Ely Base – St Neots and return

Ely Base to St Neots and return, canal boat holiday

This is a three or four-night canal boat holiday from Ely to St Neots, beginning at the Black Prince base in the historical city of Ely, around 14 miles from Cambridge. Ely is home to a beautiful Norman cathedral which was originally founded as an abbey in the year 673 and contains the only pavement labyrinth in a UK cathedral.

Your destination, St Neots, a rural market town on the Bedfordshire/Cambridgeshire border. St Neots is also firmly rooted in history. In the 18th and 19th century it was famous for its corn milling, brewing and railways.

The building was reconstructed in 1083 after being destroyed by invaders in 970. The famous architect George Gilbert Scott then completed a restoration of the cathedral in the 19th century.

After leaving Ely, you cruise peacefully down the Old West River towards St Ives. The town is most renowned for being one of only four in England to have a chapel on a bridge. St Ives is also a popular market town, once the home of some of the biggest markets in the country. Try to plan your visit for a Monday, when the current market takes over the town centre.

Once you’ve stocked up with supplies, you can head in to town to see the Oliver Cromwell statue in the square before retiring to one of the ancient pubs such as The White Heart and The Dolphin, both of which boast over four hundred years of history.

You then move on to the Oliver Cromwell Museum in the ancient market town of Huntingdon. From there, cruise on to Buckden, famous for the Great Tower where Catherine of Aragon was once imprisoned and the ancient St Mary’s Church.