The Great Ship of the Fens

In Philippa Pierce's magical book "Tom's Midnight Garden", young Tom is sent to stay with his Aunt and Uncle in their flat in an old house, because his brother has chicken pox. Every night he hears the grandfather clock strike 13, opens the back door, and instead of a small yard, finds a wonderful garden where he meets and plays with a young girl, Hattie.

The last section of “Tom’s Midnight Garden” takes us back to that past, where they leave the garden and skate to Ely Cathedral, often given the nickname of the title of this poem.

The Great Ship of the Fens

Clock strikes thirteen on the hour
Opening of a time travel door
Into the garden, snow and flower
It was the great frost of 1894

The river was frozen, full of ice
From the garden, we were skating
Such gliding freedom, so very nice
As towards Ely, we are migrating

The great ship of the Fens awaits
Cathedral bell chimes from afar
Castleford to Ely on our skates
But a door now closes, just ajar

Tom’s final adventure in that night
That Hattie’s memory brings to light