HOLIDAYS ON THE NORFOLK BROADS

The Norfolk Broads is a fascinating area with a rich history, reflected in the many wonderful places to visit and the unique wildlife. There are restored windmills, medieval churches, beautiful gardens and great places for family visits. If you enjoy walking or cycling, there are also many routes to choose from - and it's a great base for a summer holiday.

The Broads are a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes (known locally as broads) in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. The Broads and some surrounding land was constituted as a special area with a level of protection similar to a national park by The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act of 1988. The Broads Authority, a Special Statutory Authority responsible for managing the area, became operational in 1989.

The total area, the majority of which is in Norfolk, is 303 km², with over 200 km of navigable waterways. There are seven rivers and about fifty broads, mostly less than twelve feet deep. Out of fifty or so broads, only thirteen are generally open to navigation, with a further three having navigable channels. Some broads have navigation restrictions imposed on them in autumn and winter.

Also visit our page about sailing on the Norfolk Broads.

HISTORY OF THE NORFOLK BROADS

For many years the broads were regarded as natural features of the landscape. It was only in the 1960s that Dr Joyce Lambert proved that they were artificial features, the effect of flooding on early peat excavations. The Romans first exploited the rich peat beds of the area for fuel, and in the Middle Ages the local monasteries began to excavate the "turbaries" (peat diggings) as a business, selling fuel to Norwich and Great Yarmouth. The Cathedral took 320,000 tonnes of peat a year. Then the sea levels began to rise, and the pits began to flood. Despite the construction of windpumps and dykes, the flooding continued and resulted in the typical Broads landscape of today, with its reed beds, grazing marshes and wet woodland.

Ted Ellis, a local naturalist, referred to the Broads as "the breathing space for the cure of souls"

A great variety of boats can be found on the Broads, from Edwardian trading wherries to state-of-the-art electric or solar-powered boats. 

NORFOLK BROADS ACCOMMODATION

>> Hotel Wroxham
The Bridge, Wroxham, Norfolk, NR12 8AJ
Overlooking the River Bure, the Hotel Wroxham is located in the heart of the Norfolk Broads.  The hotel has 18 rooms and a well-respected restaurant. More info

>> Wayford Bridge Hotel
Wayford Bridge, Stalham, Norfolk, NR12 9LL
A homely Norfolk hotel overlooking the River Ant.  Very good service. Well located for a holiday encompassing the Broads and the North Norfolk beaches. More info

>> The Amber Lodge
South Walsham Road, Acle, NR13 3ES Norwich
Standing in its own grounds of four acres, the former Rectory is a charming family run country hotel. More info


>> Norfolk Cottages - information on holiday cottages in and around the Norfolk Broads.