   #copyright

The Broads

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Great
Britain

   The Broads are a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes (known
   locally as broads) in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. The
   Broads and some surrounding land was constituted as a special area with
   a level of protection similar to a national park by The Norfolk and
   Suffolk Broads Act of 1988. The Broads Authority, a Special Statutory
   Authority responsible for managing the area, became operational in
   1989.

   The total area, the majority of which is in Norfolk, is 303 km², with
   over 200 km of navigable waterways. There are 7 rivers and about 50
   broads, mostly less than 12 feet deep. Out of 50 or so broads, only 13
   are generally open to navigation, with a further three having navigable
   channels. Some broads have navigation restrictions imposed on them in
   autumn and winter.

   The Broads give their name to the Broadland district council area

   Although the terms "Norfolk Broads" and "Suffolk Broads" are used to
   identify those areas within the two counties respectively, the whole
   area is sometimes referred to as the "Norfolk broads". The Broads
   Authority is promoting a Private Bill to be put before parliament in
   2006 to create the "Broads National Park". Since the "Standford
   principle" governing National parks puts a priority on conservation
   would be in conflict with the navigation aspects of the Broads, the
   Minister responsible has opposed the national park aspect and this is
   likely to be dropped.
   Yachts on the Norfolk Broads
   Enlarge
   Yachts on the Norfolk Broads
   How Hill
   Enlarge
   How Hill

Management

   The Broads are managed by the Broads Authority. Special legislation
   gives the navigation of the waterways equal status with the
   conservation and public enjoyment of the area.

   Specific parts of 'the Broads' have been awarded a variety of
   conservation designations, for instance:
     * Special Protection Area (SPA) status for an area named 'Broadland'
       composed of 28 SSSIs Site of Special Scientific Interest
     * Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) status for parts of the
       Halvergate Marshes
     * National Nature Reserve (NNR) status for:
          + Bure Marshes NNR
          + Benacre NNR
          + Ant Broads & Marshes NNR
          + Hickling Broad NNR
          + Ludham - Potter Heigham NNR
          + Redgrave and Lopham Fen NNR
          + Martham Broad NNR
          + Calthorpe Broad NNR
          + Mid-Yare NNR

   A specific project being considered under the UK Biodiversity Action
   Plan is re-introduction of the Large Copper butterfly, whose habitat
   has been reduced by reduction of fens.

History

   Muttons mill, one of the many historic drainage windpumps on the
   Norfolk Broads
   Enlarge
   Muttons mill, one of the many historic drainage windpumps on the
   Norfolk Broads

   For many years the broads were regarded as natural features of the
   landscape. It was only in the 1960s that Dr Joyce Lambert proved that
   they were artificial features, the effect of flooding on early peat
   excavations. The Romans first exploited the rich peat beds of the area
   for fuel, and in the Middle Ages the local monasteries began to
   excavate the "turbaries" (peat diggings) as a business, selling fuel to
   Norwich and Great Yarmouth.The Cathedral took 320,000 tonnes of peat a
   year. Then the sea levels began to rise, and the pits began to flood.
   Despite the construction of windpumps and dykes, the flooding continued
   and resulted in the typical Broads landscape of today, with its reed
   beds, grazing marshes and wet woodland.

   The Broads have been a favourite boating holiday destination since the
   early 20th century. The waterways are lock-free, although there are
   three bridges under which only small cruisers can pass. The area
   attracts all kinds of visitors, including ramblers, artists, anglers,
   and bird-watchers as well as people "messing about in boats". The
   Norfolk wherry, the traditional cargo craft of the area, can still be
   seen on the Broads as some specimens have been preserved and restored.

   Ted Ellis, a local naturalist, referred to the Broads as "the breathing
   space for the cure of souls"

   A great variety of boats can be found on the Broads, from Edwardian
   trading wherries to state-of-the-art electric or solar-powered boats.

Geography

   The Broads largely follows the line of the rivers and natural
   navigations of the area. There are seven navigable rivers, the River
   Yare and its (direct and indirect) tributaries the Rivers Bure, Thurne,
   Ant, Waveney, Chet and Wensum. There are no locks on any of the rivers
   (except for Mutford lock in Oulton Broad that links to the saltwater
   Lake Lothing in Lowestoft), all the waterways are subject to tidal
   influence. The tidal range decreases with distance from the sea, with
   highly tidal areas such as Breydon Water contrasted with effectively
   non-tidal reaches such as the River Ant upstream of Barton Broad.

