Tranquil boat trips to launch at Peterborough park

Visitors to one of Peterborough’s best loved beauty spots will be able to take a tranquil trip on the lake thanks to a new eco friendly boat that has been delivered.
The new boatThe new boat
The new boat

Nene Park Trust has taken delivery of a new electrically-powered passenger boat that will provide boat trips for visitors to Nene Park.

The boat will replace the previously diesel-powered boat that used to provide passenger trips around Overton Lake at Ferry Meadows. The batteries used to power the new boat will be charged using electricity provided through a green energy tariff, as part of the Trust’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and in response to the climate emergency.

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The boat has been made by Norfolk Boat builders, Landamores who have been building boats in Wroxham and Hoveton since 1923. The new boat for Nene Park is an Edwardian styled Frolic 31 Launch, made by combining new and traditional manufacturing methods and the highest quality of materials and workmanship.

The boat has been named ‘Wyndham’, after Wyndham Thomas, the chief architect of Ferry Meadows in the 1970s, who sadly passed away last year. Naming this boat after him has been described as a fitting tribute to the amazing work he did to lay the foundations for the Park we see today.

Nene Park Trust has been able to purchase the new boat thanks to a number of generous funding sources including The European Agricultural Fund for Rural

Development through the LEADER programme – Europe investing in rural areas; Augean PLC and the King’s Cliffe and Thornhaugh Environmental Associations for a

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grant through the Augean Community Fund; The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority COVID19 Capital Grant Scheme Initiative with funding from the

UK Government Local Growth Fund and The Bruce Wake Charitable Trust for funding an accessible lift for wheelchairs to enter the boat.

Oliver Burke, Head of Operations at Nene Park Trust said, “The arrival of our very own hand built electric boat for the Park is a poignant one.  Both in terms of looking back and celebrating the tremendous achievement of Wyndham Thomas in founding Nene Park, but also in looking forward to a more environmentally sustainable future for the Park, which continues to play such an important part in the lives of local communities.”

The first boat trips will take place as part of the Nene Park Autumn Festival (24 October - 1 November 2020) for household groups or social bubbles of up to 6 people. These will be Covid-secure and can be booked at www.nenepark.org.uk/events.

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It is hoped the park will be able to launch a more regular service next year when the ‘Rule of 6’ is relaxed.

In addition, bespoke trips will also be developed for special occasions and corporate groups, providing a unique view of the Park and an inspiring experience on the water. To ensure this tranquil experience is available to all, the boat will have an accessible lift available from spring 2021, enabling up to two wheelchair users on board at any time.

Future plans for the boat include the possibility of a taxi service to different parts of the Park. The Trust also hopes to install a solar array to help charge the boat, creating a truly sustainable long-term energy source.

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