Norfolk Broads - Places to Visit in the UK

History of the Broads

The wetlands area known as the Norfolk Broads lies at the far eastern edge of the most easterly county of Great Britain. They are one of the United Kingdom’s 11 National Parks and are made up of a combination of rivers, shallow lakes, marshland and fens that extend over an area of about 120 square miles. The area is perhaps best known for boating holidays. In fact, the Broads have been a holiday destination for part time sailors since the 19th century and the region can now offer a selection of craft of all sizes for hire from the area’s 65 boatyards catering for the needs of about a million tourists each year.

The wildlife of the Broads

The Norfolk Broads are the largest protected wetland area in the United Kingdom. Many visitors are surprised to discover that they are pretty much an artificial feature that has been created as a result of man’s activities in digging the peat from the land for fuel. This type of ‘harvest ‘ was carried on by local inhabitants as far back as the times of the Roman occupation of Britain and left a network of trenches across the area that gradually became flooded as the water levels rose. The waters continued to rise to form the lakes that today are the habitat of the region’s enviable wealth of rare plants and wild animals as well as being home to countless varieties of wildfowl and bird species. Apart from the obvious benefits to the ecology that we enjoy today, the flooding also had the effect of providing an efficient transport network for the farmers and merchants of the Broads at the time.

The lakes revolutionised the transportation of goods and communication with the coastal ports by the traditional sailing craft unique to Norfolk, known as a Wherry, and the Norfolk capital Norwich benefited by becoming a wealthy and important city in the 16th century. Controlled drainage by wind driven pumps was introduced in the 18th century and large areas of land were reclaimed to provide rich farmland. Fishing and reedcutting were also important forms of industry right up into the 20th century although today, these industries have all but gone to be replaced by tourism.

Rare birds

The Broads have a justifiably high position in terms of national and international importance as a haven for endangered flora and fauna. Among the rare bird species to be found here are the Cetti's Warbler and the only breeding Common Cranes in the UK. The area has a number of nature reserves that are all well worth visiting, especially the floating Ranworth Centre from which visitors can explore the area by taking the well marked walking trails through the fens. Among other places of interest is the Stracey Arms Windpump and the Strumpshaw Fen bird reserve run by the RSPB near Norwich.