Brundall

Brundall Bay Marina by Fernando Butcher

Swallowtail at Strumpshaw Fen © Broads Authority photo by Tom Waterfall 2017

Brundall is a busy village and boating centre on the river Yare (opposite Surlingham) with plenty of amenities for a great overnight stop en-route to Norwich. This includes pubs and eateries, shops and minimarkets plus a community nature reserve. Nearby is the famous RSPB Strumpshaw Fen Nature Reserve - a paradise for birdwatchers teaming with wildlife!

Moor at Broom Boats or Silverline Marine, close to a chic bistro, pub and train station. Then cross the railway line to walk into the centre of the village, which has the feel of high street. There is a pub, café and takeaways, plenty of shops, including two Co-op mini markets (one with a Post Office), a pharmacy, hardware and pet store, florist, dry cleaners and opticians plus a library and health centre.

Take a walk around Brundall Church Fen local nature reserve, which is next to the 13th century St Laurence church, and has free 24 hour Broads Authority moorings. This lovely wet woodland on a former grazing marsh is home to otters and water voles.

The RSPB Strumpshaw nature reserve is just 1.4 miles from Brundall. The diverse landscape fronting the River Yare has an excellent network of trails exploring orchid-rich meadows, reed beds, woodland and numerous scrapes and pools. Look out for Swallowtail Butterflies and Norfolk Hawker Dragonflies - which only exist in the Broads - plus barn owls, marsh harriers, cetti’s warblers, kingfishers and bitterns. The well-equipped reception hide serves refreshments and there is a picnic area and toilets.

East Hills Café Bistro Located in Brundall Bay Marina pavilion, with a garden decking area and gift shop. It serves pizzas (including takeout), breakfast, lunch, platters and afternoon teas. Free short stay moorings in Brundall Bay Marina for diners (or half price overnight). 01603 951850 www.east-hills.co.uk

The Yare Brundall Pub serving traditional fayre located next to the river close to Broom Boats. 01603 713786

The Ram Newly renovated pub on The Street Brundall. Serves bar food. Most easily accessed from Brundall Church Fen Moorings. 01603 712569

Silverline Marine Boatyard in the centre of Brundall. Please see NBD skipper’s manual for more information. 01603 712247 Broom Boats Boatyard in the centre of Brundall. Please see NBD skipper’s manual for more information. 01603 712334 Brundall Bay Marina Boatyard in the centre of Brundall. Free short stay moorings if you eat in East Hills Café Bistro (or half price overnight). Brundall Church Fen Secluded mooring near Brundall Church Fen Nature reserve for eight boats. Moor alongside with double mooring permitted.

BURGH CASTLE

Visit one of the best preserved Roman Forts in England at Burgh Castle. Located on the mouth of the River Waveney the fort has sweeping views over Breydon Water, an estuary that is rich in wildlife where you can enjoy a stunning walk. The village of Burgh Castle has pubs and a post office plus a fascinating Saxon round towered church.

Moor on the river bank just upstream from Burgh Castle Marina and Holiday Village (where there is a pub and post office stores) and then walk along the Angles Way long distance footpath for half a mile to reach the fort which stands imposingly above the marshes.

Three of the fort’s four massive stone walls survive, almost to their original height, making it one of the best preserved Roman monuments in Britain. From the top of the fort there is a fabulous panoramic view over Breydon Water and the iconic Berney Arms Windmill which is over 70ft tall.

The Roman fort was built in AD 300 as an important coastal defence on the edge of what was a huge estuary covering much of modern day Broadland. It was abandoned 100 years later as the Roman Empire declined but became an Anglo Saxon settlement, possibly with a monastery. After 1066 a Norman castle was built on the mound, although little remains from this period. The village of Burgh Castle is located close to the fort, where there is a pub and the fascinating Saxon round towered church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Roman tiles were used in the church’s construction and inside the church there is a display of artefacts found at the fort ranging from fragments of Roman pottery to stone tools.

Breydon Water, at the foot of Burgh Castle, is a bird watcher’s paradise. The RSPB estimate that the estuary is home to 64,000 overwintering wildfowl. In the summer months you can spot lapwings, avocets, redshanks and birds of prey. You can also walk along the banks of the estuary for 3.5 miles to Great Yarmouth via the Angles Way footpath.

Rising 70ft above the marshes, the iconic Berney Arms Windmill is one of the tallest mills on the Broads and offers a beautiful view across the water from Burgh Castle. Visiting the Scheduled Ancient Monument by boat is an even better experience. Motor to the free Broads Authority moorings on the River Yare, just upstream from Breydon Water (being careful of the strong tide).

The remote mill operated from 1870 to 1948 and has been fully restored. It has no road access and feels wonderfully cut off from the rest of the world.

Please note that viewing the inside of the mill is by pre-booked tour only. At the time of going to print the tours were suspended for essential maintenance. 01493 700645.

