The Broads

A guide for green travellers

Where adventures begin...

Reeds

the broads

Britain’s magical waterland

water, water everywhere 2

what is a broad? 4

messing about in boats 6

boat hire 8

water-borne adventures 10

canoeing 12

boat trips 14

on dry land 16

walking the broads 18

nature 20

a perfect day? 22

sleep 24

eat and drink 26

at the beach 28

kids 30

summer diary 32

love the broads 34

broads tourism 36

how do I get to the broads? 38

further information 40

water, water everywhere

Boathouses, Hickling Broad

3

what is a broad?

4

Reeds and big Norfolk skies

the riversBURE the longest and busiest of the Broadland

rivers, navigable from Coltishall all the way to

THURNE meets the Bure at Thurne Mouth,

trail all the way to the glorious expanse of

ANT a tributary of the Bure, the narrow Ant

twists its way up to Barton Broad, and is one of

YARE

and Reedham and discharging into the wild

CHET this tributary of the Yare takes you

through woodland and meadow to the small

WAVENEY often overlooked, the Waveney

forms the southern boundary of the Broads

and is one of the region’s most picturesque

5

messing about in boats

Full sail on the river Bure

7

Malthouse Broad

8

Hickling Broad

hiring a boatYour experience of the Broads will depend on where you

most popular – and busiest – region, but is home to the best

for boat hire are Wroxham, the so-called ‘capital of the Broads’;

picturesque Horning, a couple of hours downstream; Potter

Heigham, where you’re poised to explore the vast expanse

of the largest broad at Hickling; Stalham, site of the Museum

principal boat-hire centres are Brundall, on the Yare, not far

from Norwich; Reedham, where the chain car ferry still makes

this one of the few points where you can cross the river; and

green boating

keep the rivers and broads pristine and wildlife friendly

by strictly observing the speed limits, using biodegradable

washing products and taking care not to spill fuel – and, of

course, opting to hire the newest and most environmentally

sound craft, the best of which have low-wash hulls and adhere

Dayboat on the Bure

Upton Dyke

9

water-borne adventuresHUNTER’S YARD Horsefen Rd, Ludham NR29 5QG

NANCY OLDFIELD TRUST Irstead Rd, Neatishead NR12 8BJ

possible’ is their motto, which is exactly what they do, taking

NORFOLK BROADS DIRECT The Bridge, Wroxham NR12 8RX

pioneers of sustainable Broads tourism yet one of the biggest

NORFOLK WHERRY TRUST Horsefen Rd, Ludham NR29 5QG

RICHARDSONS The Staithe, Stalham NR12 9BX

Among the oldest boatyards, and consciously aiming to

WHERRY YACHT CHARTER CHARITABLE TRUST Hartwell Road,

A collection of lovingly restored wherries available for public

Filby Broad

Stalham Staithe

11

Traditional Broads yachts

paddling

12

Inching through the reeds

BANK BOATS Staithe Cottage, Wayford Bridge NR12 9LN

BARNES BRINKCRAFT Riverside Rd, Wroxham NR12 8UD

MARTHAM BOATS Cess Rd, Martham NR29 4RF

OUTNEY MEADOW CAMPSITE

PHOENIX FLEET Repps Staithe, Potter Heigham NR29 5JD

ROWAN CRAFT Big Row, Geldeston NR34 0LY

SALHOUSE BROAD Lower St, Salhouse NR13 6RX

SUTTON STAITHE BOATYARD Sutton NR12 9QS

THE CANOEMAN 10 Norwich Rd, Wroxham NR12 8RX

WAVENEY RIVER CENTRE

WHISPERING REEDS Staithe Rd, Hickling NR12 0YW

WHITLINGHAM OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTRE Whitlingham

