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“The Fens” cover an area of some 800 square miles, and include parts of Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire, even extending a little into Suffolk and Bedfordshire as well! It comprises of eight principall rivers, namely the Great Ouse, the Little Ouse, the Wissey, the Lark, the Cam, the Nene, the Welland, the Glen, the Witham and the Middle Levels which are a network of rivers between Ely and Peterborough which provde a connection between the Great Ouse and the Nene. Essentially all these waterways are connected to The Wash,
There are several different authorities involved, including the Anglian Region of the Environment Agency, responsible for The Great Ouse, the Nene, the Welland and the Glen and craft using these rivers must be registered and licensed by the Agency who will also provide details for operating the locks, lock keys etc.
The Witham is controlled by the British Waterways Association who also require craft to be registered and licensed for use on their waters.
The River Cam is controlled by the Cam Conservancy, and the Middle Levels are under the jurisdiction of the Middle Level Commissioners.
Arguably the most important of the Fens rivers is the Great Ouse, flowing some 80 miles from Bedford to The Wash at Kings Lynn, via St Neots, Huntingdon, St.Ives, Ely and Downham Market.
The Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is an attractive river for boating, second only to The Thames in terms of popularity, with plenty of interesting towns and villages near which to moor up and explore. There are some twenty locks wide enough for cruisers, of which three, the Hermitage Lock at Earith, and the Salters Lode Lock and Denver Sluice Lock
near Downham Market are manned, requiring boaters to contact them in advance for opening arrangements. All the other locks are un-manned, requiring a special key, available from the Environment Agency, to operate the gates
From King’s Lynn to Denver there are some strong tides to consider, which in turn will impact on the available headroom under the many bridges – generally the best plan is to leave King’s Lynn about two hours after low water thereby catching the flood tide all the way to Denver.
The first of the several bridges before reaching Denver is the misleadingly named “Free Bridge” – misleading because it is actually a toll bridge! This is followed by a pretty section of the river including the attractive church at Wiggenhall St.Mary Magdalen, and the Cock Inn. Soon after comes Downham Market Bridge which is over 500 years old, followed by Salters Lode Lock and the entrance to the Middle Levels – you must book a passage with the lock-keeper in advance. Denver itself is quite interesting, provides mooring facilities and an opportunity to visit the attractive small town of Downham Market nearby.
The 17 miles from Denver to Ely on the Ouse via the historic Denver Sluice is mainly non-tidal, and en-route you pass several tributaries including the 10 mile long lock-free River Wissey leading to Stoke Ferry via the popular mooring place at Hilgay, the 14 miles of the Little Ouse (with just one lock) leading to the old town of Brandon, and the 10 mile long River Lark to Jude’s Ferry, again with only one lock.
Approaching the City of Ely, the capital of The Fens, with its beautiful cathedral there are excellent modern moorings at the marina enabling you to visit the local places of interest, albeit after an uphill walk!
South of Ely, at Pope’s Corner, with its famous Fish & Duck public house, the Ouse turns westward while another tributary, the delightful River Cam continues southward for some fourteen miles to the university city of Cambridge, en-route passing Wicken Fen, Britains oldest nature reserve, and Anglesey Abbey, and excellent mooring facilities at Waterbeach.
Continuing our passage on the Great Ouse from Pope’s Corner to St.Ives we pass the interesting Old Engine at Stretham and the Stretham Ferry Bridge, with good moorings near the Lazy Otter Inn, or a little further on at the marina near Twenty Pence Bridge.Another marina can be found a few miles further upstream near Hermitage Lock – from here there is a short section of tidal river to Brownshill Lock at Earith, famed for its Civil War earthworks.
From Earith westward there are several riverside pubs before reaching the six-arched stone bridge at St.Ives with its bridge chapel of St.Leger built on the central span – there are moorings upstream of the bridge. St.Ives, home to Oliver Cromwell and with his house sensitively restored , is a very attractive and interesting town with a good museum.
