Moorings in and around Cambridge

[starman]

Stardaughter starts a new job as a teacher in Cambridge this summer and would like to live on a boat in the area. At the moment she's at Bill Fen in Ramsey but it's a bit too far away really.

What is the mooring situation more locally? Is there really the 3+ year wait for spaces in Cambridge that the council say? Are there any other options apart from these or the regular marinas at Upware and on the Great Ouse?

[Capt Ahab]

Try leaving a comment on Amy's (Lucky Duck) blog. She is moored in Cambridge.

[ymu]

There's not a whole lot of spare housing anywhere near Cambridge. It's why they keep buiilding new towns near by. Latest one abandoned mid-build, last I heard.

 

Miserably expensive too. Residential moorings would be very pricey, I think, judging by land rents. If she works near the station or on a major bus route, she might be better off looking at commuting from somewhere more affordable. It's a better town to visit than live in, IME. Gets very small, very quickly. She might as well pay small town prices. There aren't any good clubs worth missing the last train home for.

[MoominPapa]

The Lucky Ducks will give you the lowdown on Cambridge city moorings, but I think it really is as difficult as they say. Depending on where in Cambridge the job is, a mooring at one of the Ely marinas and then commute by train might work quite well. I know people who have done that.

 

MP.

[Roger Gunkel]

The three places I would try for residential moorings, all within about 25-35 minutes of Cambridge are Isleham Marina, Popes Corner on the Cam and Upware Marina also on the Cam, which is where I am. Colin who owns it may have space for a residential narrowboat.

 

Roger

[FadeToScarlet]

Stardaughter starts a new job as a teacher in Cambridge this summer and would like to live on a boat in the area. At the moment she's at Bill Fen in Ramsey but it's a bit too far away really.

What is the mooring situation more locally? Is there really the 3+ year wait for spaces in Cambridge that the council say? Are there any other options apart from these or the regular marinas at Upware and on the Great Ouse?

 

I'm afraid that the waiting list for places is about 3 years long, but there's not a steady turnover. It could be less or more.

 

Having said that, it's £1015 per year for a legitimate residential mooring so no wonder it's popular!

 

Your daughter should get her name on the list now even if she doesn't want to move in yet because it takes so long. We were on for a year before we had the boat, then nearly two years after before getting a space.

 

There are other places nearby with residential boats.

 

-There are a series of illegal moorings along the "railings" where about 30 boats, some residential, squat for free. No security of tenure though and no guaranteed mooring space either.

 

-There are residential boats on a separate mooring scheme in the centre of town that allow the moorings to be sold. Moorings come with postcode, council tax bill, shoreline and water, but come up.very rarely and are nearly 4k per year.

 

-There are residential boats at "Brown's Field" just north of town in Fen Ditton

 

-Also at Horningsea a bit further out of town.

 

-There are residential moorings at Bottisham Lock near the village of Waterbeach which is commutable by train or car

 

-Also Upware, Pope's Corner, and a couple of marinas really out of town, she would need a car. There are some great people at Upware but it really is 5 miles from anywhere!

 

-Finally there's Ely, commutable by train or car (horrible commute by car) or St Ives, Earith, Huntingdon and other areas- which need a.commute, eventually by guided bus.

[MoominPapa]

...... eventually by guided bus.

Ah, the optimism of youth!

 

For those who neither know nor care, Cambridge's (miss)guided bus scheme is years late, millions over budget and showing very little sign of providing any transport except a very expensive cycle track which is flooded for half the year.

 

MP.

[PaddingtonBear]

Surely a guided bus is a bit hard on the Labrador.

[nbfiresprite]

Ah, the optimism of youth!

 

For those who neither know nor care, Cambridge's (miss)guided bus scheme is years late, millions over budget and showing very little sign of providing any transport except a very expensive cycle track which is flooded for half the year.

 

MP.

 

Now an £86,000,000 over budget, Only 4 people supported it, more than 4000 rejected it. It is allready falling

apart. High speed Guided buses required to be kept in a top notcn condition, something that Stagecoach are not known

for. These thing are not safe.

 

Firesprite

 

In the Office

[RLWP]

Now an £86,000,000 over budget, Only 4 people supported it, more than 4000 rejected it. It is allready falling

apart. High speed Guided buses required to be kept in a top notcn condition, something that Stagecoach are not known

for. These thing are not safe.

 

Firesprite

 

In the Office

 

It's going to be really expensive to replace it with a nice, simple railway now

 

Richard

[nbfiresprite]

Stardaughter starts a new job as a teacher in Cambridge this summer and would like to live on a boat in the area. At the moment she's at Bill Fen in Ramsey but it's a bit too far away really.

What is the mooring situation more locally? Is there really the 3+ year wait for spaces in Cambridge that the council say? Are there any other options apart from these or the regular marinas at Upware and on the Great Ouse?

 

Nipped into the council office on the way in to day and enquired, They comflim at least a 3 and 1/2 year wait. Foxes

in March have a few space berths at the monment and is only 32 mins from Cambridge by train (I do this run 3 days aweek (£13.20 per day peakrate).

 

Firesprite

 

In the Office