Meet Seymour the friendly ferry and his harbour friends in a series of beautifully illustrated children's books — gently woven with the wonders of the sea, science and the natural world. In print and as e-books.
Perfect reading age 3–10. Designed to be read by an adult to the children — with plenty in there to entertain the grown-up as well.
Walcombe was born from years of quiet harbour-watching — the comings and goings of little boats, the tide and the weather, and the small adventures that fill a day beside the sea.
Each tale invites young readers aboard for a trip on a real ferryboat and the famous sea-paddling tractor, while weaving in gentle lessons about science, the sea and the natural world. They're stories to read aloud at bedtime — calm, kind and full of curiosity.
Every book is designed to be read by an adult to the children, with a few bits tucked in there to entertain the grown-up as well.
Collect the whole series — each title is available as a printed paperback or an e-book. Choose your shop from the Buy the book menu on any title.
The perfect introduction to the series — a warm-hearted tale of clever recycling.
Designed to be read to an apprentice reader by an adult. Meet Mr. Salt and son Jack.
Free audio recording
Meet Seymour, the cheerful little ferry who carries everyone across the bay. A gentle introduction to the friendliest boat in Walcombe.
Free audio recording
A story of pride and jealousy, as a new female lifeboat, Izzy, is stationed at Walcombe. Rufus the all-weather lifeboat at first is unhappy.
Thanks to thoughtless fishermen, Tooting Ted runs into a spot of trouble in the Tales of Walcombe series.
Best read after book 4
Seymour has to co-operate with the boastful, shallow amphibian, to pay to restore Tooting Ted to health!
An emotional story of how Rocking Rob the popstar makes amends for ruining a sick boy's sandcastle.
Ali the daredevil windsurfer gets into trouble at sea. He is saved by the efforts of Danny and Daisy the dolphins, Oscar Whiskers the seal, and of course Izzy and crew.
A slightly simpler script for apprentice readers.
Every title in the Tales of Walcombe series is available as a beautifully printed paperback or a convenient e-book — ready to read at bedtime tonight, wherever you are in the world.
Mark spent his career in education, teaching every age group across a variety of schools — including long spells teaching children with complex special needs, and specialist lessons in Craft, Design and Technology. He holds an Honours degree from Worcester University.
Regular visits and close observation of the comings and goings of a working harbour led to the creation of the fictional seaside idyll of Walcombe. In his writing, Mark weaves in educational content drawn from his knowledge of science, the sea and the natural world.
"The fantastic views from my flat overlooking the harbour are where every Walcombe tale begins."
Caroline is a self-taught artist whose playful, quirky style delights younger and older readers alike. Her love of seaside scenes made her the author's first choice to bring the colourful world of Walcombe to life.
A passionate traveller and scuba diver, Caroline is one of only a handful of artists in the world who paint underwater — which is exactly where her wonderfully vibrant sea scenes come from. The hazards? The occasional passing jellyfish, and crabs who make off with her paints.
"On a recent diving trip to Orkney I was lucky enough to see a pod of orcas swimming where they should be — in the wild."
appleyard-art.co.ukEvery visit to Walcombe comes with extra seaside fun — colouring pictures, word searches and read-along recordings to enjoy together after the story. All completely free to download, print and play at home.
Print your favourite Walcombe characters at home, then bring them to life with your own colours. Each one is a free PDF, ready for the printer.
Seymour
The Walcombe Bay to Sandy Bay ferryboat
PDF · Download
Tooting Ted
The Sandy Bay sea-paddling tractor
PDF · Download
Oskar Whiskers
The seal with halitosis
PDF · Download
Izzy
The Walcombe Bay inshore lifeboat
PDF · Download
Rufus
The Walcombe Bay offshore lifeboat
PDF · Download
🎨 We'd love to see your finished pictures! Take a photo and email it to walcombebay@aol.com
One puzzle for each story — can you find all 19 hidden words? Perfect for a rainy afternoon or a long journey.
Free recordings of the Walcombe tales, read aloud. Play them right here in your browser, or download them for the car, the pram or bedtime.
🎧 More recordings are on the way — the rest of the series is being recorded now.
Questions about the books, school and library orders, or signed copies? Drop us a line — we're based in Shropshire and always happy to help.
Shropshire, United Kingdom
