NORFOLK BROADS

The Norfolk Broads is the UK's largest and finest wetland landscape. This unique patchwork of rivers and lakes is not, as was first thought, a natural landscape, but a result of intensive digging of peat in the Middle Ages to provide fuel. The empty pits were soon filled by rising water levels and now form a network of over 125 miles of navigable waterways providing leisure interest for many. The Norfolk Broads landscape is one of beauty and peace, of water, marsh, woodland and wide skies - with views of church towers and windmills. There is abundant wildlife including many rare butterflies and dragonflies. Some of the nature reserves can only be visited by boat and a tour by road can disappoint. Visit Broadland and you can enjoy many activities including Norfolk boating, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing, walking, fishing and cycling. Broadland has many lovely hotels, B&B, country cottages, parks and camping sites in which you can stay.

We start our tour of the Norfolk Broads in the Capital of the Broads - Wroxham. From Wroxham you can either hire your own self-drive cruiser for the week, weekend, day, or just for a few hours. Alternatively, you can take an organised cruise aboard one of the large comfortable cruise boats. Boats have been hired out from Wroxham since John Loynes founded his boatyard business in 1878. By the late 19th century, boating on the Broads by the Victorians had mushroomed into a substantial tourist trade.

Wroxham is good for shopping, it has the largest village store - Roys - and also a shopping precinct. You will also find some great attractions including Hoveton Hall Gardens, the Bure Valley Steam Railway and Wroxham Barns.

Salhouse Broad, a little way down the River Bure from Wroxham, takes our vote for the most beautiful of the Norfolk Broads and yet it is one of the smallest. It is surrounded by ancient woodland and is the only Broad to feature a small sandy beach. It is ideal to anchor the boat and go for a walk, enjoy a picnic or let the kids splash around.

A short cruise down the River Bure takes us to Horning. This is one of the most picturesque villages on the Norfolk Broads and contains some fine old cottages, shops, pubs with river gardens and riverside walks.

Horning is also one of the main boating centre's on the Broads. From here you can take a cruise aboard the paddle steamer "Southern Comfort" or you can hire a traditional Broads yacht for the week. The village also has a very active sailing club, which organise's the famous annual three rivers race.

Just off the main river, you will find the lovely village of Ranworth. Here you will find the "Cathedral of the Broads" - a lovely old church with steps allowing you to climb the church tower for fantastic views over the Broads. The church also has one of the finest medieval rood screens in the country.

Ranworth Broad is a boating paradise with all style, shape and size of boat, and their crew can often be found having a pint of local beer in the pub! Ranworth Broad is said to be haunted by a 12th century monk that is often seen rowing his boat out onto the Broad early in the morning mist.

Moving up the River Ant, we pass How Hill, a lovely nature reserve and small marshman's museum. There is a fine study centre and you can take river boat trips aboard the "Electric Eel", operated by the Broads Authority.

The River Ant opens onto beautiful Barton Broad, the second largest of the Norfolk Broads and until recently you could only enjoy its delights from a boat. The Barton Boardwalk changed all that by providing a viewing platform at the end of a walkway through ancient woodland.

Barton Broad itself is a magnet for boats, particularly sailing. If you don't have one of your own, you can take trips from the staithe near Neatishead, aboard the Broads Authority "Ra". The Broad is also home to the Norfolk Punt Club, one of the most famous sailing clubs on the Broads.

Upstream from Barton Broad are the villages of Stalham and Sutton. You can also find one the most picturesque windmills in Norfolk - Hunsett Drainage Mill - now privately owned.

Stalham is home to the Broads Museum, showcasing the history of the Norfolk Broads, including mans influence on the Broadland landscape. The museum shows how the waterways of the Broads were the equivalent of motorways in times gone by, with all types of goods transported in Norfolk Wherries, from the villages to the port of Yarmouth and the city of Norwich.

Returning to Thurne Mouth we come to the junction of the River Bure and River Thurne. The village of Thurne is marked by its famous windmill and is also on the Weavers Way, the long distance footpath covering much of Broadland.

Womack Water leads from the River Thurne to the village of Ludham. Here you will find Hunters Yard, the home of the Hunters Fleet, who hire out original 1930's gaff and lug rigged yachts.

Ludham village has one of the most picturesque tea-rooms in the whole county. A road leads from the village towards the ruins of historic St Benets Abbey, founded in 1020 and at one time was one of the wealthiest Benedictine houses in the country.

Further up the River Thurne lies the village of Potter Heigham. Here you will find the famous medieval low arched bridge and the Herbert Woods Tower. Herbert Woods is one of the most famous names in the Norfolk Broads boat hire industry and he built the first ever yacht marina on the Broads at Potter Heigham.

Above Potter are the villages of Martham, Hickling and Horsey. These are lovely remote places to visit, as many boats cannot navigate through Potter bridge to get here!

Horsey has a fabulous four storey windpump, that was built in 1912 and is now owned by the National Trust. You can see the inner workings and climb to the top for a great view! Horsey is the closest Broadland village to the Norfolk Coast, being only a mile from the North Sea and a path across fields makes an excellent walk.

The River Bure continues its journey across the Norfolk marshes, through the bridge at Acle and towards the sea at Great Yarmouth.

Across Breydon Water are the Southern Broads which lead to Loddon, Reedham, Brundall and the Norfolk Suffolk border, before eventually arriving in the capital of East Anglia - Norwich.