Norfolk Broads Holiday - anyone been there / done that?
Discussion
Hi All.
My kids have been begging me to have a holiday on the Norfolk broads - as per Arthur Ransomes Big Six / Coot Club.
Does anyone have experience of this - is it so crowded there is no space to have fun, or is it a fab, relaxing holiday on a floating caravan on the rivers, exploring by day, chilling out by evening / night.
Thinking of renting from this set up: https://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/
Any one done this, will be me and my wife and our 3 boys - 13, 10, 6.
Possibly the 2 dogs too.
I am an experienced sailor, day skipper etc, so no concerns re being on the water, navigating, mooring etc
Thinking of last week June / first July - before English school break up - we are based Scotland so have this option.
Interested in others experiences before we have a disaster
My kids have been begging me to have a holiday on the Norfolk broads - as per Arthur Ransomes Big Six / Coot Club.
Does anyone have experience of this - is it so crowded there is no space to have fun, or is it a fab, relaxing holiday on a floating caravan on the rivers, exploring by day, chilling out by evening / night.
Thinking of renting from this set up: https://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/
Any one done this, will be me and my wife and our 3 boys - 13, 10, 6.
Possibly the 2 dogs too.
I am an experienced sailor, day skipper etc, so no concerns re being on the water, navigating, mooring etc
Thinking of last week June / first July - before English school break up - we are based Scotland so have this option.
Interested in others experiences before we have a disaster
Hi OP
Ok, so two years ago my partner and I decided to trek over to Norfolk in our campervan. We fancied a change from the usual Devon and Cornwall that we usually head to for a long weekend. But due to the distance, we decided to have a week in Norfolk.
Our experience wasn't great, for want of a different phrase, we found it incredibly boring. There just felt like there was zero life, and everyone was firmly into retirement. Nothing wrong with this, but we had expected a lot more going on, like the aforementioned Cornwall/Devon.
We toured along the coastline, and we must have seen no more than a handful of people surfing. The beaches were dead, the restaurants were lifeless, and in a first for us, we came home early.
The scenery is nice, if not a little underwhelming (very flat), and but don't expect to park up in your car on a beach. Every beach along the coast seemed to have a 1 mile walk before you could see anything.
If you think about popping into Norwich for an afternoon of shopping, don't bother. It's f
king wk, run down and a complete waste of a day.
We hated Norfolk, the final straw being £25 for Fish and Chips at a restaurant and it was vile.
These are the ramblings of someone who spent 7hrs each way driving, so yeah, I was somewhat bitter and was itching to get back to Devon.
Never again
Ok, so two years ago my partner and I decided to trek over to Norfolk in our campervan. We fancied a change from the usual Devon and Cornwall that we usually head to for a long weekend. But due to the distance, we decided to have a week in Norfolk.
Our experience wasn't great, for want of a different phrase, we found it incredibly boring. There just felt like there was zero life, and everyone was firmly into retirement. Nothing wrong with this, but we had expected a lot more going on, like the aforementioned Cornwall/Devon.
We toured along the coastline, and we must have seen no more than a handful of people surfing. The beaches were dead, the restaurants were lifeless, and in a first for us, we came home early.
The scenery is nice, if not a little underwhelming (very flat), and but don't expect to park up in your car on a beach. Every beach along the coast seemed to have a 1 mile walk before you could see anything.
If you think about popping into Norwich for an afternoon of shopping, don't bother. It's f
king wk, run down and a complete waste of a day. We hated Norfolk, the final straw being £25 for Fish and Chips at a restaurant and it was vile.
These are the ramblings of someone who spent 7hrs each way driving, so yeah, I was somewhat bitter and was itching to get back to Devon.
Never again
Hired from https://www.herbertwoods.co.uk/ just up the way from your place OP at Potter Heigham.
Brilliant holiday, really fantastic fun, cruised right down to Norwich via Great Yarmouth and enjoyed every minute of it.
