St Georges Day 2017 is on Sunday 23rd April. The patron saint of England is most commonly associated with the mythical tale of St George and the Dragon.
Legend has it that George slayed a dragon that was terrorising the countryside, intent on devouring a beautiful princess. The story is loosely based on a real-life George who was a Christian soldier of the Roman Empire, born around 280AD. The idea of George as the nation’s patron saint probably began around William Shakespeare’s time. In his play ‘Henry V’, the king’s famous battle cry is, “God for Harry, England and St George!”
What makes a narrowboat holiday in the Fens so special is the charming illusion of travelling quietly back in time, through the quaint villages of Upwell and Outwell, visiting traditional English pubs and famous historical buildings, such as Oliver Cromwell’s House, Ely Cathedral and the colleges of Cambridge University.
If you time it right you could even include March’s St Georges Fayre in your holiday plans. It will be held for the 10th year running on 23rd April this year. The town centre streets will be pedestrianised to make space for markets stalls and a fun fair. The day begins with an opening parade at 10.15am in the market place, followed by a fancy dress competition, live music and dance performances. Free entertainment throughout the day includes Punch and Judy shows and circus skills workshops, and the decorations will be themed red and white for England’s national day. St George’s Fayre is delivered by Fenland District Council and a committee of volunteers; it’s one of four ‘Four Seasons’ events which take place in Fenland’s market towns throughout the year.
Other attractions will include sword dancers, stilt walkers, mini golf, birds of prey, traditional games, storytelling, a vintage fire engine, a duck race and shining knights in armour.
Fox Narrowboats will be offering river trips on board the March Adventurer day boat with a qualified skipper. Visitors can enjoy a half hour trip along the slow waters of the Nene departing from the town bridge every half hour. The cruise travels through a beautiful park continuing down the quiet Nene Parade.
However, if you prefer to skipper your own boat and head off on a real English adventure you can choose from week boating holidays (7 nights), midweek boating breaks (4 nights), or weekend boating breaks (3 nights). We have different narrowboats available depending on the size of your group, and you can view the different boat layouts here: Fox Holiday Hire Fleet.
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