Home to 25% of the UK's rarest wildife, mentioned in one of David Bowie's biggest hits ("From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads" - Life on Mars) and as of 2015 known as the Broads National Park, this wonderful and manmade accident has existed across Norfolk and Suffolk since the Middle Ages.
Only in the 1950's was it researched and proved by Dr Joyce Lambert that the broads were manmade. Excavated for peat in medieval times, which was sold as fuel including 320,000 tonnes a year to Norwich Cathedral, the pits were subsequently flooded. As of today, it is the 3rd largest navigable waterway in the UK extending 125 miles.
Sunset at Breydon Water, Great Yarmouth
1. BREYDON WATER
One of the largest estuarys across the Broads, Breydon Water is where the sea meets the broads in Great Yarmouth and also the site of RSPB Berney Marshes and Breydon Water.
"Experience the spectacle of the tens of thousands of wintering ducks, geese and swans that visit the estuary and surrounding grazing marshes. In spring the marshes are filled with the atmospheric calls of lapwings and redshanks, all breeding on one of the UK's largest expanses of wet grassland" - RSPB
Just down the road from Breydon Water, you can find our parks Caldecott Hall Country Park and Waveney River Centre, both giving an opportunity to enjoy the Broads whenever you want with a UK holiday home.
The view from St Helen's Church, Ranworth
2. RANWORTH
A quaint little village that looks over Malthouse Broad, Ranworth features beautiful thatched cottages, Ranworth Broad Nature Reserve and St Helen's Church. The church is nicknamed the Cathedral of the Broads, as if you climb the ladders to the top of the tower you can see five different Norfolk Broads. The church also contains a medieval rood screen, magnificent stained glass windows and the Ranworth Antiphoner, a medieval book dating from the 1400s featuring psalms and incredible paintings onto animal skin.
Sunset at the River Bure, Wroxham
3. Wroxham
Wroxham and Hoveton are often classed as just Wroxham, also named "the Capital of the Broads" due to it being the first centre for boating holidays and excursions on the Broads after the introduction of the East Norfolk Railway in the late 19th century - John Loynes started the first boat hire firm on the Broads here after moving his business from Norwich in 1878. Faircraft - Loynes boatyard is still there to this day.
Sunset at Oulton Broad
4. Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad is the southern most area of open water in the Broads, today being a popular site for tourists and watersports all year round as well as residential areas, pubs and cafes. It also fronts Nicholas Everitt Park which contains Lowestoft Museum, opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
Next to Nicholas Everitt Park is our park, Tingdene Broadlands, where we have a variety of holiday lodges and homes for sale, as well as themed holiday breaks.
