Swallows and Amazons

Out on the bike again today. Today - an exporation of the ----- peninsula - bit of land between the Orwell and the Stour. First of all couldn't resist a circuit round ---- Lake. Which didn't take long. Then to the south bank of the River Orwell.

Arthur Ransome wrote here - author of "Swallows and Amazons". Although 5 of his 12 stories are set in the Lake District, the others take place in Norfolk Broads and Suffolk.

The Ransomes lived at Broke Farm on the banks of the River Orwell, "as he wrote, looking out of the window of the window of his study, he could see Pin Mill harbour, where he moored his sailing boat, the Nancy Blackett, named after his formidable Amazon heroine."
"In the books, John, susan, Titty (!!) and Roger (the Swallows) stay at Alma Cottage, the pink cottage next to the Butt and Oyster pub." from Adventure Walks by -------.

Butt and Oyster pub, above, on the far left.

A sailing race to Holland takes place every year from the sailing club at Pin Mill as a tribute to the book, "We didn't Mean To go To Sea".

I followed the path as described in "Adventure Walks" - along a footpath up the estuary of the River Orwell which led to "the warmth of the pub and the chinking of the boats of Pin Mill" - I bought a pint and chose to sit outside in the warmth of the sun, which was better than the warmth of the pub. The boats did chink though.

"As many as 50,000 birds from as far away as the Arctic Circle spend winter here" which is nice, but I was here in summer

Butt and Oyster pub, phone, 01473 780764. Reasonably good beer, food which I can't vouch for, but was a little on the expensive side...at high spring tides you can order a pint through the window without leaving your boat. Open 11 am to 11.30 pm every day. Food served 12 to 2.30 pm and 6.30 to .30 pm.

the story of the Nancy Blackett www.nancyblackett.org

the Arthur Ransome website www.arthur-ransome.org

Pin Mill Studio - art gallery and shop selling the work of local artists and photographs, tel: 01473 780 130

Pin Mill Sailing Club www.pmsc.org.uk day boats and cruisers, mooring available, tel: 01473 780 271

After one beer I continued eastwards. It wasn't long before I was treated to a view of Felixstowe docks across the Orwell. I continued into Harwich.

Harwich Ferry - working today

And the from Harwich back to the Bunkhouse, this time on the southern bank of the river Stour.

The River Stour in all its glory!