Wroxham houseboat forced to leave Broads mooring by landlord

Chris Moffatt, the co-owner of Houseboat Heather, believes he was "bullied off" the mooring inlet, from the River Bure north of Hotel Wroxham.

Houseboat Heather was moored up in Wroxham, Hoveton, since 2016 (Image: Chris Moffatt)
Mr Moffatt, who said he did not live on the houseboat, bought Heather in 2007 and moored up in Wroxham in 2016, said: "We've had issues ever since mooring up there.

"People in the area don’t seem to like houseboats in the area at all.

Chris Moffatt said he felt bullied into leaving the mooring (Image: Archant)
"Houseboats have been here for years but it seems like they're seen as some sort of con but we paid our way."

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Mr Moffatt is self-employed – selling natural bird food like wheat, corn and fish meal – selling them out of the nearby food truck on the mooring.

The food truck which was used to help feed birds and maintain the boat, was damaged (Image: Chris Moffatt)
However, Mr Moffatt added: "Our truck containing food for the local water birds, which is sold to maintain the boat, was damaged.

"There’s so many flocks of birds here so it’s so disappointing you try and do things to help, but people want to destroy it."

Mr Moffatt had to move from the mooring in June this year (Image: Chris Moffatt)
Hotel Wroxham received a letter from its landlords, Argola Holdings, in June telling them Mr Moffatt could no longer moor up at the site.

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A letter from legal firm Howes Percival, acting on behalf of Argola Holdings, stated: "You are allowing a houseboat to moor on a permanent basis and in addition we're told this uses power from the hotel.

Chris Moffatt and his partner Andrew Nicholson feeding some swans at the mooring (Image: Archant)
"Please arrange for the boat to be removed."

Wendy Timewell, owner of Hotel Wroxham, said: "We loved the quirky and quaint Houseboat Heather and were truly sorry to see it go."

Argola Holdings, told The Hotel Wroxham, to have the antique boathouse removed from the mooring (Image: Archant)
Mr Moffatt, who moved to another Wroxham site at the end of June, added: "It’s ludicrous and really unfair.

"I'm just trying to keep the houseboat preserved until potentially selling it because it just doesn't seem worth it anymore."