Destination - Broads National Park

Frequently asked questions

What are the Broads?

The Broads are 125 miles of navigable, lock-free waterways, the result of inundated medieval peat diggings. Local naturalist Ted Ellis referred to the Broads as ‘the breathing space for the cure of souls’.

The Broads offers boating and sailing holidays, as well as river cruises, sailing and motor boats, canoeing, rowing and wildlife boat trips for memorable days out.

What does Broad mean?

Broad is from Middle English brode coming from Old English brād meaning flat, open, wide, ample, copious.

Where are the Broads in England?

The Broads National Park is a unique landscape of rivers, lakes and marshes in East Anglia, England. The Broads are the only English National Park with a city in it, Norwich. The Broads are roughly 110 miles north-east of London, 160 miles east of Birmingham and 63 miles east of Cambridge. There are regular Inter City trains from London Liverpool Street to Norwich. Norwich has an international airport with flights including from Amsterdam Schiphol.

Norfolk Broads or Suffolk Broads?

The Broads straddle the Norfolk-Suffolk border on the river Waveney and are now known as the Broads National Park. They are divided into the Northern and Southern Broads, pivoting around Breydon Water near Great Yarmouth.

Why do people visit the Broads?

The big skies and sparkling landscape of marshland fields, feathery reeds and tangled woodlands are a perfect canvas for adventure and relaxation – time to reflect, space to explore, a magical opportunity to enjoy a fabulous break.

This is the Venice of the East – in fact, the Norfolk Broads has more miles of waterway than the Italian city. It’s also got more than Amsterdam. And it’s out in the beautiful open countryside, with wonderful scenery and lots of wildlife.

The Broads National Park offers visitors an experience unlike any other, both on its rivers and lakes, and alongside them, on peaceful paths and cycle ways.

What is the Broads National Park famous for?

The Broads offers a rich mix of attractions and activities year-round for visitors of any age and any interest and is recognised globally for its wildlife and the distinct and precious character of its environment.

The Broads is a fragile wetland of international importance, with rare wildlife like the huge swallowtail butterfly, the booming bittern, frolicking otters and beautiful white water lilies.

Is there Broads boat hire?

Without a doubt, the best way to discover the Broads is by boat. So much of the Broads can’t be reached by road that days – and nights – afloat become a real adventure, with hidden places, perfect fishing spots and close encounters with wildlife at every turn. The famous Broads motor cruisers have been holiday favourites since the 1930s, and today’s boats have all the comforts of home on board, so even if you prefer to visit during the quieter, cooler months, you’ll have a cosy base for your explorations. Many are now electric.

Picnic day boats with toilets and galleys are available as well.

With fresh air, sparkling water and wide horizons by day, and wonderfully dark, starry nights, a boating holiday on the Broads is an unforgettable experience.

There are plenty of places along the meandering waterways for you to moor up and hop out to explore pretty villages and market towns, or to stop at a welcoming pub.

What is there to do in the Broads National Park?

Besides boating, canoeing, paddleboarding, cycling, walking, try relaxing, enjoying the peace and solitude and the wildlife. A break in the Broads is the ultimate stress buster.

What is the prettiest village in the Broads?

Broadland isn’t just about the waterways – it has lovely market towns and villages too. And they’re all pretty.

Wroxham: Actually the connected villages of Wroxham and Hoveton, either side of the River Bure. This is the undoubted capital of the Broads, sporting an abundance of places to eat, a terminus of the Bure Valley Railway, ‘The World’s Largest Village Store’ in Roy’s, and lots of places to hire day boats or cruisers. Close by is Wroxham Barns family attraction. On the Norwich to Cromer rail line.

Reepham: Focused around the market place, a conservation area, Reepham has a lovely Flemish influence. On the edge of the town is the former Whitwell and Reepham Station, which has cycle hire, a team room and small museum, and is the start of the Marriott’s Way, a 21-mile old track-bed which is now used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

Aylsham: In the upper reaches of the River Bure, this is a charming market town close to Jacobean Blickling Hall. Run by the National Trust, a walk around the gardens and estate will make your day. Look out for the mausoleum pyramid. Aylsham is also the northern terminus of the Bure Valley Railway that runs to Wroxham with stops at Brampton, Buxton and Coltishall.

Acle: A market town on the River Bure, Acle is on the rail line between Great Yarmouth and Norwich. Its name comes from ‘Oaks lea’, meaning a clearing in an oak forest. In Tudor times, hundreds of oaks were felled here for timber to construct the warships of Elizabeth I.

Reedham: A pretty village that sits on the bank of the River Yare with two crossings of the water – a swing bridge for the rail line between Norwich and Great Yarmouth and a chain ferry for cars and pedestrians.

Beccles: At the southern-most edge of the Broads National Park, Beccles is a charming market town that’s a great place for exploring by canoe or boat. Close to the furthest navigable part of the river Waveney, all you’ll get here is peace, quiet, and relaxation.

Heydon: A charming village that’s at the end of a cul-de-sac! But it’s worth a visit for the picturesque houses and cottages, the lovely pub, the Earle Arms, and to see where 1970’s The Go Between and 2005’s A Cock And Bull Story were filmed.

Coltishall: A captivating Broads village by the River Bure, with riverside pubs, a former RAF base where Sir Douglas Bader was a squadron commander and a station on the Bure Valley Railway. Stop off to sample some local ales and food at a riverside pub, and explore the village with its old buildings and church.

Woodbastwick: This delightful village is well worth a visit to soak up the peace and tranquillity away from the busier towns. Having twice won the Best Kept Village Award, it is a beautiful place with a stunning medieval flint church finished with Norfolk thatching. It is also home to Woodforde’s Brewery and the brewery tap, The Fur & Feather.

Stalham: Visit the Museum of the Broads and marvel at Hunsett Mill.

Horning: A picturesque village on the bank of the River Bure that has family visitor attraction BeWILDerwood nearby.

Ranworth: The village is an excellent place to visit, where those feeling energetic can climb the winding, spiral stone staircase of the magnificent St Helen’s Church, known as the ‘Cathedral of the Broads’. Once at the top your efforts will be rewarded with spectacular views over this special landscape. The church has one of the finest examples of a medieval rood screen in the country and an exquisite 15th century illuminated songbook.

Potter Heigham: An excellent place for boat hire. A treat is to watch sailors attempt to travel under a tiny medieval bridge, renowned for being the most difficult to navigate in the area.

What is the history of the Broads?

The UK’s largest nationally protected wetland and an important area for wildlife, the history of the Norfolk Broads is fascinating, as they are actually a man-made creation. The Broads were formed when people dug for peat in medieval times and then they were later flooded. The Victorians used them for transporting heavy loads but nowadays they are purely for pleasure.

St Benet’s Abbey was founded in the Anglo-Saxon period and continuing in use throughout the Middle Ages. The atmospheric site was largely abandoned after the closure of the monasteries in the 1530s because of its inaccessible location and is still most easily visited by boat.  The Bishop of Norwich remains Abbot of St Benet’s and leads a service there on the first Sunday in August.