The series has been created to celebrate one of our literary heros, Arthur Ransome, who died 50 years ago in 1967. He wrote many books in the Swallows and Amazons series but one of the most relevant to the area is “We didn’t mean to go to sea” which has its opening set at Pin Mill.
Look out for bonus information which can be found inside some of the caches. See We didn’t mean to go to sea - Bonus
There is a series of 10 stamps to collect along the way too. Collection leaflets can be found in cache 1.
The cache series will take you along the river following extracts from the story.
We didn't mean to go to sea - Wooden shoes
All four of them went ashore by the plank.
“It’s a good plank to walk,”said Roger, “and no sharks.”
Daddy went too, counting up how much Dutch money he had left. There was just enough for five pairs of wooden shoes (one pair two sizes smaller than Roger’s which Susan thought would be about right for Bridget), one toothbrush, a box of cigars and a small Dutch doll dressed exactly like one of the little Dutch girls who stood and giggled in the doorway of the shop watching Roger try on his wooden shoes.
[Quotes and images from We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea by Arthur Ransome Published by Jonathan Cape. Reprinted by permission of The Random House Group Limited]
There is a regular bus service from Shotley to Chelmondiston (Mon-Sat) if you would like to make this a linear walk. Click
here to see the time table.
Caches have been placed with funding support from Suffolk Coast and Heaths, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and with kind permission of of the land owner and the environment agency.