Please help me find this book about the Fens

[Ylfa]

I think it’s a children’s story, there was buried treasure and a creepy tree stump that came to life wrapped in a carpet - does this sound familiar to anyone?

No idea but sounds interesting!

It’s quite old I think - 70s 80s or even 90s. It had something to do with a king accidentally dropping treasure into the sea which somewhat ironically preserved it.

The king who dropped treasure in the sea would probably be the lost baggage train/Crown Jewels of King John (the one from Robin Hood). He used to have his court travel round the country enjoying the hospitality of his nobles and legend has it that on one occasion he was crossing the Fens and his horses got bogged down/deliberately led off-course by local guides in the swamp and a lot of the court belongings were lost. I don’t know the book you mean though!

Hmmm…..or if it was an older time period, Viking King Canute/Cnut lived in the area and used to travel across Whittlesey Mere (a massive inland lake long since drained) - when they drained it some monastic treasure was found so that could have been fictionalised and associated with him (it was probably more likely to be monks raiding each other to redistribute relics between the big religious centres in the area).
One of Canute’s sons drowned in a boating accident on the Mere when a Fen Blow wind came up, which feeds nicely into the whole “Even a King can’t control the sea” legend about him.

Yes yes it was King John! Interesting about Canute’s son too though.

The House on the Brink by John Gordon

Yes that’s it, thank you SO much.

I'm quite excited, this is my first book ID - either I'm too late or I've no idea

It sounds great, I wish there was a pdf or Kindle version to read.

I think it's one of those books that leaves a really strong impression on readers.

I still have my old copy and in fact I re-read it last summer. I'm surprised it's not still in print.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115265793819?hash=item1ad6606f1b:g:TdgAAOSwXg9iF0t1

Copy on eBay!

Thanks Trumpton... but I was too late I think!

Bugger!
There is another one at £140 !

OMG it's on Amazon marketplace for £159!!

Someone should definitely reprint it!

Haha no

@Ylfa
One on abebooks

Amazing! Thanks so much Trumpton, I’ve ordered it.

Oh that’s lovely. I was a bit worried I was taunting you with one that was more than you wanted to pay. But it was considerably cheaper than £1206!
Enjoy.

Ah no not at all, I appreciate it. I read lots of reviews by other readers returning to it as adults and many were disappointed so that helped me not spend £absurd on a copy. Can’t wait to reread!

Not that I have absurd money to spend, just erratic impulse control 😅

Millions of thanks again, it came today and I instantly (re)read it in one go - finally scratched an itch that recurs every so often.

Thanks for letting me know. Glad you got that itch scratched!