Leaving St.Ives the next places of significant note are the truly picturesque riverside church at Hemingford Grey, several very attractive villages and the 17th century redbrick watermill at Houghton, where I once stayed at the youth hostel whilst on a cycling tour. Shortly before reaching Huntingon the small village of Hartford boasts a marina. The famous 14th century bridge connects Godmanchester to Huntingdon, the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell, and home to the Bunyan Museum, celebrating the life of John Bunyan. Samuel Pepys was a pupil at Huntingdon Grammar School. There are moorings at Huntingdon and Godmanchester, with its Causeway and willow pattern Chinese Bridge, both of which are well worth a visit.
Once through the Godmanchester Lock to Brampton Lock and the Old Mill the river wends its way through , or close to, several pretty villages such as Brampton itself and Buckden to Offord Lock Offord Cluny and Offord D’Arcy, Greater and Lesser Paxton to St.Neots, once an important meeting place on the old Great North Road.
From St.Neots to Bedford about the only place of significant interest is Great Barford, which boasts moorings, pubs a 17th Century church as well as a lock, and it’s arguably the last interesting and attractive venue on the Great Ouse before reaching Bedford.
Bedford itself, with moorings at Mill Meadow, and its John Bunyan museum in particular, deserve some exploration, and the Great Ouse continues to be navigable for a further mile or two to Kempston Mill.
The River Nene
The River Nene runs through typically English shire countryside for some 90 miles Northampton to the Wash, with 38 locks along the way which, coupled with its narrow width near Northampton may explain why it’s somewhat quieter in terms of traffic. After leaving the industrial areas of Northampton and Wellingborough the river then runs through gently rolling countryside dotted with attractive traditional stone built villages.
Starting from the north and wending our way southwards, the artificial tidal passage from The Wash through Port Sutton Bridge to Wisbech, constructed in medieval times, can be quite challenging, requiring a knowledge of navigation and seamanship beyond the scope of a guide to inland waterways, so we’ll make the Port of Wisbech as being the starting point for exploring the River Nene so far as inland cruising is concerned..
Wisbech itself is an interesting Georgian market town, with a working port and yacht harbour. The town grew as an important trading centre for corn and oil-seed rape exports, and coal and timber imports passing through its busy port. Such prosperity lead to the magnificent Georgian architecture of the buildings along the North and South Brinks, either side of the river, and the Museum Square and Wisbech Castle.
The eight miles from Wisbech past the town of Guyhirn to the Dog in a Doublet Lock is tidal, the Nene running pretty well straight through flat Fenland countryside, often below sea-level, and passing the entrance to the Middle Levels until shortly after it reaches the outskirts of Peterborough. Peterborough itself is a cathedral city with several attractions and moorings near the Key Theatre
Leaving Peterborough and Orton Lock we come to the popular Nene Valley Railway station and the Nene Park leisure complex, with watersports, nature trails, golf-courses and there are short-term moorings here for those interested in breaking their journey at this point.
Continuing south-westward past the attractive villages of Water Newton, Wansford, Yarwell, Nassington, and Fotheringay with its castle where Mary Queen of Scots was incarcerated prior to her execution in 1587.
The next place of significant interest is the attractive old town of Oundle, home to the well-known public school of the same name, with a marina and other moorings affording opportunities to explore the town and walks to Barnwell village. On past several small villages to the large village of Thrapston, and Thrapston Marina, we reach the Upper and Lower Ringstead Locks and the Addington villages before the industrial conurbation of Irthlingborough, with its multi-arched 14th century bridge and church from where there are views across the river to the market town of Higham Ferrers.
Wellingborough is a large mainly light-industrial town with an interesting town centre, a famous public school, and a Heritage Centre, but the town centre itself centre is some way from the river. Moving on past Ecton and the Billing Aquadrome complex we come to Cotton End Lock and the entrance to the narrow four mile stretch of the Northampton Branch of the Grand Union Canal running through Northampton to join the Grand Union Canal proper at Gayton Junction. Nothampton is a thriving county town, world-famous for shoe-making, and marks the end of our journey along the River Nene.
