OUSE CRUISES 2025

COOL in every sense, Ouse Cruises are delighted to be back running our beloved boat trips on the beautiful River Ouse at Lewes. We have had some wonderful outings already, with overjoyed families bursting into applause – thank you, all. You can book your trip from dates listed below to enjoy a truly unique experience surrounded by nature in the heart of the South Downs National Park. Our boat, The Lady Helen, usually passes herons, egrets, buzzards, swans, kingfishers and cormorants as we glide through this unspoilt tidal waterway. We have seen a lot of awesome geese recently, though sadly no seal this year so far.

BOOK HERE:

booking@ousecruises.com

CHOOSE your outing from trips listed here – all times are fixed by the tide – then email request to: booking@ousecruises.com

Please include 1) chosen date 2) number of passengers 3) your contact details including phone contact and email address.

We will get in touch to confirm booking. All trips leave from our mooring close to Lewes centre and return a few hours later. Timings are dictated by the daily tide. The Lady Helen, can take six or seven passengers in comfort and safety in compliance with MCA Small Passenger Boat Code. Trips go through Lewes and up river toward Hamsey, unless otherwise arranged. Your party will have exclusive charter of boat and skipper.

Please note we have a min charter fee. Payment is in cash on the day. We want everyone to enjoy their adventure and so do not go if there is rotten rain, but we will keep in touch with you. We have a sunshade cover. Please let us know if anyone in your party has accessibility difficulties.

Prices 2025

Cruises are £40pp (£30 per child under 12). Please note there is a minimum charter fee of £200 per cruise.

Lewes-based crime writer Lesley Thomson, treated to a birthday trip by her mates, said: “For decades I’ve dreamed of drifting down the Ouse with a picnic and good mates. My dream is a reality! Wonderful to see Lewes from the river. If I feature the experience in a novel, Ouse Cruises are definitely the good guys!”

2 hour cruise good for you – official

Weekly “awe” outings to soak up nature and appreciate the world around us can boost positive emotions, reduce stress and make us smile, according to research reported in Daily Mail . Professor Virginia Sturm at the University of California, San Francisco said after an eight-week study that encouraged participants to take weekly 15-minute walks:

” Occasionally shifting our energy and attention outward instead of inward can lead to significant improvements in emotional well-being. Experiencing awe is such a simple practice and we now show it can have measurable effects on our emotional well-being.  A little more joy and a little more connectedness with the world around us is something all of us could use these days.”

A two-hour dose of nature significantly boosts health and wellbeing, according to another scientific study. Researchers interviewed 20,000 people. Of those who spent little or no time in nature, a quarter reported ill health and almost half were not satisfied with their life, a standard measure of wellbeing. In contrast, just one seventh of those who spent at least two hours in nature said their health was poor, while only a third were not satisfied with life.