There are 124 miles of lock-free, navigable waterways ripe for boating exploration in Norfolk and Suffolk’s Broads National Park – Britain’s largest protected wetland. Unfortunately, a much bigger four-figure number, in pounds sterling, was what kept popping up on my computer screen as I searched for a suitable boat to enjoy it for a long weekend.
Luckily I had a plan B – or rather, a plan SUP.
Standup paddleboarding used to be seen as nothing more than a fun way to while away an hour or two on holiday. But during the pandemic and lockdowns, sales of inflatable boards have skyrocketed. Since then, companies including Devon-based manufacturer Red Equipment, iRocker and Aztron have launched a range of compact boards that fold down to half their size when deflated, making them easier to transport – and making longer adventures even easier.
Ever since I bought mine, a multi-day trip had been calling. So after leaving work early on Friday, my partner and I jumped on the train to Norwich, with our boards and minimal weekend clothing on our backs. From there it was a 30-minute (£2) bus ride to Coltishall – the “gateway to the Broads”. If you don’t have your own board, you can hire one from GoPaddle in Horning from £40 a day, with discounts for longer periods.
We opted for affordable luxury for our first night, at the Norfolk Mead hotel, for our camping adventure. On the banks of the River Bure, this Georgian manor house is also home to an award-winning restaurant where we enjoyed Norfolk-caught sea bass, local cheeses and the regional speciality, crunch rolls (granary style, made from malted wheat grains).
We saw the electric blue flash of a kingfisher, but more often there were azure damselflies and the rare Norfolk glassmaker, hitching a ride on our rafts
We woke to sunny skies and after breakfast we picked up our pre-ordered packed lunches before heading down to the flower-lined waterfront of the hotel where we inflated the boards, packed and secured our bags and set off.
Mossy whorls of weed mingled with streams of ribbon grass that rustled as we drove over them. Trees formed tunneled canopies and we looked into the vast gardens of waterfront homes as we glided past.
The Broads cover 0.1% of Britain, but they are home to a quarter of our country’s rarest species. The occasional electric blue flash of a kingfisher was seen, but more often azure damselflies and the rare Norfolk hawker dragonfly were seen, hitching a ride on our rafts as we navigated between the lily pads.
We stopped for a bite to eat at Belaugh, where boaters who had just been introduced to their pleasure craft struggled to moor, while we glided in effortlessly and silently. Swans, swan-pigs, moorhens and grebes came to shelter between our planks – we were accepted as fellow water-dwellers.
It was Saturday, but when we left Belaugh we had seen only three boats as we wound through narrow channels of willow and alder, the sloshing sound of our paddles’ dip almost hypnotic. As we drew closer to Wroxham – the “capital of the Broads” – more paddleboards, pedalos and canoes joined in what felt like an unofficial motor-free flotilla. In the riverside park we sat with our feet in the water, eating sandwiches and chatting about our route with those who were curious about our oversized rucksacks.
As we paddled away, the smell of food cooking in the riverside pubs and cafes faded and the waterway widened. At times it felt like we were alone in a riverside wilderness; at other times it felt like we had stumbled onto a highway full of boaters.
We stopped to rest our arms at the Hoveton Great Broad Nature Trail, a walking route on an island in the broad of the same name, accessible only by water. In the half hour we spent wandering around, we spotted caterpillars and frogs, tried to take photos of red admirals and, thanks to the keepers, learned about the practice of biomanipulation. Fish are kept out once they leave the broad naturally, so that daphnia (which eat algae and thus clean the water) can grow again, which in turn allows plants to grow and fish to thrive.
The sun was beginning to set as we paddled into Salhouse Broad and our campsite. It was just a simple field with some compost toilets, but we had spent £28 on a camping pod to avoid having to bring a tent – a smart move as it started raining within minutes of our arrival.
That evening we walked 20 minutes to the Fur and Feather Inn , where “beer travels metres, not miles” from the on-site brewery. We sat outside enjoying the thatched roof and sampled “wherry” amber ale (named after the large wooden sailing boats popular for transporting cargo in the 17th century, now used as luxury day cruisers) before heading inside for bangers and mash.
We awoke at dawn to a chorus of blackbirds, chiffchaffs and Canada geese as we packed our bags and pulled the boards back into the water – on a mission to get breakfast. A low hanging mist blew across the water as we headed north, skirting the edge of Bure Marshes to arrive at Horning and a big cup of coffee at the Staithe’n’Willow.
We wound through narrow channels of willows and alders, the sloshing sound of our paddles plunging almost hypnotic.
There is something magical about being on the water early on a Sunday before the motorboaters start their engines. We took advantage of the perfect conditions to start the seven-mile paddle to the station at Acle.
Soon the trees along the bank thinned out and windmills in various stages of restoration emerged. At almost the right moment the wind picked up, making paddling a workout. We paused at the 11th-century remains of St Benet’s Abbey, outside Ludham, before biting into the confluence with the River Thurne and turning south.
Thanks to the rising wind we landed a little early at Acle Bridge, where the pub of the same name welcomed muddy boots (and boards) and rewarded our efforts with crisps and a pot of tea. We then deflated the boards, rolled them back into their bags and walked briskly to the station.
As the train lulled us into a happily exhausted rest, I checked our receipts. We may not have paddled the full 124 miles, but we had enjoyed what felt like a real adventure—and one that had been remarkably cheap.
The trip was supported by Visit Norwich. The train journey was provided by LNER. Doubles at the Norfolk Mead Hotel costs from £145 B&B. Salhouse Broad offers camping from £15 (for up to four people) and a camping pod for £28 per night. More information at visitthebroads.co.uk. Paddleboarders on the Broads need a permit. When hiring a board, the permit is included in the package