13

Rowing on the Bure at Coltishall

Waterlilies on Lily Broad

take a tripELECTRIC EEL Toad Hole Cottage, How

Hill, Ludham NR29 5PG 01603 756096

LIANA Hoveton Broads Information

Centre, Station Rd, Hoveton NR12 8UR

01603 756097

RA Whitlingham Visitor Centre,

Whitlingham Lane, Trowse, Norwich

NR14 8TR 01603 756094

BROADS TOURS The Bridge, Wroxham

NR12 8RX 01603 782207

CITY BOATS

Andrew, Norwich NR7 0SL

GENTLEMAN JIM The Waterside,

Rollesby Broad NR29 5EF 01493 740531

ROSS’S RIVER TRIPS Horsey NR29 4EF

SOUTHERN COMFORT Lower St,

Horning NR12 8AA 01692 630262

A boat trip on Liana

boat trips

15

The eco-friendly Electric Eel

on dry land

16

Cycling to Sea Palling

bike hire outletsBROADLAND CYCLE HIRE Bewilderwood

NR12 8JW 07887 480331

CLIPPESBY HALL Clippesby NR29 3BL

OUTNEY MEADOW CAMPSITE Bungay NR35

SEA PALLING CYCLE HIRE Waxham Barn,

Waxham Rd, Sea Palling NR12 0EE

RIVERSIDE TEAROOMS The Green,

Stokesby NR29 3EX 01493 750470

SALHOUSE BROAD Lower St, Salhouse NR13

THE CANOEMAN 10 Norwich Rd, Wroxham

NR12 8RX 0845 496 9177

WAVENEY RIVER CENTRE Staithe Rd, Burgh St

Peter, Beccles NR34 0BT 01502 677343

MORE INFORMATION at

17

Cycling is fun for kids – and grown-ups

Barton Broad Boardwalk

six walksANGLES WAY A lovely route that skirts Breydon

Water and heads down to Oulton Broad and then

BURE VALLEY PATH Footpath that follows the Bure

BURLINGHAM WALKS Delightful woodland walks

LUDHAM TO HOW HILL One of the nicest walks

in the Broads, following the river to How Hill and

back to Ludham village, with maybe a detour to St

WEAVER’S WAY The 56-mile-long Weaver’s Way

joins the Wherryman’s Way at Great Yarmouth

and meanders up through the old wool centres of

Worstead and North Walsham to Cromer, where it

WHERRYMAN’S WAY This 35-mile route is the main

long-distance footpath of the Broads, and follows

the Yare river all the way from Norwich to the sea

MORE INFORMATION at

Dogs taking their owners for walk

walking the broads

19

nature

ten natural placesBARTON BROAD Wheelchair-friendly boardwalked paths

through the woodland take you to a lookout where you can

FAIRHAVEN WATER GARDEN

HICKLING BROAD The wildest Broad, with bird hides, a visitor

HORSEY Cranes overhead at Horsey Mere, and seals on the

HOVETON GREAT BROAD Part of the Bure Marshes Nature

HOW HILL Nature trails and magical trips through reeds and

RANWORTH BROAD Boardwalks through the reeds and

STRUMPSHAW FEN Family-friendly RSPB reserve with

UPTON BROAD AND MARSHES Peaceful haven for swallowtail

WHEATFEN NATURE RESERVE Once the home of naturalist Ted

Ellis, who called this stretch of reeds and dykes ‘a breathing

21

Ranworth Broad Boardwalk

a perfect day?

Dog tired but happy

23

sleep

Waveney River Centre

six sustainable staysBEECHWOOD HOTEL Cromer Rd, North Walsham NR28 0HD

CLIPPESBY HALL Clippesby NR29 3BL 01493 367800

with shady pitches, bike hire and self-catering lodges in the

DAIRY BARNS Hickling NR12 0BE 01692 598243

EAST VIEW FARM COTTAGES Stone Lane, Ashmanhaugh

THE MOORHEN 45 Lower St, Horning NR12 8AA 01692 631444

WAVENEY RIVER CENTRE Staithe Rd, Burgh St Peter NR34 0BT

gets, with camping, holiday lodges, biking and canoeing in a

25

Rooms at The Moorhen

Clippesby Hall

eat and drink

Pulling a pint of Wherry at The Pleasure Boat Inn, Hickling

six sustainable eatsBERNEY ARMS Great Yarmouth NR30 1SB 01493 700303

the Berney Marshes RSPB reserve but only accessible by boat,

train or on foot?

