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Safety on the Norfolk Broads

Stay safe on the Norfolk Broads by following the advice below:

Wear a life jacket

Life jackets should be worn by everyone whilst on deck, even by those who can swim. The water is very cold throughout the year and even strong swimmers can get into difficulty very quickly.

Watch your speed

Speed limits on the broads are set to reduce boat wash. This in turn reduces the erosion of the banks, lessening the disturbance to water-level, nesting birds and people on moored boats. The speed limit set ranges from 3-6 mph, but even if you are travelling under the stated limit, you may still be fined if you are creating excess wash.

Mooring up and casting off

The majority of injuries occur when people jump on and off the boat. Mooring up and casting off are probably the most difficult things you have to do when handling a boat, but with good preparation and some practice you should soon master it. Always make sure that this job is given to the fittest adult and not a child and make sure they are wearing a life-jacket. A mooring should always be approached against the tide and sideways on.

Watch your crew

Make sure you know where your crew are at all times. It is so easy to lose someone overboard, especially a child, without anyone noticing. It only takes a split second.

Do not drink

Having an alcoholic drink whilst relaxing on the broads is, for many people, all part of a boating holiday. It is strongly recommended that the helmsman does not drink until the boat is moored up for the night. The waterways can sometimes get quite congested and a clear head is required.

No swimming

Swimming in the broads and rivers can be very dangerous. Whilst the water may look very appealing, especially on a hot day, it is always very cold and cold shock can kill. There are also a lot of underwater hazards such as weed, fast currents and naturally occurring poisonous blue-green algae. The other danger is that you are virtually invisible to other boaters with only your head above water.

Be careful when approaching bridges

Always take down your canopy and get everybody off deck before approaching a bridge. Make sure you are aware of the height of your cruiser and check this against the gauge board on the bridge to make sure you have clearance. It is essential that in the event of a strong current the boat is fully under control before approaching a bridge. Look out for other boats coming through; generally the boat travelling with the current has right of way. Lastly, do not raise your head until you are sure you are well clear of the bridge.

Norfolk Broads
Norfolk Broads
Thurn Dyke

The finest holiday cottages & self-catering accommodation in Norfolk.

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Josephine's Cottage

Josephine's Cottage

Great Walsingham, Norfolk

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A pretty period cottage in the peaceful village of Great Walsingham that's full of personality. Just six miles inland from the coast at Wells-next-the-Sea and with many rural delights on its doorstep, Josephine's Cottage is a great choice for a couple looking for a romantic break or just an escape from the strains and stresses of every day life, at any time of the year.

Hope Cottage

Hope Cottage

Holme-next-the-Sea, Norfolk

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If you want to enjoy complete escapism, then this beautifully spacious and utterly romantic hideaway for two, is idyllically situated down a private lane, overlooking Redwell marshes and the NWT nature reserve, in the pretty coastal village of Holme-next-the-Sea.

The Bothy

The Bothy

Ringstead, Norfolk

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This hidden away, unique and stylish bijou detached holiday retreat with uninterrupted views over fields, is set in the garden of The Potting Shed in the pretty and sought-after village of Ringstead, which boasts a shop and and pub; and The Gin Trap Inn, serving good locally-sourced food and over 100 gins! This perfect love nest is ideal for those who want to be only a short drive or cycle ride to Old Hunstanton beach, one of the prettiest stretches of sand along this coast.

Day Boat Hire on the Norfolk Broads

Considered the UK’s largest and finest wetland landscape, the Norfolk Broads have been a popular destination to hire boats for many decades. These waterways offer open spaces, spectacular scenery, peace and tranquillity and are full to the brim with stunning Norfolk wildlife.

The Norfolk Wildlife Trust - Wildlife Conservation in Norfolk

The Norfolk Wildlife Trust is the oldest Wildlife Trust in the country and aims to provide hands-on, learning experiences to develop knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of the natural world. 400 acres of marshland at Cley, on the north Norfolk coast, was purchased in 1926 to be held ‘in perpetuity as a bird breeding sanctuary’. This has provided a blueprint for nature conservation which has since been replicated the length and breadth of the UK.

The Marsh Harrier is a Norfolk Success Story

The marsh harrier is the largest of the harriers and is recognisable by its long tail and light flight with wings held in a shallow ’V’ formation. Females are larger than the males and have distinctive golden-yellow crowns and throat and chocolate-brown feathers. Males are lighter in colour and have a brown back, pale neck and head, gingery belly and long grey wings with black tips. In recent years the marsh harrier population has increased, and in Norfolk, it is not unusual to see this beautiful bird in flight.

Spotting the elusive Bittern in Norfolk

The bittern is one of the rarest breeding birds in the UK, it is very well camouflaged and spends all year round in Norfolk, making its home in reedbeds on the Norfolk Broads. The male has a very distinctive booming call, that it uses to attract a mate, and this can be heard up to 2km away between March and June.

See the Swallowtail Butterfly in Norfolk

The Swallowtail Butterfly, Papilio Machaon Britannicus is a large, strong and colourful butterfly that forms part of the Papilionidae family. The largest native UK butterfly, with a wingspan of up to 9cm, it is also one of the rarest. The Swallowtail Butterfly has very distinctive yellow and black markings and if you are lucky enough to spot one in flight, it’s a beautiful sight to behold.

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