MOORING

The Fisherman’s Inn, Burgh Castle Mooring for pub patrons. Please beware of the strong tide when mooring. Berney Arms Side-on mooring. Please be aware of strong tides

Eating Out

The Queens Head Pub/restaurant with a beer garden in Burgh Castle village. Serves traditional home cooked food, including Sunday carveries. They even have a special food and drink menu for dogs including “Pawsecco”! 01493 780363

The Fisherman’s Inn Riverside free house serving pub fayre in Burgh Castle Marina and Holiday Park. Has a stunning view across Breydon Water and free moorings for pub patrons. 01493 780729

explore upstream of Wroxham Bridge COLTISHALL

At the limit of the River Bure’s navigation lies the historic village of Coltishall and its stunning riverside common, which is ideal to moor for the night and enjoy a great choice of pubs and restaurants. Better still, the 1.5 hour cruise from Wroxham to Coltishall – via Belaugh - is one of the most beautiful on the Broads due to its quiet waterways which have little boat traffic and can sometimes feel like stepping back in time.

Coltishall is a world apart from the hustle and bustle of nearby Wroxham as many hire cruisers are not able to pass under Wroxham’s low bridge. If you have booked a hire cruiser that is able to pass under the bridge you will need our bridge pilot to safely navigate you through. To use the bridge pilot please call him on 07775 297638. This service is free of charge but is dependent upon the tide! Once upstream of the bridge you can enjoy an almost “undiscovered Broadland” experience with very little other boat traffic around. In Coltishall there is plenty of space to moor at one of the prettiest spots on the Broads, Coltishall Common. It has a large area of grass flanked by fine houses that sweeps down to the River Bure. An ideal spot to relax, fish, have a picnic or let the kids run around. There are two pubs, a Post Office with shop and hairdressers by the common. It’s worth exploring the centre of Coltishall and nearby Horstead for its rich history and fantastic pubs, restaurants, cafes, delis, takeaways and shops.

Originally mentioned in the Domesday Book, Coltishall boasts some magnificent buildings due to its past wealth as an important commercial centre for the malting industry. This may seem strange for a location at the end of navigation. However, between 1779 – 1912 the River Bure was navigable all the way to Aylsham. As a result, Coltishall was an important stopping off point for river trade until the industry declined with the coming of the railway. Navigation finally ceased when Horstead locks were destroyed by flooding in 1912.

Coltishall is also well known for its RAF base, which closed in 2006, and is reputed to have had Second World War flying ace Sir Douglas Bader as Squadron Commander.

MOORING

Coltishall Common Room for 46 boats to moor side on along the banks of the common. Electric hook up available

Stop off at Belaugh

Make sure you stop off at the beautiful and very quiet little village of Belaugh on your way to Coltishall. Unusually for Norfolk, the 14th Century church of Belaugh St Peter lies on a steep slope above the Bure offering a fantastic vantage point.

The view of the church towering over the river and village is said to have inspired poet and broadcaster John Betjeman’s lifelong love affair with churches after he stared up at it as an eight year old boy while on a family boating holiday in the early 20th Century.

The easiest place to moor is Belaugh’s lovely little staithe, although there are some very small church moorings which feel tucked away from the rest of the world.

Belaugh Staithe Alongside moorings in a pretty staithe with room for one or two boats. Belaugh Church Staithe Secluded little mooring for just one boat mooring alongside.

For a little more history its worth taking the five minute walk from the common to the medieval thatched parish church of St John the Baptist. If you look closely you can see pieces of Roman bricks embedded in the wall of the church.

There is also a lovely riverside walk to explore beyond navigation by following the footpath from Horstead Mill towards Buxton Mill 3.5 miles away. The river here really changes character to become much shallower and faster flowing and Buxton Mill is a stunning spot populated by wild trout.

Eating Out

The Kings Head Coltishall Fine dining in a 17th Century inn on Coltishall Common. The head chef is a member of The Masterchefs of Great Britain. 01603 737426 www.kingsheadcoltishall.co.uk

Red Lion Coltishall Traditional real ale freehouse on Church Street, five minutes’ walk from Coltishall Common. Serves traditional pub food plus Thai food on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Also has a café serving breakfast. 01603 736644 www.redlioncoltishall.co.uk

A Piece of Cake Lovely cafe specialising in cakes and light bites. Located in the River Rooms on Church Close with views across marshes and a courtyard garden. 01603 736090 www.coltishallcakes.co.uk

Recruiting Sergeant An award winning pub and restaurant with a beer garden that’s famous for its large portions. Located in Horstead. 01603 737077 www.recruitingsergeant.co.uk

The Rising Sun Traditional riverside pub and restaurant adjacent to Coltishall Common. Has a scenic waterside beer garden and is the sister pub to the much-loved Recruiting Sergeant. Dogs welcome on leads. 01603 737440 www.risingsuncoltishall.co.uk