May 26

How many were going to St. Ives? Well, we did, and after leaving Ely, toured along a fairly uneventful ditch/drain to Earith. A nice mooring on the river beside a marina, and then on to St. Ives. We wandered around the ‘bank-holiday’ market (long weekend holiday for Canadians) and enjoyed the atmosphere. Then on to St. Neots, where we moored for the evening, enjoying a pub meal and short wander around.

This is river cruising, on the River Great Ouse. There is LOTS to see, with small villages (with the requisite church- some with spires and some with just square towers), and mills, etc. There was more boat traffic than we had encountered cumulatively, previously, seemingly all out for a holiday cruise. Many rental (hire) small outboard powered boats with people that had no idea at all about locks, steering, etc. Quite entertaining! Also other interesting craft, including a Cambridge punter, lots of rowers: crew, and antique rowboats.

small church with truncated spire right beside river

small church with truncated spire right beside river

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riverside water wheel (still turning- but I suspect more for decoration than work- the building is now a restaurant)

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punter in front of thatched cottage, Great River Ouse

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remnant blockhouse of anti-invasion defenses, around 1940. There are many of these scattered along the waterways.

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another riverside church, peeking through the greenery

This is an enchanting part of the country to cruise in: I had been advised that we would be bored quickly with the flat country and nothing to see but banks. True- for about 5km, but the rest has at least as much to see as any other part of the waterways system I have cruised. The trees are magnificent in their blooming: chestnut, hawthorn, and many others. M&D204

chapel-on-the-bridge, St. Ives

chapel-on-the-bridge, St. Ives

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Dad ‘enjoying’ the shopping experience, St. Ives bank holiday market

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one of thousands of flowering trees along the waterways

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swans: nesting, begging, swimming with only one foot, sleeping- on land or just floating along. Lots of entertainment!

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About Ed Mortimer

I'm a retired school teacher, now living on my Dutch cruiser in France. I'm touring as much of the canals and river systems as I can. This blog describes what I do and where I've been. I did spend 5 years on first a narrowboat, and then this boat, in Britain.
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