For day boat hire and river trips please see our friends next door at City Boats
River Guide
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The Norfolk Broads is the countries largest inland waterway system, with over 125 miles of river and broad to explore. The broads are made-up of around 40 shallow lakes, these were formed when medieval peat pits were flooded. The leasure boating industry started in the Victorian era, and continues today due to the amazing wealth of flora and fauna accessible by boat, charming thatched cottages and windmills that line the rivers, and the tranquil waters and big sky that define the area. Whether your a boat owner, planning a boating holiday on the Norfolk Broads, or just trying to find out a bit more about your local area, we hope you find our guide a useful source of information. We have included information about the history and wildlife of the Broadland area, as well as information useful to boaters looking for some where to moor up or eat. |
River Wensum & The City of Norwich
On the navigable side of Bishop Bridge you will find Norwich Yacht Station. This is open and staffed daily during the boating season, from 8.00 in the morning until 8.00 in the evening. You are advised to moor up against the tide unless the wind is stronger. Indicate your intentions to the quay rangers so they can guide you in. The station has pump out, water, and shore power facilities available, as well as male, female, and accessible toilets and showers. Moorings are £5 for a day mooring, and £12 for an over night stop (2010 prices). There is also a charge for pumpouts and electricity. If you have any questions you can contact the quay rangers at the Yacht Station on 01603 612980.
Other sites of interest in the local area include Cow Tower, located a short walk beyond Bishop Bridge, and Pulls Ferry opposite the Yacht Station. A short walk from the Yacht Station and you''ll find Norwich Castle, Norwich Cathedral, Elm Hill (used as a film location in the Hollywood film Stardust), and a wealth of other museums, art galleries, and medieval buildings. Of course, you''ll also find a wealth of pubs, restaurants, bars, night clubs, and cinemas in the area, so you''ll never be stuck for something to do. The shopping in Norwich is excellent, with a city center crammed with stores, a large outdoor market, and two shopping malls ( Castle Mall and Chapelfield) to choose between. Heading out from the Yacht Station you will pass under Foundry Bridge, from here the river flows along the back of King Street, another Norwich location steeped in history. You will pass under the new Novi Sad Friendship foot bridge, and onto Carrow Bridge. Closer to Carrow Bridge are two boom towers, these formed part of the city defenses are mark the boundary of the medieval city. Some of the best preserved sections of the city wall stand in this area. Originally the towers had a chain suspended between them, and would have been used to collect tolls on goods travelling up river from Great Yarmouth. Carrow Bridge is a short distance from Carrow Road, the home of the Canaries, Norwich City Football Club. The River Wensum heads out of Norwich, through the subburbe of Trowse, and on to Whitlingham where it joins the River Yare. Though the Wensum is the bigger of the two rivers, beyond this point it is called the Yare. River Yare WhitlinghamThe Rivers Yare and Wesum join at Whitlingham, and continues on towards the sea as the Yare. Just beyond the point where the rivers join there is an 80 meter stretch of free 24 hour moorings, along side Whitlingham Country Park and Whitlingham Broad. Whiltlingham Broad was created in the 1990's through gravel extraction. Gravel from the site has been used in many of the cities more recent major developments, including building the Castle Mall, The Forum, the A47 bypass, and most recently Chapelfield Shopping Mall. Whitlingham Outdoor Education Centre can be found on the south bank of Whitlingham Great Broad. It is a purpose built centre that offers a wide range of water and land based activities, including sailing, wind surfing, paddel sports, climbing, and cycling, to name a few. A historic flint barn on the site has been converted into a visitors centre for Whitlingham Country Park, and hosts a cafe and public toilets. New cut and Thorpe Island
