The Norfolk Broads

One of the largest wetland areas, the Norfolk Broads makes up quite a bit of the area that is the county of Norfolk.  With 125 miles of waterways with plenty of places to dock and explore, the Broads are nationally protected and a sanctuary for the large variety of wildlife that lives there.  It was discovered in the 1950’s that the Norfolk Broads were not a natural occurrence, but instead man-made.  Research has shown that the years of digging for peat to fuel homes and as building materials in the medieval times eventually carved out the waterways that make up this beautiful landscape.
Visitors to the Norfolk Broads can enjoy a day of navigating these man-made waterways by hiring a motor launch or even a yacht or canoe, depending on their taste.  A boating holiday on the Broads will give them access to many of the small towns and villages in this area of the county as well as being able to enjoy sighting the many animals that make it their home.  If boating is not an option, visitors can hike or bike through the land that helps make up the waterways.  There are 330 kilometres of paths and trails that weave their way through the wetlands that lead to places such as St. Helen’s Church in Ranworth or the How Hill Nature Reserve.
Anyone who is visiting Norfolk and wishes to learn more about the Broads can visit the Museum of the Broads in Stalham.  There they will see how researchers determined that the Broads were man-made, how medieval citizens of the area dug for peat, and the tools they used to not only dig the peat but also to perform traditional tasks such as thatching using the local reed.