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Is there another British landscape as mysterious and charming as Broads? The 125-mile-long man-made lakes and rivers spread across the easternmost tip of the UK have been attracting holidaymakers since the Victorian era.
“Witchcraft in the Norfolk Lakes area cannot be explained,” wrote wildlife photographer Emma Turner, who lived on a ship she designed on Hicklin Brod Island at the turn of the 20th century. In the houseboat, there is an island named after her. “On the surface, their charm lies in the boundless horizon, the ever-changing clouds and the shining starry night…Each constellation is faithfully reflected in the still water under your feet… But in addition, there are some mysteries. , Undefinable… .’
At that time, the billowing sails of hired Norfolk fishing boats could be seen winding past the windmill and the round tower church. But steam soon replaced sails and then diesel. By the 1970s, there were approximately 2,600 mobile cruisers available for hire. At that time, a great British holiday in Broads meant 99 chips and a basket of French fries, bar lunches and-if you are lucky-sunburn.
However, there is now a pendulum swinging. In 2015, the Broads Authority renamed the area a national park, recognizing its natural beauty and heritage, and placing it in a protected status similar to the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and Snowdonia. More and more travelers are beginning to discover its wild side, and nowadays, a new generation of companies are catering to those who want to drift from busy waterways to a slower, more elegant, eco-friendly world away from the grid.
For me, Broads is a relief valve, I will come here when the world around me or the world in my mind starts to feel too chaotic, depressed, or noisy. In a landscape of land, water and sky cut into horizontal strips, my thinking mode also began to solve itself. Broads is less than half an hour’s drive from my home in the suburbs of Norwich, but they feel like a world.
In fact, Britain’s largest protected wetland is home to more than a quarter of the country’s rarest wildlife. Just off the beaten track, in undisturbed waters stretching for miles, is the only surviving haven for Britain’s largest and rarest butterfly swallowtail, while Norfolk hawker dragonflies fly in the reeds. Miss Turner’s world is still full of vitality, and is re-casting its spell.
A 1930s cottage on the bank of the Thun River between Norwich and the coast may look very strange from the outside, but inside it is a simple, contemplative minimalist picture. Your expectations of the two top designers in Norfolk will not be low. Fiona and Bobby Burrage of Nor-Folk, a lifestyle brand dominated by graphic design, have carefully renovated this two-bedroom water bungalow. The cedar-clad Norfolk-barn is painted black and the interior is soft white. This is their first self-catering rental house, and they expanded it to maximize the views of the water and sky, then insulated and added solar panels to create an environmentally friendly paradise open all year. There are even selected books and magazines to help you stay away from the screen. But they kept the spirit of this place intact. The original portholes are kept in the two bedrooms, while in the bathroom, Fiona’s body care series Sop is inspired by the local scenery (also available at Selfridges). On the outside deck, you can watch birds swooping and splashing. The neon art above the sofa sums up this spirit, and it says: “Ebb and flow”. From £120 per night; nor-folk.com/water-cabin
In the south near Great Yarmouth, at the intersection of Broad and Suffolk lies Freeton Lake, a newly established private holiday club. It is located in a 1,000-acre reforestation project and is home to free-roaming deer, sheep and ponies. Book a Japanese-style Jiangdong cabin and make the most of the facilities, including the outdoor heated swimming pool (next to the walled garden) and the Freeton Arms Club, which serves delicious food and is heated by an open fire. There are grass and clay tennis courts, private bars and floating saunas on the two-mile lake, encouraging outdoor swimming. Under the boathouse, you can choose whether to choose a canoe or a paddle board-or the more stable wood-fired pizza and the local G&T. Cottages start from £147 per night; frittonlake.co.uk
Between 1931 and 1949, Percy Hunter and his sons Cyril and Stanley hand-built a fleet of beautiful wooden boats that were perfectly calibrated to Broads sailing. Today, you can still rent a boat from Hunter’s Yard in Ludham, raise the sails, and return to the landscape one million miles (but just around the corner) from the waters that the plastic cruiser crosses. The six old-fashioned half-deck boats are a good day cruise, but they are also equipped with awnings to allow you to spend a night of revelry (yacht camping, obviously). Experienced helmsmen can take a two-day (or more) adventure on a mahogany cabin yacht; those with less practice can book a week-long study sailing holiday. If you are lucky, you will get a lullaby, which is the boat used by the BBC in Arthur Ransome’s Coot Club, which was adapted in 1984.
