Cruising the quiet waters

摘要

Last autumn I hired a boat with family and friends to explore some of the Fens waterways. As we soon discovered, this far-flung part of the interconnected waterway network has a character all of its own, with the rivers and navigable drainage lodes forming an essential part of the landscape. Some of the oldest navigations in the country are in this area too. Since the region is made up of wide navigations and rivers, with several access points from the sea, we decided to hire a cruiser. There are quite a few narrowboats that make the journey down the River Nene, through the Middle Level, and the short tidal passage from Salters Lode to Denver Sluice, but they are definitely in the minority. This is very much river-boat territory. Our wide-beam craft was hired for nine days over the half-term holiday from Ely on the Great Ouse. After the handover and a brief training trip, we set off south towards the junction at Popes Corner. Here we left the Great Ouse and entered the Old West River, leaving the River Cam for later.