The Broads
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Yachts on the Norfolk Broads |
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 Broads Authority. The Broads Act. Retrieved January 23, 2006.]The total area, the majority of which is in Norfolk, is
303 km², with over
200 km of navigable waterways. There are 7 rivers and about 50 broads, mostly less than four meters deep. Out of 50 or so broads, only 13 are generally open to navigation, with a further three having navigable channels. Some broads have navigation restrictions imposed on them in autumn and winter.
[Living Lakes Partnership (1998-2005). The Broads, England. Retrieved January 23, 2006.]The Broads give their name to the
Broadland district council area
Although the terms "Norfolk Broads" and "Suffolk Broads" are used to identify those areas within the two counties repectively, the whole area is sometimes referred to as the "Norfolk broads". The Broads Authority is promoting a
Private Bill to be put before parliament in 2006 to create the "Broads National Park"
The Broads are managed by the
Broads Authority. Special legislation gives the
navigation of the waterways equal status with the
conservation and public enjoyment of the area.
Specific parts of 'the Broads' have been awarded a variety of
conservation designations, for instance:
*
Special Protection Area (SPA) status for an area named 'Broadland' composed of 28 SSSIs
Site of Special Scientific Interest *
Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) status for parts of the
Halvergate Marshes*
National Nature Reserve (NNR) status for:
**
Bure Marshes NNR**
Benacre NNR**
Ant Broads & Marshes NNR**
Hickling Broad NNR**
Ludham - Potter Heigham NNR**
Redgrave and Lopham Fen NNR**
Martham Broad NNR**
Calthorpe Broad NNR**
Mid-Yare NNRFor 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
reedbeds, grazing marshes and wet woodland.
[Ibid.]The Broads have been a favourite boating holiday destination since the early 20th century. The waterways are
lock-free, although there are three bridges under which only small cruisers can pass. The area attracts all kinds of visitors, including ramblers, artists, anglers, and bird-watchers as well as people "messing about in boats". The
Norfolk wherry, the traditional cargo craft of the area, can still be seen on the Broads as some specimens have been preserved and restored.
Ted Ellis, a local naturalist, referred to the Broads as "the breathing space for the cure of souls"[
1]
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.
The Broads largely follows the line of the rivers and natural navigations of the area. There are seven navigable rivers, the
River Yare and its (direct and indirect)
tributaries the Rivers
Bure,
Thurne,
Ant,
Waveney,
Chet and
Wensum. There are no
locks on any of the rivers, and all the waterways are subject to tidal influence. The tidal range decreases with distance from the sea, with highly tidal areas such as
Breydon Water contrasted with effectively non-tidal reaches such as the River Ant upstream of
Barton Broad.
The broads themselves range in size from small pools to the large expanses of
Hickling Broad, Barton Broad and Breydon Water. The broads are unevenly distributed, with far more broads in the northern half of Broadland (the Rivers Bure, Thurne and Ant) than in the central and southern portions (the Rivers Yare, Waveney, Chet and Wensum). Individual broads may lie directly on the river, or are more often situated to one side and connected to the river by an artificial channel or dyke.
Besides the natural watercourses of the rivers, and the ancient but artificial broads, there is one more recent navigation canal, the lock-less
New Cut which connects the Rivers Yare and Waveney whilst permitting boats to by-pass Breydon Water.
There is also a second navigable link to the sea, via the River Waveney and its link to
Oulton Broad. Oulton Broad is part of the Broads tidal system, but is immediately adjacent to
Lake Lothing which is itself directly connected to the sea via the harbour at
Lowestoft. Oulton Broad and Lake Lothing are connected by Mutford Lock, the only lock on the broads and necessary because of the different tidal ranges and cycles in the two lakes.
In the lists below, names of broads are em
boldened to help distinguish them from towns and villages.