A cruiser can take you to 40% of Broads. On the other hand, a canoe can unlock 60% of the secrets and give you access to the lives of most birds and insects. Mark Wilkinson, also known as the Canoe Man, has spent 20 years searching for the most hidden places and is now guiding the group in the company of his spaniels Albi and Suka. Fungus foraging in the woods near Little Plumstead is the most popular activity, but for older families, the Swallow and Amazon Adventure Day is a pure retro escape from reality. From the upper reaches of Buxton Village, head to a secret forest (like the Wildcat Island in the book), where you will learn explorer skills such as archery and how to find all the natural materials you need to make a fire without matches. magic. Guided canoe trails start from £35 per person; Thecanoeman.com
Paddle lightly along Hickling, the largest in the Lake District, and you may see cranes, brines, marsh harriers and even kingfishers. Even more fascinating is the sunset kayaking trip, traveling in the company of a barn owl, as the sun sets behind the reed bed, turning the water into an amber color. Martin Rendle, who runs Norfolk Outdoor Adventures, understands every inch of land in the Lake District and the many winged residents. His love for the scenery infected all those who came. If you feel the wind blowing through your hair when the moon is on your back and make you adventurous, ask him about the best local beach for running-he founded Dunerunner horse racing, some of which run in Broads (Broads). ) Held. Sunset kayaking trips start from £45 per person; norfolkoutdooradventures.co.uk
Yes, technically speaking, the Misty Forest is a theme park. But it is located in 50 acres of swamp and woodland outside Horning. It is the first environmentally friendly theme park in the UK, so it eliminates any thoughts of gravity rotation, crazy flashing lights and long lines. The park is a series of adventure parks, each more refined and imaginative than the previous one, based on children’s books by local author (and Bewilderwood owner) Tom Blofeld. Sky mazes, rope walks and elaborate tree houses are all built with sustainable wood. There is a fairytale electric boat tour and a 120-foot zip line. In addition, there are 14,000 newly planted broad-leaved trees in the park, including birch, sweet chestnut and oak trees. This is fascinating for children and a happy relief for adults.
There are many lucky draws in Huoxi Village. Stop by the National Trusteeship Postcard Horsey Wind Pump, and then climb 61 steps to enjoy the spectacular scenery. Enter Poppylands, one of the most charming quirky cafes in the UK, convincingly decorated as a wartime tea room, or head to the equally quirky and award-winning Nelson Head Bar. But the gray seals are the star attraction here-Horsey is one of the largest colonies in the world. The cubs were born from October to January; last year, a staggering 2,069 people arrived on this beach.
The Ingham Swan is a 14th-century thatched bar overlooking the fields and next to a medieval church, which attracts crowds even if it is not for food. In fact, the pilgrimage is made by the chef’s patron Daniel Smith’s menu, which revolves around local products such as Cromer Crab and Blancster Mussels. Smith was trained in Le Gavroche under the leadership of Michel Roux Jr, and received his first Michelin star when he was a chef in Morston Hall. If you find that you are too full to move, stay overnight in one of the rooms in the converted carriage house.
Ben and Hannah Witchell studied their trade in California and Beaujolais before moving to Ursham, one of the driest and sunniest areas in the UK, where they founded Flint Vineyards. They now produce some of the most exciting wines in the country, such as the surprisingly sunny Charmat rosé and the newly launched reserve Pinot Noir this year. Park your car in the shop, in the traditional farm building, you can enjoy the view of Waveney Valley, and then participate in the wine tasting. Book a tour that will take you to visit the vineyards and wineries, and then host a 15-mile lunch, including cooked food from Marsh Pig, artisan bread from Hempnall Village Bakery and goji jelly from Eastgate Larder.
Norfolk and Suffolk are located on the banks of the River Waveney, just a few minutes’ drive from Flint Vineyard. The market town of Bungay is dominated by the ruins of Norman Castle, filled with delicious specialties. The first stop is FenFarm Dairy, where the Crickmore family produces the world-famous Baron Bigod brie (made from the raw milk of their Montbéliarde cows and named after the family that built the castle). In the cowshed, vending machines sell delicious food, from cheese to handmade yogurt to raw milk coffee-the logo claims, “made by some of the best coffee roasters and cows in the UK.” Set aside lunch space in the Front Room-a postage stamp-sized cafe that serves perfect organic baking (apple pie, pistachio bread, chocolate brioche) and daily hot dishes (split yellow peas, French onion pie)- -Enough time to travel through the rare and second-hand treasures of Olam Bookstore.
Keep scrolling to get more pictures of the beautiful Norfolk and Suffolk landscapes and what it has to offer
Post time: Dec-08-2021