Norwich is lovely for restaurants and pubs (try the Belgian Monk and Namaste Village)
Brilliant holiday, really fantastic fun, cruised right down to Norwich via Great Yarmouth and enjoyed every minute of it.
Norwich is lovely for restaurants and pubs (try the Belgian Monk and Namaste Village)
Edited by Krikkit on Tuesday 18th February 15:31
scotlandtim said:
Thanks all
Mostly positive reviews.
TBH - I'm an antisocial person, so the more boring, and less ging on the better for me! Think we'd all be quite happy with a day on teh river, followed by an evening walk to a quiet pub
will keep researching though, appreciate feedback.
Moorings near pubs are busy, unlikely to find a quiet pub. As an experianced skipper you'll find it quite boring, kids will love it.Mostly positive reviews.
TBH - I'm an antisocial person, so the more boring, and less ging on the better for me! Think we'd all be quite happy with a day on teh river, followed by an evening walk to a quiet pub
will keep researching though, appreciate feedback.
Suggestion, find an interesting canal or river, somewhere with locks and stuff. Kids will love it more.
Have been going every year since 1997 ! I don't need a map anymore lol.
DO print off the tide tables as it will save you a tonne of cash of fuel if you plan your cruising with (rather than against) the tides. Obviously sometimes it's not possible but with a bit or route planning you can take advantage of a bit of help along the river.
Do check out the Ant, it's my fave river. Wroxham is pretty chavvy and if you have a low enough boat, take advantage of the pilot service in wroxham and go to Coltishall. The cruise down the river from wroxham is lovely (and v quiet normally).
Acle is ste, don't bother. So is Potter heigham.
Ranworth is nice enough, but a tenner for overnight mooring same with Ludham.
If visiting wroxham, go on a week day and moor in NBD or Barnes basin and take advantage of water and free leccy.
Salhouse (again, a tenner - get the theme yet ?) is well worth a visit as you can hire canoes/kayaks for the kids and just have a paddle about) and then it's a 15 min walk to the Fur & Feathers pub.
If going to Yarmouth - see point 1 about tide tables. Once on the lower Bure the tide runs STRONG !
DO print off the tide tables as it will save you a tonne of cash of fuel if you plan your cruising with (rather than against) the tides. Obviously sometimes it's not possible but with a bit or route planning you can take advantage of a bit of help along the river.
Do check out the Ant, it's my fave river. Wroxham is pretty chavvy and if you have a low enough boat, take advantage of the pilot service in wroxham and go to Coltishall. The cruise down the river from wroxham is lovely (and v quiet normally).
Acle is s
te, don't bother. So is Potter heigham.Ranworth is nice enough, but a tenner for overnight mooring same with Ludham.
If visiting wroxham, go on a week day and moor in NBD or Barnes basin and take advantage of water and free leccy.
Salhouse (again, a tenner - get the theme yet ?) is well worth a visit as you can hire canoes/kayaks for the kids and just have a paddle about) and then it's a 15 min walk to the Fur & Feathers pub.
If going to Yarmouth - see point 1 about tide tables. Once on the lower Bure the tide runs STRONG !
juice said:
Have been going every year since 1997 ! I don't need a map anymore lol.
DO print off the tide tables as it will save you a tonne of cash of fuel if you plan your cruising with (rather than against) the tides. Obviously sometimes it's not possible but with a bit or route planning you can take advantage of a bit of help along the river.
Do check out the Ant, it's my fave river. Wroxham is pretty chavvy and if you have a low enough boat, take advantage of the pilot service in wroxham and go to Coltishall. The cruise down the river from wroxham is lovely (and v quiet normally).
Acle is ste, don't bother. So is Potter heigham.
Ranworth is nice enough, but a tenner for overnight mooring same with Ludham.
If visiting wroxham, go on a week day and moor in NBD or Barnes basin and take advantage of water and free leccy.
Salhouse (again, a tenner - get the theme yet ?) is well worth a visit as you can hire canoes/kayaks for the kids and just have a paddle about) and then it's a 15 min walk to the Fur & Feathers pub.
