England
Weekend Break
Norfolk Broads
Norfolk, England
Norfolk, England
The Norfolk Broads — officially "The Broads" — is one of England's most distinctive and most tranquil landscapes: a remarkable network of 125 miles of navigable rivers and lakes (the "broads" themselves, formed by medieval peat diggings flooded in the 13th and 14th centuries) set within a vast, low-lying landscape of reed marshes, water meadows, ancient windmills and picture-postcard villages in Norfolk and Suffolk. Designated as a National Park in 1989 (with equivalent status to a National Park), the Broads is the largest nationally protected wetland in Britain and one of the most important lowland habitats in northern Europe.
For groups, the Broads offers a genuinely different kind of English countryside experience — quieter, more reflective and more unusual than the mountains or coastal landscapes that attract most group tourism. A day trip from Norwich or Cambridge takes in the finest broad landscapes around Wroxham, Ranworth and Hickling, with boat trips on the broads, visits to traditional drainage mills and the extraordinary wildlife watching that makes the Broads a premier destination for nature enthusiasts.
About This Destination
England's largest protected wetland is a unique and tranquil landscape of navigable rivers, windmills, wildlife and traditional wherries. The Norfolk Broads offer a wonderfully relaxing and distinctive group weekend break away from the hustle of city life.
Wroxham, "the capital of the Broads", is the natural base for a group visit — a busy riverside village with boat hire centres, waterside cafés and the extraordinary Roys of Wroxham department store (allegedly the world's largest village store). From Wroxham, day boat hire allows groups to explore the northern broads at their own pace, cruising through the reed-fringed waterways to Salhouse Broad, Ranworth and Malthouse Broad.
Hickling Broad, the largest broad in Norfolk at 350 acres, is the crown jewel of the Broads nature reserves — a National Nature Reserve managed by Norfolk Wildlife Trust that supports the most important populations of marsh harrier, swallowtail butterfly and great white egret in Britain. The NWT visitor centre at Hickling provides excellent interpretation and guided wildlife walks are available in season.
Norwich, just 8 miles south of Wroxham, is one of England's finest medieval cities and deserves inclusion in any Broads group itinerary. Norwich Cathedral, begun in 1096, has one of the finest Romanesque naves in Europe and a breathtaking fan-vaulted ceiling added in the 15th century. Norwich Castle (now a museum) and the Elm Hill cobbled street represent the finest medieval streetscape in East Anglia. The Norwich Market, one of England's largest open-air markets operating continuously since Norman times, is an excellent stop for groups.
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Weekend
Distance
~120 miles
Country
England
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