1. They ARE actually the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads.
Usually referred to as the Norfolk Broads, they are technically the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads. In fact most often nowadays the area is known as The Broads National Park. This is the UK’s largest protected wetland - and the third largest inland navigation area in the country. Just in case you had any doubts about its importance.
The Broads National Park includes over 120 miles of navigable waterways. That’s 63 Broads and 7 rivers sweeping through Norfolk and Suffolk.
You want more facts? A quarter of the UK’s rarest species live within the Broads National Park.
All of this wonderful world of waterways, so popular with holiday home owners all year round, takes on a special beauty in autumn. It’s a quieter time. And it’s a time when nature shows off its most spectacular colours. Holiday home owners know that. And they love it.
Wherryman's Way - along the River Yare
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Evelyn Simak - geograph.org.uk/p/1358728
2. the Broads are Legendary for boating but wonderful for walking.
Speaking of boating, check out Brundall Bay Marina, Waveney Marina and Broadlands Park & Marina where you can find fantastic facilities, mooring and even boats for sale.
The Broads will always be about boating, being that they are 125 miles of navigable waterways with a plethora of boating and water experiences to enjoy.
But, ask a Norfolk or Suffolk holiday home owner about the joys of the area and you’ll always find they say walking. The Broads are a hugely desirable area for UK holiday homes because simply walking around is a great way to enjoy and savour this stunning scenery in all its autumn splendour. Check out Visit The Broads for ideas on some of the best walks in the area.
Wherryman’s Way
There’s Wherryman’s Way, a long-distance footpath from Norwich to the coast of Great Yarmouth that runs through the heart of the Broads, just like those large cargo barges it’s named after (wherrys).
Weaver’s Way
Or there’s Weavers’ Way, following the old trackbed of the Aylsham to Great Yarmouth railway line. This 61-mile long footpath links North Norfolk’s Cromer coast to the East Norfolk coast via villages and landscapes amongst the Broads.
Angles Way
There’s also Angles Way, the Broads to Brecks path, which starts on the broads of Great Yarmouth and weaves through Oulton Broad (home to the beautiful Broadlands Park & Marina), the Waveney Valley (home to or stunning holiday park, Waveney River Centre) and then on all the way out to Thetford and Breckland - another lovely mix of Norfolk and Suffolk, but definitely no longer the Broads.
They’re all there for you to enjoy at your own pace, and holiday home owners also know that autumn is a great time to walk. Not just because there are such lovely sights to see, but because the calmer atmosphere and cooler days make for comfortable conditions.
3. Norfolk Broads wildlife is something to behold.
For dedicated Twitchers and casual observers alike, the Broads National Park takes some beating for birdwatching. The species are fabulous, but the facilities are great too.
There is great birdwatching to be had all over the Broads National Park; it’s there all year round. Autumn though offers bonuses with seabirds coming inland for winter and, on the coast at Horsey, the spectacle of seals nursing their pups.
In the water, on the land, in reed beds and hedgerows, birdlife and wildlife abounds in Broadland in autumn. It’s something else that holiday home owners know about the area.
Carlton & Oulton Marshes
Accessible on foot from both Waveney River Centre and Broadlands Park & Marina, SWT Carlton Marshes Nature Reserve is a hive of activity for all kinds of nature spotting. There’s a range of hides to sit in walking trails to explore, you can also check out the modern Carlton Marshes Visitor Centre with a cafe, shop, and play area for the kids.
Barton Broad
Take Barton Broad. This of course is the Broad on which Lord Nelson learned to sail. (It’s absolutely true. Britain’s most famous naval hero learned to sail on Norfolk’s Barton Broad).
You can see coots, grebe, swans and geese there nowadays. There’s a boardwalk and viewing point to help you enjoy it to the full.
Hickling Broad
And at Hickling Broad Nature Reserve the viewing is spectacular. Booming bitterns and bearded tits can be spotted in the reed beds at Hickling. Crested grebes have been seen. As have marsh harriers. Avocet, osprey and spoonbill have been spotted at Hickling too.
St Benet’s Abbey is said to be one of the many haunted places on the Broads to explore…if you dare
4. It’s not just about the natural world….
The unnatural is not unusual in Norfolk and Suffolk. And in autumn comes Halloween. Read on. (If you dare…)
The Broadlands Ghosts Halloween Trail would be a good place to start. A boat trip, on the Broads, and it’s ghostly. Enough said.
Holiday home owners - just like the local folk - are always fascinated by the weird and wonderful legends and stories about the Broads. The briefest of online searches will give you a glimpse of the ghosts and ghouls who inhabit Broadland. Plus you’ll find lots of fun things to do too, for all ages.
And you know about Black Shuck right? It’s not that this great black dog from ages past that stalks the Broads is a reason not to have a holiday home here. You’ll be fine! Really…
The iconic Jarrold’s department store in Norwich is a great place to go for Christmas Shopping near the Broads
5. Christmas shopping and festive actiVities on the Broads
How soon after autumn does Christmas arrive? Well, we all know that by mid autumn Christmas is well and truly on the radar - and the shopping lists.
Holiday home owners in this lovely part of Norfolk and Suffolk have a secret. Whilst their holiday homes are surrounded by all the loveliness of tranquil autumn they are also only a stone’s throw from some of the loveliest Christmas shopping spots.
Christmas Shopping in Norfolk
At the heart of the Broads there’s Wroxham, home to the legendary Roys of Wroxham - for gift buying it’s well worth visiting. And check out Wroxham Barns for it’s festive activities for all the family and local businesses to buy some Christmas gifts from.
If Broadland has a capital, it has to be the fine city of Norwich. The shopping here is lovely mixture of famous brands and tiny independents.
Christmas shopping, ahead of the game, in the autumn, is a serious benefit to having a holiday home in the Broads National Park. It’s yet another thing that holiday home owners know about the area.
Head to Moss & Co Broadlands at Broadlands Park & Marina, one of the many benefits of a holiday home on the Broads!
So there they are - five things that holiday home owners love about having a place of their own in the Broads National Park in the autumn.
Holiday homes on the Broads National Park
High on the list of desirable holiday home locations, in this seriously desirable area, are real gems such as Caldecott Hall Country Park - which offers great golfing all year round too.
Check out Broadlands Park & Marina, a superbly appointed Broads location with access to Oulton Broad, Lowestoft and the Suffolk Coast.
Definitely worth a look as well is Waveney River Centre, on the borders of South Norfolk with lodges, apartments and even boats for sale. You can enjoy the Broads lifestyle all year round!
There are far more than five things to love about having your own holiday home in the Broads National Park. But these five - just for autumn - are a great start by any standards.