If going to Yarmouth - see point 1 about tide tables. Once on the lower Bure the tide runs STRONG !
Add Winterton-on Sea to the list of should do places.From memory the most easterly point of the Broads. The beach is a short walk from were you can moor but it's a stunning beachDO print off the tide tables as it will save you a tonne of cash of fuel if you plan your cruising with (rather than against) the tides. Obviously sometimes it's not possible but with a bit or route planning you can take advantage of a bit of help along the river.
Do check out the Ant, it's my fave river. Wroxham is pretty chavvy and if you have a low enough boat, take advantage of the pilot service in wroxham and go to Coltishall. The cruise down the river from wroxham is lovely (and v quiet normally).
Acle is s
te, don't bother. So is Potter heigham.Ranworth is nice enough, but a tenner for overnight mooring same with Ludham.
If visiting wroxham, go on a week day and moor in NBD or Barnes basin and take advantage of water and free leccy.
Salhouse (again, a tenner - get the theme yet ?) is well worth a visit as you can hire canoes/kayaks for the kids and just have a paddle about) and then it's a 15 min walk to the Fur & Feathers pub.
If going to Yarmouth - see point 1 about tide tables. Once on the lower Bure the tide runs STRONG !
scotlandtim said:
That would be wonderful - any links for companies that hire such a vessel?
There are a few boatyards which offer yachts, but I would say that Annie and Andy who run Eastwood Whelpton are the nicest and most customer orientated providers on the Broads.https://www.eastwood-whelpton.co.uk/
I've sailed most of their fleet now and they are well maintained, very accurate to sail and will sail on a breeze. Many of the rivers are wide enough to sail into wind too. Last year, we covered over 100 miles with no engine input for the week.
Planning to go outside of English school hols is a good option too!
I live in Lowestoft, a deprived town on the southern edge of the Broads. The high level of wildlife can be amazing)..... once you come to terms with the fact that a holiday here is heavily geared towards Nature, a boating holiday on the Broads can be quite interesting at that time of year.. for the kids Blakeney Point- you can get pretty close to the seals ( minimum of 25 meters away is safe). Norwich is actually quite a vibrant small city, with some wonderful eating places and a high number of pubs with live music. Lowestoft does have Africa Alive, which is worth a visit. Just about every boat hire stop rents out paddle boards. BeWilderWoods near Wroxham is a wildlife adventure park. there is the Steam Train in the Bure Valley. Wroxham has a couple of day out type parks. And if you want a taste of ultra-tacky seafront with an aquatic park, a newly restored Venetian canal ride and a quite good marine life centre, Great Yarmouth fills the bill nicely
Parents live in Norfolk (retired obviously 
) and I spend 15 years borrowing dads boat for holidays on the broads.
I dont get one of the posters hate of Norwich, its a fantastic city, very walkable, has all the usual shops plus a huge market and then another more independent section for one off things. Fish and chips in Grosvenor is very nice with a cool WW2 bunker vibe downstairs.
And i dont get their over all hate of Norfolk at all, they however correct about retirees and it being flat!
As for things to do, well you cant surf or dig for fossils like Devon/ Cornwall, but apart from that im not sure what they were looking to do?
Bars and restaurants are almost always full (except in the off seasons) it is ,like most places, what you want to make of it.
When boating you have to take a different view on things, its not about how fast you can go, or over taking over boats, you just slow down and enjoy the basics.
Try to bring a portable bbq and moor away from everyone against a mud bank on your own(its obvious the ones that can be moored at and the ones you cant) enjoy the peace and quite whilst having a few drinks and eating bbq food, if it rains just stand with the brolly over the bbq, obviously you still must wear your shorts regardless!
Bring a fishing rod for each of the boys and a pint of maggots (or sweetcorn if the missus wont share the boat with them) they will love fishing at every stop (and get a license !)
They will love driving the boat too, well for about 10mins then it can get boring for a kid, mooring up and pushing out will also great fun for them.
