Open Boat touring on the Norfolk Broads

Norfolk Broads Tour 13th /14th July 2019

We are planning a 2 day trip to the Norfolk Broads for Open Boats but any craft is welcome to join. We will be paddling Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July. The plan is to paddle and camp but if you are going up on the Friday your tent might already be pitched 😊.

On Saturday 13th we will be dropping all the boats and kit at the first Get-in at Sutton Staithe (NR12 9QS /TG 382237) and shuttling the cars to the final Get-out at The Pleasure Boat Inn at Hickling Staithe (NR12 0YW / TG 409225).There is a Parish Car park that we can park at on the opposite side of the launch to the Pleasure Boat Inn. There is a fee of £4 per day. You need to get the tickets from the pub and just display them for the 2 days.

Campsite – Bureside Holiday Park, Boundry Road, Great Yarmouth, NR29 3BW (07747 041153)

• This is a really nice campsite with its own slipway. Prices are £18 per night per tent based on 2 people sharing with 1 car
• www.buresideholidaypark.co.uk

Day 1 – Sutton Staithe to Bureside Holiday Park (Estimated just over 9 miles /14.5 km)

• Leaving from Sutton Staithe we are paddling west to the River Ant and then south to Barton Broad – hopefully for some sailing – there are Nature Reserves all around this broad so possibly bird watching as well.
• Once we leave the Broad we will follow the River Ant south down to the River Bure.
• About half way down the River Ant is the Toad Hole Cottage Museum. This is a nice little cottage museum with an ice cream stop.
• Once we get to the mouth of the River Ant, we will turn right onto the River Bure.
• Further down the River Bure we can stop and explore St Benet’s Abbey on the left.
• We will turn right when we get the the River Thurne mouth and arrive at Bureside Holiday Park.

Day 2 – Bureside Holiday Park to Pleasure Boat Inn (Hickling Staithe) (Estimated 7.8 miles / 12.5 km)

• After leaving the campsite slip we will turn right and paddle north up the River Bure to the mouth of the River Thurne and then continue north towards Ludham Marshes.
• Then paddling North-East up past Potter Heigham to the Hickling Broad cutting opposite the boat yard below Martham Ferry
• Once in Hickling Broad we can either explore the broad or go up into Horsey Mere and back into Hinckley Broad.
• Once we’ve finished exploring we can head up to the northern tip of the Broad to the Pleasure Boat Inn to collect the cars and stop in at the pub for food before travelling home.