The historic Chapel Bridge is one of only four such bridges in the country.

Two of the arches are a different shape from the others as they were blown up by Oliver Cromwell during the Civil War to prevent the troops of Charles 1 from entering the town from Lincolnshire. A drawbridge stood in their place until that side of the bridge was rebuilt. Oliver Cromwell lived in St Ives for several years and worked as a tenant farmer until he built his rebel army. There is a statue of him in the market square.

The statue should have been erected in 1899 (just two years after Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee) in Cromwell’s birthplace of nearby Huntingdon. The townsfolk in Huntingdon thought that erecting Cromwell’s statue would be disrespectful to the monarchy so it resides in St Ives where Cromwell had lived and fought and trained his troops. Other delights in St Ives include the tiny but very well set out Norris Museum and the Holt Island Nature Reserve (we paid a deposit and were trusted with the key to the island for as long as we wanted). On a river boat ride the captain, Robin allowed grandson to steer the craft. Delights of the river included cormorants

And swans and cygnets, grebes and their young, herons and terns all swimming in or flying over the clear, clear water. What a relaxing and magical way to spend four hours. Luckily we ate a hearty breakfast before we set off with grandson announcing, “you don’t get breakfast like this at home!” Too right…..it’s a grandpa special.