Fish and chips at Potter Heigham is good, there is also a large store called Lathams there, its not like it was but still worth a wonder (sell mead from memory).
There are kids activities such as Wroxham barns and Bewilderwood but ive never been in fairness as i never had kids (until recently)
its just about being together in a boat, enjoying nature, eating, drinking, walking and enjoying the moment, obviously IMO
) and I spend 15 years borrowing dads boat for holidays on the broads.I dont get one of the posters hate of Norwich, its a fantastic city, very walkable, has all the usual shops plus a huge market and then another more independent section for one off things. Fish and chips in Grosvenor is very nice with a cool WW2 bunker vibe downstairs.
And i dont get their over all hate of Norfolk at all, they however correct about retirees and it being flat!
As for things to do, well you cant surf or dig for fossils like Devon/ Cornwall, but apart from that im not sure what they were looking to do?
Bars and restaurants are almost always full (except in the off seasons) it is ,like most places, what you want to make of it.
When boating you have to take a different view on things, its not about how fast you can go, or over taking over boats, you just slow down and enjoy the basics.
Try to bring a portable bbq and moor away from everyone against a mud bank on your own(its obvious the ones that can be moored at and the ones you cant) enjoy the peace and quite whilst having a few drinks and eating bbq food, if it rains just stand with the brolly over the bbq, obviously you still must wear your shorts regardless!
Bring a fishing rod for each of the boys and a pint of maggots (or sweetcorn if the missus wont share the boat with them) they will love fishing at every stop (and get a license !)
They will love driving the boat too, well for about 10mins then it can get boring for a kid, mooring up and pushing out will also great fun for them.
Fish and chips at Potter Heigham is good, there is also a large store called Lathams there, its not like it was but still worth a wonder (sell mead from memory).
There are kids activities such as Wroxham barns and Bewilderwood but ive never been in fairness as i never had kids (until recently)
its just about being together in a boat, enjoying nature, eating, drinking, walking and enjoying the moment, obviously IMO
I went on The Broads 2 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.
If possible dont go in high season as I gather it can be busy.
Get a big boat like the other poster said.
Mooring is easier if you get the kids to help catch the mooring ropes etc - it's easier if you have people helping you by pulling you in a bit front and back; rather than doing it all yourself. Its not that hard but I noticed it looked easier with more people.
We had a boat you could drive from the normal position, and from the roof - this is delightful! I totally recomend it because you can see so much more. The only downside is there are a couple of bridges you might have trouble getting under, but still recomended. Just be clear when you are transferring control from one position to another.... I made a bit of an error with the selector and we were out of control for a short while whilst I worked it out!
You can moor in the middle of a Broad (the lake bits) using the mud weight at the front overnight. Not only is this free but it also feels like you are "wild camping" - we only found out about this on the last night and enjoyed it. Just make sure you have room around you to swing around the mud weight in the breeze.
If possible dont go in high season as I gather it can be busy.
Get a big boat like the other poster said.
Mooring is easier if you get the kids to help catch the mooring ropes etc - it's easier if you have people helping you by pulling you in a bit front and back; rather than doing it all yourself. Its not that hard but I noticed it looked easier with more people.
We had a boat you could drive from the normal position, and from the roof - this is delightful! I totally recomend it because you can see so much more. The only downside is there are a couple of bridges you might have trouble getting under, but still recomended. Just be clear when you are transferring control from one position to another.... I made a bit of an error with the selector and we were out of control for a short while whilst I worked it out!
You can moor in the middle of a Broad (the lake bits) using the mud weight at the front overnight. Not only is this free but it also feels like you are "wild camping" - we only found out about this on the last night and enjoyed it. Just make sure you have room around you to swing around the mud weight in the breeze.
Santona above gives some decent tips. Though if you are boating around, probably not that easy to access many of them such as Bewilderwood or Africa Alive. The NNR is a fantastic, scenic railway ride on steam trains if that's your thing, but again Sheringham is not really accessible by boat. Likewise, the seals at Horsey gap are amazing to see.
