HEATHER

Welcome to Heather

Houseboat of character, docked in Hoveton by the River Bure on the Norfolk Broads Waterways.

Heather is cared for by a partnership of friends and family. Our aim is to preserve the distinctive style of the houseboat and enable future generations to enjoy her charms.

Explore the riverside, browse the shops and places to eat and drink ~ and much more beyond monumental Wroxham Bridge.

Andrew, Timothy and Christopher

2 November 2025

Loynes Legacy

Earlier in the summer, a kindly local gentleman from nearby Drayton, who frequently comes to the riverside explained how he was a direct descendent of John Loynes ~ the great Victorian boat builder and charter entrepreneur. 

Loynes was a self taught innovator in the newly formed holiday industry. Filled with zeal and good humour, John designed yachts by hand and physically constructed them (getting his hands dirty) on a bigger scale than ever before in Broadland. Effectively, the entire modern day holiday boating enterprise began here on this spot by the bridge. 

In the 1870s John Loynes brought a horse and trap from Norwich to transport his boats from Norwich; letting them by the old mill. Later on, Loynes purchased land and built boat houses on the opposite side of the River Bure in Wroxham. The Loynes name continues to this day.

Chris, Tim

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King's Head Staithe, Hoveton, pictured from Wroxham public Parish Staithe