Rhubarb n Custard quirky unique narrowboat retreat

The Riverbank is nestled in an RSPB nature reserve close to the South Downs National Park, and benefits from a wide range of bird and animal life. This unique community is home to around 55 houseboats of all shapes and sizes and is completely unique to the UK. Guests will have exclusive use of our traditional narrowboat, Rhubarb and Custard. This will be a totally unique experience, at one with nature and the perfect place to holiday with the family! You will be able to relax, swim, or cycle... The space Rhubarb and Custard has been meticulously restored to her former glory by a wonderful team of local craftsmen and ourselves. She has a mid century quirky vibe. Virtually all of the decor and furnishings you will find are upcycled and vintage. We have made a special effort to keep, adapt and restore everything you find but have provided brand new mattresses, bedding and towels. She is 68 foot long and 6 foot 10 inches wide, with headroom of 6 foot 2 inches. There are 2 bathrooms, one with a shower and the other a separate toilet. At the front you will find a comfortable saloon and a well equipped kitchen with a refrigerator, toaster, small air-fryer, gas hob and oven to prepare your meals. We also provide tea, fresh coffee, instant coffee, herbal tea, sugar and milk sachets. Here you have the wonderful views of the river Adur and can open the back door and sit and enjoy your coffee whilst watching the bird life. There is a multi fuel burner in the saloon (seasoned wood, smokeless coal and kindling provided) and there are oil filled radiators provided throughout so you will always be warm and toasty. We provide fans in the summer. There are 2 bedrooms with comfy memory foam small double beds and fresh linens. These bedrooms can be made private with bi folding doors. There is also a "chill out room" with a cushioned area, books and games. Towels, eco friendly soap, shampoo and conditioner will be provided. Guests will have exclusive use of the whole narrowboat and surrounding terrace and garden throughout their stay on Guest access Guests have full access to the whole boat. We live next door on another boat and are here if the guests need anything at all. The narrowboat is accessed from our jetty down a very strong custom built pontoon. There is an outdoor private seating area with table and chairs for the guests to use. The river Adur is tidal therefore the boat spends most of her time sat on the riverbed but will float when the tides are high. This means she may move about a little and make some noises but this only lasts a few hours and its good fun! We are happy to provide information about this for your stay and a booklet will be found in the info pack with tidal times. We also provide a selection of bikes and kayaks for guests to use, free of charge. Please be aware that resources such as hot water and gas are more limited than stays in a hotel so we ask guests to be mindful and take suitable length showers. As we live in a nature reserve, we ask guests to only use the environmentally safe washing products provided. Please note- we ask guests to put toilet paper into the provided bin next to the toilet. Our sewage is processed locally and is a very basic system. Please see our other listings ‘jellybean’ and ‘Riverbank retreat cosy cabin’. If you are interested in a group booking we are happy to rent out all 3 of our places ( subject to availability) to group bookings and can accommodate up to 12 guests ( sharing beds). There is a cheap car park just 50 meters from the boat or guests can park on the main roads for free. Other things to note We live in a very special peaceful community so would like to invite our guests to come join us but to be mindful of our neighbours, especially late at night and early mornings. We would politely ask that music is turned off by 11pm and voices outside kept to a minimum after this time. Guests are welcome to use our kayaks (at their own risk) on a high tide (6m and over )to explore the River Adur. Most of the time Rhubarb is sat on mudflats so the kayak use is occasional and very dependent on the tides. Please message me BEFORE BOOKING to ask about the tides to avoid disappointment. We also offer our guests free use of bicycles, wet suits, body boards and buckets and spades. We also have beach blankets and cool boxes if needed. Please note the main doors are small and there are steps to go down into the boat so it may not be well suited for people with mobility issues or people over 6 foot 3”in height. The boat is reached by coming up a flight of steps in our garden and the down a gentle sloped pontoon. PLEASE CHECK BEFORE BOOKING IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT ACCESS- I can send photos and videos etc to help decide if it’s suitable for you. We welcome children as this is a perfect family holiday setting but please be aware the boat and surrounding areas can be dangerous for small children and they will need to be supervised at all times. There is also a wood burning stove which can be hazardous for small kids. Please note we would like to access every few days to empty the bins and top up the wood and anything else you need. We will arrange this with you prior to your stay and, of course, leave you in peace if you wish too! We are able to accommodate up to 6 people as there are 3 double beds but this will need to be arranged in advance and guests will need to be aware that space will be very tight. This may be a consideration if you are a family of 2 adults and 3 kids then message me to discuss.