I'm still laughing at Networkgeek above, obviously not a fan of Norfolk. The countryside can be a bit flat and dull but there are numerous beaches you can access very easily without much of a walk. If you don't mind a bit of a walk take a look at Holkham or Wells beaches which are stunning and where HRH Wills and Kate do a lot of their pics and films. Again not very accessible from the broads, however.
As for Norwich, I've lived here (20 min walk to city centre) since 2013. Not sure Networkgeek paints a balanced picture - I find it a little dull and the pace is slow to previous places I lived (Luton/London) but it's got an impressive castle, two cathedrals, one of the biggest markets in the UK and two decent shopping centres. Last time I looked it was in the top 10 (maybe now 20) for shopping destinations in the country.
Only other (pretty obvious) thing to point out is that it's a heck of a trek from Scotland, which I well know as I tend to holiday up there once or twice a year.
I'm still laughing at Networkgeek above, obviously not a fan of Norfolk. The countryside can be a bit flat and dull but there are numerous beaches you can access very easily without much of a walk. If you don't mind a bit of a walk take a look at Holkham or Wells beaches which are stunning and where HRH Wills and Kate do a lot of their pics and films. Again not very accessible from the broads, however.
As for Norwich, I've lived here (20 min walk to city centre) since 2013. Not sure Networkgeek paints a balanced picture - I find it a little dull and the pace is slow to previous places I lived (Luton/London) but it's got an impressive castle, two cathedrals, one of the biggest markets in the UK and two decent shopping centres. Last time I looked it was in the top 10 (maybe now 20) for shopping destinations in the country.
Only other (pretty obvious) thing to point out is that it's a heck of a trek from Scotland, which I well know as I tend to holiday up there once or twice a year.
I went on family boating holidays on the Broads three times in my early teens in the 70s and really enjoyed them. The highlight for me at that age was being in charge of something with an engine! My Dad had been a couple of times in the late 1940s so knew all about getting timings right for Yarmouth, although we picked the boat up in Loddon so were "in at the deep end" on the narrow, windy River Ant.
The last family holiday we had was in 1975 but that was a week's cruise on the Thames starting from Staines. We got as far as Oxford and it was very different with all the locks, but cruising through places like Windsor and Marlow was a great experience. Little did I know I would later end up working in Windsor for 10 years.
In the early 80s I went on the Broads again with a girlfriend and loved that too, albeit in a different way!
Then late 80s I did a 4 day Broads cruise with some mates when the Sun were doing those £10 holidays. Different pub each night so that was great too.
My Dad always liked a challenge so we went through Wroxham and Potter Higham bridges each time, and I kept that tradition up on my later trips!
Around the same time I spent another week on the Broads with my sister and her family which I enjoyed.
But the following year she decided to try the Fens for a change and I have to say it made a change from the Broads with enough locks to break things up, but not enough to be tedious like some parts of the Thames.
IME it's a great experience if you can adapt to a much slower pace taking in what is around you.
The last family holiday we had was in 1975 but that was a week's cruise on the Thames starting from Staines. We got as far as Oxford and it was very different with all the locks, but cruising through places like Windsor and Marlow was a great experience. Little did I know I would later end up working in Windsor for 10 years.
In the early 80s I went on the Broads again with a girlfriend and loved that too, albeit in a different way!
Then late 80s I did a 4 day Broads cruise with some mates when the Sun were doing those £10 holidays. Different pub each night so that was great too.
My Dad always liked a challenge so we went through Wroxham and Potter Higham bridges each time, and I kept that tradition up on my later trips!
Around the same time I spent another week on the Broads with my sister and her family which I enjoyed.
But the following year she decided to try the Fens for a change and I have to say it made a change from the Broads with enough locks to break things up, but not enough to be tedious like some parts of the Thames.
IME it's a great experience if you can adapt to a much slower pace taking in what is around you.
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