Visitors Guide 2009 - 30/03/2009 digital edition

Tourist Information
Stalham Tourist Information Centre:
Museum of the Broads, Stalham Staithe, tel
01692 881681.
STALHAM sits between
the calm waters of the
Norfolk Broads and
sometimes-dramatic
North Sea.
Just 15 miles from both the his-
toric city of Norwich and the bright
lights of Great Yarmouth, one of
Britain's most popular resorts,
Stalham is a gateway to the inter-
nationally-famed Norfolk Broads, a
network of lakes and waterways
that is part of the National Parks
family.
Largely formed by medieval
peat-digging, the Broads make up
Britain's largest protected wetland
and one of the country's last
remaining wildernesses.
South of Stalham, the villages of
Hoveton, Horning and Potter
Heigham also give visitors some-
where to embark on a voyage
through the Broads by boat.
Indeed, the Broads offer boating
of all kinds, and for all levels of
boating experience: sailing, motor
cruisers, canoeing, windsurfing �
even electric launches.
Nature reserves at Hickling and
Ludham are home to swallowtail
butterflies and marsh harriers, and
you may even hear the booming of
rare bitterns from among the shel-
tering reeds.
Ancient drainage windmills dot
the horizon, like the National Trust-
owned Horsey Windpump, with
spectacular views across the
Broads and to the sea.
Attractions are easy to find.
Bewilderwood at Hoveton is a fam-
ily adventure park set among the
trees. Wroxham Barns, also near
Hoveton, is a craft centre with chil-
dren's petting farm and funfair to
enjoy.
The Bure Valley Railway takes
passengers on a nine-mile narrow-
gauge steam-powered ride from
Wroxham to Aylsham. And the
Museum of the Broads at Stalham
can tell the curious all about the
history of this mystical, ancient
landscape.
The Happing Summer Festival,
named after the `Happing Hundred'
of 13 parishes in the Stalham area,
runs from May to September and
includes arts, music, theatre and
crafts events.
The Summer Solstice is marked
by a `longest day' morning nature
walk led by a local naturalist, and
the Solstice Beer Festival at
Happisburgh on the coast.
BEFORE the advent of roads and railways,
wherries were used on the waterways of
Broadland for the transportation of all types
of goods.
Situated on one of the few remaining
Staithes where wherries would unload their
cargoes of grain, sugar beet, potatoes, coal
etc, stand buildings which now house the
Museum of the Broads at Stalham.
The main building, with reception area and
shop, is on the edge of the water so that
goods could be loaded and unloaded by
manpower, directly on or off the wherry
moored outside.
Here volunteers have built an exact replica
`cuddy' -- skipper's living quarters -- which
visitors can enter and imagine living in such a
cramped space.
The Marshman's Building, used for storing
goods, now contains displays relating to the
life and work of the Broads themselves and
of people who worked on them; wildfowlers
and marshmen who harvested reeds and
sedge for thatching.
In the Discovery Building, sit and watch a
special video showing the history of
Broadland from earliest times to hire boats.
This room also has a `time line' of Broads
history for the last 2,000 years, as well as
model boats and photographs.
In the Boat Shed is the lateener Maria. Built
in 1827, she is older than Cutty Sark. Rigged
more like an Arab dhow than a traditional
Broads yacht, Maria spent her life sailing and
racing on the Broads.
Also, a dinghy made from cement, a River
Commissioner's Launch, an Airbourne
Lifeboat (imagine WW2 aircrew, shot down
over the North Sea finding themselves adrift
in a rubber dinghy. Suddenly, suspended by
three parachutes, a lifeboat appears from the
sky enabling them to return home).
Outside, where there is a grassy bank for a
picnic, you will find, a weedcutter, Falcon, an
1895 steam launch, Our Boys, which provided
groceries from Acle Stores to boating holi-
daymakers, and the play yacht Tygander.
The Museum is just off the A149 at Stalham
with nearby parking.
It is open every day during the season (re-
opens just before Easter), 10.30am-5pm. The
reception area contains a small shop and
everywhere (including toilets), is accessible
for the disabled.
HAVE YOU ever visited East Anglia's
Premier Narrow Gauge Railway? � more
than 130,000 passengers a year do, with
many coming again and again to enjoy the
unique trip on fine steam-hauled trains.
With the ability to offer both a train trip
and a one-and-a-half hour cruise on the
Norfolk Broads, the Bure Valley Railway
does make a great day out for all the family.
Arrive at Aylsham Station � take time to
have a snack or a meal in the Whistlestop
Restaurant, visit the well stocked toy and
souvenir shop, or tour the railway's busy
workshops and take in the unique atmos-
phere of this popular railway.
Board the train, travel in comfortable
enclosed carriages � all trains have special
wheelchair coaches � and travel for 45 min-
utes through some of Norfolk's most beau-
tiful countryside.
Hear the powerful engines working hard
taking you nine miles through wayside sta-
tions and crossings to Wroxham, capital of
the Broads.
Walk to the boat yard where a Broads
Tours Boat waits to take you on a gentle
cruise on the waterways of the Norfolk
Broads.
Return to Wroxham and still have time to
take in other venues � like shopping at
Roy's, then return back to Aylsham station
for delicious home-made afternoon cream
teas in the Whistlestop Restaurant.
Should you require any further informa-
tion, please call Aylsham Station, telephone
01263 733858 or visit the website
www.bvrw.co.uk
SAMPLE the wild side of the Norfolk Broads at
Hickling and boat-free tranquillity at Ranworth.
Hickling is the largest and wildest of the
Broads and a wonderful place to enjoy the tradi-
tional Broadland scenery of golden reedbeds,
grazing marshes and wide open skies.
At Hickling Broad National Nature Reserve you
can explore the nature trails, or visit the hidden
and secret parts of the Broad on an exciting
wildlife boat trip.
In summertime, Hickling is famed for Britain's
largest butterfly, the rare and spectacular swal-
lowtail. You can also see marsh harriers hunting
over the reedbeds for prey.
Hickling is about four miles south of Stalham,
which is just off the A149 Yarmouth Road. There
is a visitor centre, boardwalk trail through
reedbeds to open water, bird-watching hides,
wildlife gift shop, refreshments, toilets, parking
and picnic site.
Ranworth is one of the few Broads totally free
from boat traffic. At the Broadland Conservation
Centre you can discover how the Broads were
created, their past uses, and the present day
pressures on their conservation.
The boardwalk takes you along a fascinating
trail of natural succession � through woodland,
reedbed and open water.
Ranworth is about four miles south-east of
Wroxham, sign-posted on the B1140 Norwich to
Acle road at South Walsham.
Discover the era of the wherry
Wander on
wild side
Gateway to the Broads
Steam'n'
cruise
Messing about in boats on The Broads at Stalham � what could be finer?

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