BURE RIVER COTTAGE 27 Lower St, Horning NR12 8AA 01692

FARM TO FORK & FISH Norwich Rd, Horstead NR12 7EE 01603

THE HERMITAGE 64 Old Road, Acle NR13 3QP 01493 750310

THE LAVENDER HOUSE 9 The Street, Brundall NR13 5AA 01603

WROXHAM BARNS Tunstead Rd, Hoveton NR12 8QU 01603

spearheaded sustainable tourism in the area, which is nowhere

more evident than in its superb café-restaurant, whose daily

27

The Duke’s Head, Somerleyton

at the beach28

Winterton-on-Sea

beachesHORSEY Horsey village has the famous Horsey

Windpump and Horsey Mere but that’s not all:

there’s a lovely tucked-away medieval church

and a brilliant pub, too, beyond which you can

follow the path all the way to the dunes and

WAXHAM There’s not much to the village

of Waxham beyond the impressive thatch

of Waxham Barn, a vast sixteenth-century

construction which is open to the public and

which is also home to a café and handily

through the dunes and the beach awaits – a

WINTERTON-ON-SEA The village here is lovely,

and has a good pub to boot, but the beach and

dunes are awesome, a vast, dog-friendly stretch

You can swim with the seals, have lunch in

the excellent beach café or just hide out in

29

Waxham Beach

Dunes, Horsey Seal pup, Horsey

kids

30 Bewilderwood

activities for kidsBEWILDERWOOD Horning Rd, Hoveton NR12 8JW 01692

adventure park, where your brood can join the boggles and

twiggles that live in the wet woodland – on slides, zipwires,

BURE VALLEY RAILWAY Aylsham Station, Norwich Rd, Aylsham

PETTITTS Church Rd, Reedham NR13 3UA 01493 700094

animals at this long-established southern Broads family

WROXHAM BARNS Tunstead Rd, Hoveton NR12 8QU 01603

ups, Wroxham Barns also has a funfair, junior farm and a

minigolf course that regularly hosts the British crazy golf

championships!

31

Where’s the ginger beer?

