Emneth

   Just three miles from Wisbech sits the village of Emneth a village I cycle through a lot on my fen travels. The village is stretched out over a long distance and includes Emneth Hungate.

   The parish church of Saint Edmund sits on the main street and a fine example it is too. The chancel date to the 13th century and of course like many other churches in this area it features angel carvings upon the great roof hammerbeams.

   The Rev Wilbert Awdry, the author of "The RailwaySeries" books and creator of "Thomas the Tank Engine" was vicar of Emneth in the 1950s and '60s. Many of his books were written in the old vicarage. There is a modern stained glass window inside the church celebrating his work.
   The village has two village stores, a wonderful family butchers shop and a few other amenities including a nice primary school. On one of my cycles, I noticed a beautiful old Dovecote hidden behind some modern housing on the main village road.

    Every summer the village holds the scarecrow weekend when lots of families decorate their front gardens and cottages with homemade scarecrows, all of which are judged.

   So in all the village of Emneth is well worth a visit and seems to me like a very friendly place like most fen villages I had found.

Outwell

   The fen village of Outwell is really a twin to Upwell, they are joined and are more like one very large parish. Like Upwell, Outwell has a good selection of shops and other amenities.

   Well Creek runs through the middle of the village as it does in Upwell and there too you can sit and watch the leisure boats in the summer months. In Outwell standing close to the old tram depot office is a specially crafted memento to commemorate that famous tram that ran through both Upwell and Outwell.

   The 13th-century parish church of Saint Clement like its fellow church in Upwell has angels carved into the roof timbers and also boasts some stunning medieval stained glass windows. While walking around the church I found some interesting grinning gargoyles.

   The village has a number of Flemish design bridges that cross the Well Creek canal that follows alongside the main road, the expansion of the village dates from the time of the draining of the fens by Dutch engineers. All in all a very laid back relaxing village with plenty of stopping places for those who wish to visit.

Upwell

   For the last 17 years, we have lived here in Upwell, a large village on the Cambridgeshire Norfolk border, a village with a great mix of history and modern, a village occupied still by a large number of Upwell families. To me it reminds me of how my own village in Hertfordshire used to be in the '70s and '80s, the people are friendly, the village has great amenities and when saying "good morning" to folk they answer and smile, sadly not always the case these days.

   For those cycling through Upwell there are some interesting buildings to look at along with the beauty of Well Creek running through the village with banks full of spring bulbs and leisure boats that pass through every summer.

   The 14th-century parish church of St Peter is one that like others in this area boasts an amazing angel timber ceiling with what can only be called the most wonderful angel carvings. The church also has many unusual features such as the Alms slot found in the back wall and the many stone carved gargoyles.

Upwell is also well known for its tramway that took passengers and agricultural produce into Wisbech, the track ran through the centre of both Upwell and Outwell before heading off towards the capital of the fens where produce was sold or dispersed to further locations such as March.
It is said that the Reverend Wilbert Awdry, vicar of neighbouring village Emneth based his famous "Thomas the Tank Engine" books on the Upwell tramway.
So if you are cycling through the village, please remember there are many resting places along the river at which to take a break and to take in a little of the wonderful rural atmosphere that fills this great fen village.