In Norfolk and Suffolk’s Broads national park, there are 124 miles of unlocked, navigable waterways ripe for boat exploration – Britain’s largest protected wetland. Unfortunately, what kept popping up on my computer screen when I was looking for a suitable boat to spend a long weekend on was a much larger four-figure figure in pounds sterling.
Luckily, I had a plan B – or rather, a SUP plan.
Standup paddleboarding used to be seen as little more than a fun way to spend an hour or two on holiday. But during the pandemic and lockdowns, sales of inflatable boards have skyrocketed. Since then, companies like Devon-based manufacturer Red Equipment, iRocker and Aztron have introduced a range of compact boards that fold in half once deflated, making them more portable and easier to take on longer adventures.
Since I got mine, a multi-day trip has been calling my name. So after leaving work early on Friday, my partner and I hopped on a train to Norwich, carrying our boards and a minimum of clothing for the weekend. 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 rent one from GoPaddle in Horning for £40 a day; discounts are available for longer periods.
For our first night before our camping adventure, we opted for affordable luxury at the Norfolk Mead Hotel. This Georgian country house on the banks of the River Bure is also home to an award-winning restaurant, where we dined on Norfolk-caught sea bass, local cheeses and the regional speciality, crispy rolls (barn-style, made from malted wheat grains).
We saw the electric blue flash of a heron, but more common were azure damselflies and the rare Norfolk hawk dragonfly that boarded our raft
We woke up to sunny skies and after breakfast we picked up our pre-ordered packed lunches and headed to the hotel’s flower-lined waterfront where we inflated the boards, packed and secured our bags and were off.
Moss-like stonewort rustled as we passed over it, mixed with ribbon grasses, trees formed a tunnel-like canopy, and as we passed by we glimpsed the vast gardens of the houses by the water.
The Broads cover 0.1% of Britain, but are home to a quarter of our country’s rarest species. We occasionally saw the electric blue flash of a heron, but more common were azure damselflies and the rare Norfolk hawk dragonfly, which latched onto our raft as we glided among the water lilies.
We stopped for a snack at Belaugh, and while the owners, newly acclimated to their boats, struggled to anchor, we slipped in effortlessly and noiselessly. Swans, cygnets, water hens and loons came to take shelter among our boards – we too were accepted as water dwellers.
It was Saturday, but as we left Belaugh we only saw three boats as we passed through the narrow willow and alder channels, the splashing sound of our oars diving almost hypnotic. As we approached Wroxham, the ‘capital of the Broads’, more paddle boards, pedal boats and canoes joined what seemed like an unofficial non-motorised flotilla. We sat in the riverside park, dipping our feet in the water, eating sandwiches and chatting about our route to those curious about our large packs.
As we paddled along, the smells of cooking in the town’s riverside bars and cafes faded and the waterway widened. At times it felt as if we were alone in a riverside wilderness; at other times it seemed as if we had come across a highway of boaters.
We stopped to rest our arms at the Hoveton Great Broad nature trail – a walking trail on an island in the broad of the same name, accessible only by water. During our half-hour walk there we saw caterpillars and frogs, tried to photograph red admiral butterflies and, thanks to the kindness of the keepers, learned about the practice of bio-manipulation. The fish are kept out after they have naturally left the broad so that the water fleas (which eat algae and thus clean the water) can return in numbers, which helps the plants grow and means more fish.
The sun was starting to set as we paddled towards Salhouse Broad and our campsite. It was a basic site with just a few composting toilets, but we had spent £28 on a camping cabin to avoid carrying a tent – a smart move, as it started to rain within minutes of our arrival.
That night, we walked 20 minutes to the Fur and Feather Inn, where “beer travels not miles but yards.” We sat outside to admire the wicker roof, tried a “wherry” amber ale (inspired by the large wooden sailing barges that were popular for transporting cargo in the 1600s and are now used as luxury day cruisers), and then went inside for sausages and mash.
We woke up in the early hours of the morning to a chorus of blackbirds, wrens and Canada geese as we packed our bags and pulled the boards back into the water – on breakfast duty. A low mist was hanging over the water as we headed north, past the edge of the Bure Marshes and into Horning and a large café at Staithe’n’Willow.
The splashing sound of our oars dipping into the water as we passed through the narrow channels of willows and alder trees was almost hypnotic.
There is something magical about being on the water before the motorboaters start their engines on Sunday and we took advantage of the perfect conditions to begin the seven-mile paddle to the station in Acle.
Soon the trees on the shore thinned out and windmills in various stages of restoration became visible. Almost exactly at the right moment, the wind picked up, turning rowing into an exercise. We stopped at the 11th-century ruins of St Benet’s Abbey outside Ludham before heading south to join the confluence of the River Thurne.
Thanks to a rising wind, we disembarked a little early at Acle Bridge, where the namesake pub welcomed the muddy boots (and boards) and rewarded our efforts with crisps and a pot of tea. Then we unpacked the boards, packed them back into the bags and hurried back to the station.
As the train dragged us into a blissful lull of exhaustion, I checked our receipts. We may not have rowed the full 124 miles, but we had enjoyed what felt like a real adventure—and it was pretty cheap, too.
The trip was supported by Visit Norwich. Train travel was provided by LNER. Couples at Norfolk Mead hotel rates start from £145 B&B. Salhouse Broad offers camping from £15 (for up to four people) and cabins from £28 per night. For more information visit visitthebroads.co.uk. Stand-up paddleboarders on the Broads need a licence. When renting a board, a licence is part of the package