21/10/22

Melanie Church, Activities Administrator

Wyndham, our electrically-powered passenger boat, has had a brilliant year. With so much good weather over this spring, summer and autumn, visitors have flocked to enjoy relaxing trips around Overton Lake and on to the River Nene, away from the hustle and bustle of central Ferry Meadows.

In 2022 so far nearly 2600 people have joined us on our 45-minute Lake and River Trips, which depart regularly throughout the day at weekends and everyday during the school holidays (March - October).

Lots of young can be seen in the spring time; cygnets, ducklings and goslings, all fluffy and curious about the boat passing by. There have been lots of kingfisher sightings, as the flash of blue quickly catches your attention. The quiet electric motor of the boat allows us to get close to the heron, who stands majestically still as he watches the water for a fish swimming by. Even the Otters have been seen on a few occasions, so it's always important to keep your eyes peeled. You definitely get a different perspective of the river banks from the river and lake than you do when walking along the bank.

Over the course of this year, 18 groups of people have hired Wyndham for a private booking - a great way of doing something different with a group of family, friends or colleagues. 

43 people have enjoyed one of our special extended boat trips this year where one of our knowledgeable members of staff has been on hand to share what they know about the Park’s history or wildlife. We have held 'Early bird' boat trips early in the morning and 'Twilight' boat trips in the evening - offering a different view of the Park and the chance to see the wildlife when there are less visitors around in the Park. These special boat trips are longer than our regular boat trips (1.5 hours), which means we can go slightly further down the river and even further away from the madding crowds. 

We are proud to share that we now have our accessible ramp and lift in operation so that wheelchair users are able to board the boat for a lake and river cruise. As this facility involves some time to organise, please contact [email protected] in advance to arrange this facility for your trip. Thank you!

October half term this week is your last chance to go on a boat trip until spring 2023, so take advantage of the booking slots available. We have our regular boat trips all week and a special wildlife extended trip on 26th October. From October 30th, Wyndham will take a well earned rest and will be back again in the spring for more passengers to enjoy. Look out for more special trips next year in our events programme or what about planning a private boat trip for your friends, family or colleagues? All these will be able to be booked online in 2023 - keep an eye on our website and social media for announcements.