River Bure
The
River Bure is a tributary of the
River Yare which rises near
Aylsham in
Norfolk and joins the Yare just downstream of
Breydon Water. On its way it flows through or passes:
*
Coltishall*
Belaugh*
Belaugh Broad*
Bridge Broad*
Wroxham*
Hoveton*
Wroxham Broad*
Hoveton Great Broad*
Salhouse Broad*
Bure Marshes NNR (
National Nature Reserve)
*
Salhouse*
Woodbastwick*
Decoy Broad*
Round End*
Hoveton Little Broad (sometimes called 'Blackhorse Broad')
*
Burnt Fen Broad*
Horning*
Cockshoot Broad*
Ranworth Broad*
Malthouse Broad*
Ranworth*
South Walsham*
St. Benet's Abbey*
Upton, Norfolk, England*
Upton Broad*
Upton Broads and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest*
Upton Fen*
Acle*
Oby*
Stokesby*
Mautby Decoy*
Great YarmouthRiver Thurne
The
River Thurne is a
tributary of the
River Bure. It rises near
Martham Broad and flows for about 6 miles to Thurne Mouth where it joins the Bure. It is wide open and wind-swept, and on its way it flows through or passes:
*
Upper Thurne Broads and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest *
Hickling Broad*
Hickling*
Horsey*
Horsey Mere*
Martham Broad (NNR) (
National Nature Reserve)
*
Martham*
West Somerton*
Thurne*
Potter Heigham*
Ludham*
Ludham - Potter Heigham NNR (
National Nature Reserve)
*
Womack WaterRiver Ant
The
River Ant is a
tributary of the
River Bure. It rises at
Dilham and joins the Bure at
St. Benet's Abbey. It is winding and narrow, and on its way it flows through or passes:
*
Honing*
North Walsham & Dilham Canal*
Dilham*
Dilham Broad*
Wayford Bridge*
Barton Broad*
Stalham*
Sutton*
Sutton Broad*
Ant Broads & Marshes NNR (
National Nature Reserve)
*
Turkey Broad*
Alderfen Broad*
Catfield Broad*
Crome's Broad*
Neatishead*
Barton Turf*
Irstead*
How Hill*
Ludham Bridge*
Broad Fen*
Calthorpe Broad (NNR) (
National Nature Reserve)
*
Ingham, NorfolkRiver Yare
The River Yare rises south of
Dereham and flows through the southern fringes of the city of
Norwich, passes through
Breydon Water and flows into the sea between
Great Yarmouth and
Gorleston. On its way it passes through:
*RSPB
Breydon Water*
Halvergate Marshes, also RSPB reserve
*
Halvergate*
Berney Arms*
RSPB Berney Marshes*
Reedham*
Cantley*
Carleton Broad*
Rockland Broad*
Wheatfen Broad*
Strumpshaw Fen*
RSPB Strumpshaw Fen (
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve)
*
Mid-Yare NNR (
National Nature Reserve)
*
Surlingham*
Surlingham Broad*
Brundall Broad*
Haddiscoe*
Haddiscoe Cut also known as
New Cut*
Brundall*
Langley*
Postwick*
Thorpe St. Andrew*
Barnby BroadRiver Chet
The
River Chet''' is a
tributary of the
River Yare. It flows through, or passes by:
*
Loddon*
Chedgrave*
Hardley FloodRiver Waveney
The
River Waveney is a tributary of the
River Yare, joining that river just upstream of
Breydon Water. It flows through, or passes by:
*
Burgh Castle*
Beccles*
St. Olaves*
Herringfleet*
Somerleyton*
Fritton*
Fritton Decoy*
Gillingham*
Geldeston*
Burgh St. Peter*
Bungay*
Ditchingham*
Lowestoft*
Oulton Broad*
Kessingland*
Benacre Broad NNR (
National Nature Reserve)
*
Covehithe Broad NNR
*
Easton Broad NNR
River Wensum
The
River Wensum is a tributary of the
River Yare. It rises in the
Breckland area of south-west Norfolk and flows through the centre of the city of Norwich before joining the Yare just to the east of that city. The navigable section of the river is entirely urban and runs from the centre of Norwich, past
Norwich Cathedral to the confluence with the River Yare.
Trinity Broads
The
Trinity Broads are an exception to the general rule, in that whilst they are connected to each other they have no navigable connection to the rest of the broads. The broads are:
*
Rollesby Broad*
Ormesby Broad*
Filby Broad*
Lily Broad*
Ormesby Little BroadThe Broads are Britain's largest protected
wetland and are home to a wealth of
wildlife, especially birdlife. Amongst the
waterfowl:
Mallard,
Coot,
Moorhen,
Great Crested Grebe,
Greylag Goose,
Canada Goose,
Egyptian Goose. Larger birds include
Grey Heron,
Cormorant,
Kestrel,
Sparrowhawk and
Bittern.
The scarce
Cetti's Warbler breeds in the Broads, and Britain's only breeding
Common Cranes are found in the area.Among the rare insects is the
Norfolk hawker, a
dragonfly.Some of the broads are surrounded by
fens, i.e.
reed and
sedge beds. Norfolk reed from the broads has been a traditional material for
thatching houses.
*
Broads Authority*
The Norfolk Broads - A guided tour in pictures*
How Hill*
Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988*
BroadsNet - a cruising guide to the Norfolk Broads illustrated with maps and photographs*
The Norfolk Broads Forum provides a treasure trove of information about the area
