cromwell's home territory in Ely.

Living history with emotional peaks and troughs is knitted into the flat landscapes of the Fenlands. In the 1630s a Dutch hydraulic engineer named Cornelius Vermuyden was commissioned by the Earl of Bedford to drain the fenland. But, before the drainage of the Fens, Fox's Marina was once an island surrounded by marshes, so as you pass through the town your eye view is up from water level. Sir John Betjeman would be disappointed if you didn't moor up here to visit St Wendreda's church, just a short walk from the town centre. He once declared it was "worth cycling forty miles into a head wind" to see the angel roof of the church. From inside, the roof is a terrific vision of over a hundred carved angels that hail the beautiful silence of a 15th-century church.

Travelling on from Fox's Marina, you cruise through Marmont Priory Lock and then pass the distinctive Dutch style buildings of Upwell and Outwell. These two inseparable villages were once one, known as Welle or Wella. The Romans took on the task of taming the water here and successfully used Wella as an inland port until they left in 407, leaving the fenland to return to swamp. Later, in 850 AD, the Vikings couldn't resist roaring down the Wash and storming through Upwell on their way for a good looting session in Ely. In recent times Upwell's stories have become gentler since the nearby vicar from 1953 to 1965, Revd Wilbert Awdry, was inspired by the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway at Upwell to write some of the Thomas the Tank Engine stories. The sustainability of the Fenlands, most of which lie within a few metres of sea level, relies on artificial drainage.

A couple of miles along Well Creek, the route crosses Middle Level Main Drain which showcases huge pumps that hurl water out to sea. As you pass through Salter's Lode Lock, alongside your tranquil cruise through open countryside a fabulous tension rises with a short tidal approach to Denver. A great feat of engineering, Denver Tidal Sluice protects thousands of homes in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk from flooding as incoming tides are diverted away from the Great Ouse River. Denver Sluice dates back 400 years, but was renewed by Rennie in 1749, and reinforced since.

After the achievement of cruising through this amazing distraction, there's the chance to moor up and explore the sights of the village and Denver Windmill. If you have time, you can also go through the new lock into the Relief Channel to visit Downham Market. Shortly beyond Denver you pass junctions with the River Wissey, the Little Ouse River, as well as the village of Littleport before your grand arrival in Ely. Entering the city you will be following the footsteps of many powerful figures of the past.

It's said King Canute regularly rowed into Ely in the 11th century and Oliver Cromwell lived here for around 10 years too. Visitor attractions include Cromwell's house, the Ely Museum at the Old Gaol, and a Stained Glass Museum at the cathedral. The extraordinary size of Ely Cathedral, in relation to its small city, reflects the steadfastly spiritual story of the land it occupies.

The location has been a place of worship since 673, and it was after Ely Cathedral was built in 1109 that the town grew up around it. Beyond steeping yourself in Cromwellian hats and helmets and godly matters, Ely invites you to shop, eat, drink and relax for a while before the return journey to Fox's Marina.

 

Ely & Return - 6hrs per day - 3/4 nights - 10 locks

Fox's Marina to Wansford - through Ashline Lock, Orton Lock and back.

An idyllic journey through wide countryside bursting with wildlife and quintessentially English charms. As well as mingling with geese, swans and precious species of endangered wildlife, this route screams in the company of two Tudor queens and a little blue tank engine called Thomas.

From the very start of this route, heading along the Old River Nene, you succumb to the marvellously odd gratification that comes from crossing an invisible line. Beyond Floods Ferry you will cross the Greenwich Meridian, the line that defines the world map, separating east from west just as the Equator does south from north. After mulling on the moment, travelling along the west side of the divide, keep your eyes peeled for the fork right turn onto Whittlesey Dyke. Straight on towards Ashline Lock (a boater-operated manual lock), you'll arrive at the historic market town of Whittlesey. The cheeky route suddenly decides to test any helmsman's skills with a savage 90° bend, followed with the reward of cruising glorious open countryside riddled with wildlife and fen colours.

Peterborough lies ahead, and the first peep of its cathedral across the water sparks emotions with resonance worthy of its powerful history. As far back as 654AD there was a monastic settlement on the site, but Viking vandals destroyed the monastery in 870. Then evolution of the site followed with ups and downs through Civil War and peace, and changes that lead to the Peterborough Cathedral that stands today. Royal blood burns passionately through the living flowers of this cathedral since the graves of two Tudor queens lie here. Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII, was buried here in 1536. Mary Queen of Scots was buried here in 1587 and remained until her body was moved to Westminster Abbey in 1612.

As the river calls again, the water road leaves the dazzle of the city behind. A sculpture park and the 500-acre Nene Park run alongside the river's route. Two miles upriver from Peterborough Bridge you encounter Orton Lock, the first of a series of Guillotine locks that are special features of the River Nene. With its brutal name, this guillotine lock spares nothing for the sensitivities of the locally beheaded Queen, but it is a simple gate that is easily operated. Just ahead is the entrance to Ferry Meadows Country Park where you can moor up and make use of its cycle hire, visitor centre, shop, play areas, miniature railway, cycling, walking, kite-flying, pony riding, nature-spotting and fishing. There are also various water sports at the water sports centre and on its associated ponds and lakes.

Travelling on you'll pass more lakes with inspiring views dotted with little sailing boats and cute villages wafting idyllic green scenes. But when the route reaches Wansford all grown-up thoughts slip from mind, as Wansford railway station is the home of the little blue engine everyone knows as Thomas! The station is the headquarters of the Nene Valley Railway and excites visitors with the irresistible thrill of riding a steam engine.

The river, the 'Old Great North Road' and the railway dance closely together at the point of the station, since Wansford village was once on a main route between London and the North. Your route turns round here to retrace the gentle journey back to Fox's Marina. But, if time allows, followers of gore may wish to carry on as far as Fotheringhay where Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded in the castle in 1587.