Further along the river divides into two channels. The original coarse of the river flows to the left, under a railway bridge. This is one of two bridges built at either end of Thorpe Island. Boats should approach these bridges with caution, they are very low so double check your height before attempting to pass beneath them. The channel to the right is know as New Cut, this was built at the same time as the railway line, to allow larger boats to continue sailing up to Norwich. If you are able to pass under the bridges you will find free 24 hour moorings at Thorpe River Green. This is the heart of Thorpe St Andrew, an ancient village (and now suburb) on the edge of Norwich with a history stretching back to the Roman age. The village has a charming cafe with an adjoining hair dressers, a florists, and 4 pubs. The River Garden has an excellent reputation for its food (one the author is pleased to confirm), and has some moorings avaiable to passing boats. Further along, just before you reach the second bridge, is the Rushcutter. The building is 16th century, and a coaching inn is recorded on the site since the 1700's. It is now a Chef & Brewers owned pub. Across the road from the green is the Buck Inn, a distinctive building recognised by its multi-gabeled end. Next door to the Buck Inn is the village church, notable as the ruins of the original medieval church stand at the entrance to the Victorian church behind it. The Town House, a Beefeater branded pub, is located further along Yarmouth Road. It does have river frontage, but at the time of writing boats were not able to moor up there. Past Thorpe Island there is a charming little picknic spot, with several free 24 hour moorings avaiable, at Whitlingham Cut. Most of the boatyards in the Norwich area, including the Good Boat Company, are located along the river beyond this point. You'll pass some of the smaller yards before comming across the Broads Authory river works base, and just past that you will find Griffin Marina, Wroxham Marine, builders of the Sheerline range of motor cruisers, City Boats who operate day boats and the Norwich river bus service, and The Good Boat Company, the last of the Norwich based boating holiday companies. Bramerton
Pass under postwick viaduct, which carries the A47 norwich bypass, and your out in to some of the most beautful broadland countyside. The river is teaming with wildlife as it winds round Postwick Marshes, and is popular spot for fishing. About 20 minutes on from Postwick viaduct is the Bramerton Woodsend pub. The history of the pub stretches back to before the 1700's and it has been popular since the first torists started visiting the Norfolk Broads. There is a statue outside the pub of William Cullum, better known as Billy Bluelight. In the 1920's and 1930's he would challenge boaters to a race, and is famed for his claim "My name is Billy Bluelight, my age is 45, I hope to get to Carrow Bridge before the boat arrive". Just beyond the pub is Bramerton Common, where you'll find free 24 hour moorings for roughly 19 boats. Adjacent to the common is Bramerton Pits, a site of special scientific interest. The area gave its name to an early glacial stage, known as the Bramertonian Stage, due to the distinctive shelly, sandy deposits that indicate a temperate climate. The fossilised remains of marine fish, otters, voles, and a mastodon have been found in the area. Surlingham & BrundallThe Yare continues to wind its way between the villages of Surlingham and Brundall. The know history of this area streatches back to the Neolithic age, with a flint axe head discovered in a sand pit in Surlingham Wood. Brundall gets its name from the Roman town of Brundisium (modern day Brindisi in Southern Italy). Brundisium was a major ship and boat building centre in the Roman world, and men were brought over to Brundall to build river boats for use on the Yare. To this day Brundall continues to be a major boat building centre, and is the home of Broom Boats. Founded in 1898, Broom is oldest established boat builders in the UK, and until very recently was still run by the Broom family. Broom offer diesel, water, and pump-out facilities around the year, from a station conveniently located on the main river. Hidden away off the main river is Surlingham Broad, a series of shallow lakes accessible via two dikes, one at either end of Brundall. The largest of these waterways, and the only one accessible to larger boats, is Bargate. Chained off at one end of the broad is the remains of a Norfolk Wherry, visible at low tide. A narrow stream connects Bargate to Surlingham Inner Broad, you'll need a canoe and an adventurous spirit to navigate the stream, but its worth the effort. If you want to explore the shallows beyond remember to take a good map, the are several miles of twisting shallows inaccessable to anthing but a canoe and its easy to get lost. Rockland St Mary & Buckenham
Rockland Broad
Cantley http://www.thereedcutter.co.uk/ Reedham The Lord Nelson The Ship Hotel River WaveneyComing Soon...
River ThurneComing Soon...
River AntComing Soon... River BureComing soon...
River ChetComing soon...
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The navigable limit for hire craft on this stretch of the Norfolk Broads is at Bishop Bridge in Norwich. Bishop Bridge is a medieval structure dating to 1345. Originally it formed part of a defensive structure protecting the City of Norwich, with a gatehouse situated on the city side of the bridge until its demolition in 1791. The bridge is located at the site of a Roman Ford. The bridge got its name due to its proximity to Norwich Cathedral. Private and commercial craft may navigate on through the city as far as New Mills Yard, an old waterworks, so long as they are able to safely navigate Bishop Bridge and 