summer diary

The Three Rivers Race

eventsBARTON REGATTA Two-day event held over the August bank

holiday weekend – a great opportunity to see traditional Broads

BROADS OUTDOORS FESTIVAL May sees the start of the two-

week-long Broads Outdoors Festival – an annual collection of

events that celebrates the best of the Broads, and in particular

its wildlife and landscapes, with guided wildlife walks, canoe

GREEN BOAT SHOW Salhouse Broad’s annual showcase of green

HORNING BOAT SHOW

HORNING WEEK Horning Sailing Club’s annual regatta lasts all

THREE RIVERS RACE This legendary yacht race is for many the

of June and following a demanding course that takes in the

OTHER SAILING REGATTAS include Wroxham Week, held over

a week in early July, Oulton Week, at the end of August, and the

Yare Navigation, which runs from Brundall to Breydon Water

33

Canoeists on the Trinity Broads

Horning Boat Show

love the broads

34

35

Breydon Water in winter

Halvergate Marshes

broads tourismIn this book we have highlighted just

a few of the wonderful businesses

in the Broads, but of course there

are many more – the best of them

are part of Broads Tourism, whose

members sign a pledge to attain the

organisations and other key groups

are also members, and Broads

Tourism works closely with the Broads

Authority to ensure that Britain’s

magical waterland remains in tip-top

Broads Tourism helped to establish

the Green Boat Mark, by which

environmental credentials with regard

to engine performance, water quality,

more about Broads Tourism at

Locally grown produce

green tourism business schemeThis is a national grading scheme

grade businesses against a rigorous

set of criteria designed to assess

They look at every aspect of a

business, covering such areas as

management, biodiversity, use of

local suppliers and more, and they

Business, there are over 2,300

members throughout the UK and

Ireland, and this includes over 30

37

leave the car at homeIs there a greener place to travel around in

the country than the Broads? We don’t think

so, because it’s a fact that you can’t see the

to be on the water, and when you’re not

on a boat you should be walking or riding a

manageable, and there are lots of routes to

easy – and a joy – to combine walking and

car at home, jump on a train, and explore

the region – it’s the only way to unlock the

train operatorsThe following websites will give you all the

detail you need to access the Broads by

A sign at Acle station

how do I get to the broads?

further informationBroads Authority Information CentresHOVETON INFORMATION CENTRE

TOAD HOLE COTTAGE How Hill, Ludham NR29 5PG

WHITLINGHAM VISITOR CENTRE

MORE INFORMATION

accept no responsibility for errors or omissions, changes in the

40 Forget-me-nots at Strumpshaw Fen

Duckling at Strumpshaw Fen

Halvergate Marshes

Broads Authority area

NOT OPEN for navigation

Broads bike hire centre

Broads canoe hire centre

Main road route

Railway Information centre

approx. scale 1km

1mile0

Buckenham

Strumpshaw

Trinity Broads

Horstead

Thorpe St Andrew

River Th urne

Oulton Broad

Winterton Dunes

Yarmouth Haven

Stracey Arms

WhitlinghamCountry Park

narrow gauge railway

The Bittern Line

TO Aylsham

TO Cromer & Sheringham

TO London

TO Thetford

A11

A140 A146

A143

A144

A146

A143

B1140

A12

A12

A1064

A143

A47

A47

B1140

A1151

A149

A149

A1151

A1062

B1140

Barton Broad

WomackWater

Hickling Broad

Ormesby Broad

Filby Broad

Rollesby Broad

Martham Broad

Wroxham Broad

Hoveton Great Broad

Hoveton Little Broad

Salhouse Broad Upton

Dyk e

HorseyMere

SuttonBroad

Ranworth & Malthouse

Broads

CockshootBroad

South WalshamBroad

HardleyFlood

HardleyDyk e

LangleyDyke

Surlingham Broad

Rockland Broad

Fritton Lake

Lake Lothing

Breydon Water

Oulton Dyk e

New Cut

River Y

are

River W

aven

ey

River Ant

River Yare

How Hill

Reedham

Berney Arms

Brundall

Filby

Stokesby

Rive

r Bure

Hemsby

Caister-on-Sea

ScratbyOrmesby

St MargaretThurne

Clippesby

Wheatfen

Tunstall

A1064

A149

B1152

B115

2

St Olaves

Burgh Castle

Neatishead

Wroxham

HovetonColtishall

Horning

Ranworth

HicklingSutton

Stalham

NORWICH

LOWESTOFT

OultonBroad

Bungay Beccles

Salhouse

Ludham

Irstead

Cantley

Aldeby Burgh St Peter

Somerleyton

Gorleston

Chedgrave

Loddon

Surlingham

Rockland St Mary

Bramerton

Potter Heigham

Barton Turf

West Somerton

Martham

GREAT YARMOUTH

Upton

Acle

Geldeston

South Walsham

Carlton Colville

Belton

Sea Palling

Waxham

eel sett

Dilham

Worstead

Herring eet

The Wherry Line

The Wherry Line

©Crown copyright and database rights 2013. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100021573.

Waxh am New Cut

River Bure

River Bure

Rive

r C

het

River Waveney

River Waveney

Find out more on the webwww.enjoythebroads.comwww.broads-authority.gov.uk

This project was devised, written, researched and designed by the UK travel website and consultancy

www.coolplaces.co.uk and by the sustainable tourism marketing specialist agency

www.greentraveller.co.uk

This text re ects the author s views. The project was funded by STEP, an Interreg I A Two Seas programme whose Programme Authorities are not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.www.step-projects.eu

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