Coot Club

Product Information

The magical Norfolk Broads, Arthur Ransome's encyclopeadic knowledge of boats, fishing, bird watching and his hatred of egg collectors are all there. Narrowboats are available in a wide range of layouts, sleeping up to 12 people, and combine their picturesque style with comfortably appointed interiors with modern facilities. Port and Starboard initially stay home so they can crew Flash in yacht races with their father, but when he has to go away on a legal case they hitch-hike aboard a series of friendly passing boats in pursuit of the Teasel and (eventually) join the others in Beccles. This nest is home of the coot with the white feather which is a mascot of the Coot Club and one of many of its monitored nests.

Exploring when Ransome lived, visiting his houses, collecting literature about him and his stories becomes expensive!

Yellow-billed ducks float below burrows made by giant kingfishers, egrets and glossy ibis wing their way up and down the waterway… several ways to explore, from hiring a kayak to hitching a ride on a river cruise. They make new friends, as well as new enemies, and learn more about their new passions of sailing and animal preservation as they do so. All you need to bring with you are sensible non-slip shoes, and you’ll receive all the training about safety you need from your boatyard staff when you arrive. That’s the remarkable thing about Ransome’s writing that I don’t think I have mentioned yet in my reviews - the sheer number of characters and Ransome’s ability to manage them all.

Not allowing the parents to just take care of the issue (although they are rightly informed) results in lots of sailing, help from other natives and a death and glory ending. French barges and some wide-beam boats feature wheel steering from an outside position on the upper deck rather than the stern tiller which is a feature of all narrowboats (see below). Built close to the river bank, they offer a phenomenal vantage, yet their pared-back simplicity and humble scale, with corrugated iron exteriors painted a matt dark grey, are a soft addition that in no way detracts from the landscape. If only the author, or publisher, would have put in more footnotes to help the reader better understand. But the events of Coot Club are about a month past the actual date of Easter Sunday that year, 27 March, see here.Narrowboats are available on the canals of England, Wales and Scotland and the rivers Thames and Wey with which they are linked. There are also wide beam narrowboats on some waterways, and in France some of these have wheel steering, as do French barges. Every child should have a summer spent on water with a worthwhile cause such as protecting a coot nest from marauding animals or oblivious and irresponsible humans as it was in this read.

We had a wonderful experience combining friends and family with relaxed setting and fun experiences. Outside you have swimming pools, sprawling lawns and the 400-year-old milkwood forest to form a natural playground for youngsters. The ongoing clearing and eradication of alien vegetation to allow the endemic flora and fauna to thrive. Birders, in particular, will be in heaven - the reserve is home to hundreds of different species of indigenous birds.

All-day dining takes place at the Clubhouse, Coot Club’s casual, sociable restaurant and bar, located in the historic Spookhuis. The listings of booking offers for each property take into account the compensation paid to us by our partners. As a birdwatcher I had a particular fondness for Ransome’s books that focus on birds including Great Northern and this great read, Coot Club. We reserve the right to make reasonable amendments or additions to these terms and conditions without notice.

An interesting hybrid of old and new structures, held together by the nautical theme, the use of natural materials, and punchy colours: postbox red, duck-egg blue, apple green. Lots of outdoor activities are completely free of charge, and the milkwood forests and lagoon will provide hours of fun. All inventory must remain in the property it was in at arrival and not be taken to another property.I'd link sounds to the map, so we hear locations before the zoom in or even when the focus simply passes an area without zooming. The Stone Cottages retain the charm of a typical stone building tucked into the Milkwood forests with beautiful outdoor seating areas. There are several maps (a bit hard to read on a Kindle, unfortunately), and lots of real detail about tides, moorings, bridges, railroad crossings, and the like. And those spectacular views – we could have spent all week in our boathouse looking out to the lagoon and mountains.