The Middle Levels
Connecting the River Nene to the Great Ouse there is a network of waterways known as “the Middle Levels” or more accurately “The Middle Level Navigation” Situated between Peterborough in the west and Ely to the east they were originally constructed to provide a drainage system, and although navigable in most conditions it’s essential to check the water levels with the Middle Level Commissioners who control these waterways before venturing on to them.
Not unexpectedly the scenery is flat, often hidden as the waterways wend between high banks, and is typical Fenland, not unlike Holland. There is little traffic on these waterways, although the thirty mile connection from Peterborough to Denver (ie from the River Nene to the Great Ouse) is both useful and interesting.
Starting from Peterborough this route runs through Stanground Sluice via Kings Dyke, Whittlesey Dyke, and the Old River Nene to the town of March. From March the route is along Well Creek and Outwell to the Salters Lode Lock at Denver where it joins the Great Ouse.
The River Welland
Another river flowing into The Wash is the 35 mile long River Welland, with its tributary the River Glen. The Welland is an historic and interesting river which for thousands of years has been one of the main waterways thgrough the Fens.
Approaching from the sea via the Welland Cut, a straight channel marked by buoys, the River Welland itself is reached at Fosdyke Bridge from where it is only some 7 miles to Spalding, in “Little Holland” where it is the main town in this bulb-growing area. Once quite an important port Spalding is now an agricultural town, well-known as the centre of the local horticultural trade. Cruising from the Fosdyke Bridge to Spalding the river is tidal for eleven miles, past the entrance to the River Glen, up to Fulney Lock.
The area of the Fens known as “Little Holland” is one of the richest and most fertile agricultural land in the UK, and the Welland flows through farmland and bulb fields of daffodils and tulips and quite isolated villages. The river continues to be navigable from Spalding to Deeping St.James, up-stream of which it’s shallow and fast-flowing, really only suitable for canoes.
The River Glen
Entering the River Glen from the Welland at Surfleet Seas End the river is navigable for twelve miles through to Tongue End, near Bourne, but the stretch up-stream from Pinchbeck is shallow and really only suitable for shallow-draft vessels and canoes. It’s best explored in the springtime to view the bulbfields.
The River Witham
The River Witham flows some 35 miles through tranquil if 
generally flat Lincolnshire countryside, with few locks connecting the county town of Lincoln to the Wash via the inland port of Boston. The channel from The Wash to Boston, known as The Haven, is of course tidal, and although it’s well marked it’s really outside the scope of a guide to inland waterways, so we’ll make the Port of Boston our starting point.
Boston itself offers several choices for mooring, but the best bet for inland waterways boaters is the Marina or the British Waterways Board moorings up-stream from the marina. Both are popular in the boating season which runs only from May-October inclusive. The town and port of Boston are are well worth exploring.
Inland from Boston there is a choice of either continuing upstream along the River Witham, or of exploring the quaintly named “Witham Navigable Drains” which cover an area north of Boston and east of the River Witham - as the name suggests these were constructed principally as drainage for the surrounding low-lying land, but during the summer they are usually navigable. Information regarding boating on these drains is available from the Drains Officer.
On the River Welland, some little way north-west of Boston there is the lock at Antons Gowt, where there are good popular moorings and where the entrance to The Drains is located, while up-stream from here the Welland runs fairly straight in a westerly direction to Langrick Bridge where it turns northward and becomes prettier, with several interesting locks and the entrance to the Sleaford Navigation which is currently under restoration.
A little further up-stream, there are good moorings near Tattershall Bridge, convenient for visiting the market and 13th Century castle. Further up-stream there are moorings at Kirkstead Bridge which is not only worth a visit in its own right, but it’s less than a mile by footpath to the attractive small town of Woodhall Spa.
Continuing up-stream through Southrey there are mooring opportunities to explore the riverside villages at both Fiskerton and Washingborough before coming within sight of Lincoln Cathedral and a series of bridges that have to be negotiated before reaching the moorings at the Pool and at the new Lincoln Marina.
Leaving Lincoln and heading further up-stream past lines of permanently moored boats it’s about six miles to the large village of Saxilby, following which there is a very quiet stretch to the head of navigation at Torksey Lock where there are ample moorings, and views of the old castle.
