Ann Cleeves has previously been known for her novels set in Shetland and in north east England (dramatised for TV in the Shetland and Vera series respectively). For A Bird In The Hand we are transported to the county of Norfolk and the obsessive world of birdwatching. The main action takes place in the fictional village of Rushy where a body is found in the marshes, although some of the characters venture further afield to the Scilly Isles and other birdwatching hotspots.
I have tried in vain to find out whether there is a real-life place which forms the inspiration for Rushy, but having visited the Norfolk coast a few years ago I am convinced the most likely contender is Cley next the Sea where, like Rushy, there are extensive marshes and also a Visitor Centre focussing on the birdlife of the area. Another giveaway is that there is a windmill in Cley used for accommodation; Rushy also has a windmill which is used as a cafe.
The Skirts, Cley Marshes Nature Reserve - geograph.org.uk - 3010226. Photo by Oliver Dixon, via Wikimedia Commons.
Cley next the Sea has swapped its role as a medieval trading
port for that of a mecca for nature lovers, particularly birdwatchers. Cley Marshes, run by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, is a nature reserve with six hides for birdwatchers to lurk in as they
watch out for their feathered friends, which include wintering and migrating
wildfowl and waders. There is a Visitor Centre owned by the Trust on the way into the
village from the east with marsh views and a cafe. The 18th
century windmill now serves as a bed and breakfast and wedding venue, offering
stunning views of the marshes and surrounding countryside.
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| Cley Windmill 1. Photo by Martin Pettitt, via Wikimedia Commons. |