   The broads themselves range in size from small pools to the large
   expanses of Hickling Broad, Barton Broad and Breydon Water. The broads
   are unevenly distributed, with far more broads in the northern half of
   Broadland (the Rivers Bure, Thurne and Ant) than in the central and
   southern portions (the Rivers Yare, Waveney, Chet and Wensum).
   Individual broads may lie directly on the river, or are more often
   situated to one side and connected to the river by an artificial
   channel or dyke.

   Besides the natural watercourses of the rivers, and the ancient but
   artificial broads, there is one more recent navigation canal, the
   lock-less New Cut which connects the Rivers Yare and Waveney whilst
   permitting boats to by-pass Breydon Water.

   There is also a second navigable link to the sea, via the River Waveney
   and its link to Oulton Broad. Oulton Broad is part of the Broads tidal
   system, but is immediately adjacent to Lake Lothing which is itself
   directly connected to the sea via the harbour at Lowestoft. Oulton
   Broad and Lake Lothing are connected by Mutford Lock, the only lock on
   the broads and necessary because of the different tidal ranges and
   cycles in the two lakes.

   In the lists below, names of broads are emboldened to help distinguish
   them from towns and villages.

River Bure

   St. Benet's Abbey
   Enlarge
   St. Benet's Abbey

   The River Bure is a tributary of the River Yare which rises near
   Aylsham in Norfolk and joins the Yare just downstream of Breydon Water.
   On its way it flows through or passes:
     * Coltishall
     * Belaugh
     * Belaugh Broad
     * Bridge Broad
     * Wroxham
     * Hoveton
     * Wroxham Broad
     * Hoveton Great Broad
     * Salhouse Broad
     * Bure Marshes NNR ( National Nature Reserve)
     * Salhouse
     * Woodbastwick
     * Decoy Broad
     * Round End
     * Hoveton Little Broad (sometimes called 'Blackhorse Broad')
     * Burnt Fen Broad
     * Horning
     * Cockshoot Broad
     * Ranworth Broad
     * Malthouse Broad
     * Ranworth
     * South Walsham
     * St. Benet's Abbey
     * Upton, Norfolk, England
     * Upton Broad
     * Upton Broads and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest
     * Upton Fen
     * Acle
     * Oby
     * Stokesby
     * Mautby Decoy
     * Great Yarmouth

River Thurne

   Horsey windpump
   Enlarge
   Horsey windpump

   The River Thurne is a tributary of the River Bure. It rises near
   Martham Broad and flows for about 6 miles to Thurne Mouth where it
   joins the Bure. It is wide open and wind-swept, and on its way it flows
   through or passes:
     * Upper Thurne Broads and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest
     * Hickling Broad
     * Hickling
     * Horsey
     * Horsey Mere
     * Martham Broad (NNR) ( National Nature Reserve)
     * Martham
     * West Somerton
     * Thurne
     * Potter Heigham
     * Ludham
     * Ludham - Potter Heigham NNR ( National Nature Reserve)
     * Womack Water

River Ant

   Barton Broad
   Enlarge
   Barton Broad

   The River Ant is a tributary of the River Bure. It rises at Dilham and
   joins the Bure at St. Benet's Abbey. It is winding and narrow, and on
   its way it flows through or passes:
     * Honing
     * North Walsham & Dilham Canal
     * Dilham
     * Dilham Broad
     * Wayford Bridge
     * Barton Broad
     * Stalham
     * Sutton
     * Sutton Broad
     * Ant Broads & Marshes NNR ( National Nature Reserve)
     * Turkey Broad
     * Alderfen Broad
     * Catfield Broad
     * Crome's Broad
     * Neatishead
     * Barton Turf
     * Irstead
     * How Hill
     * Ludham Bridge
     * Broad Fen
     * Calthorpe Broad (NNR) ( National Nature Reserve)
     * Ingham, Norfolk

River Yare

   Berney Arms Mill
   Enlarge
   Berney Arms Mill

   The River Yare rises south of Dereham and flows through the southern
   fringes of the city of Norwich, passes through Breydon Water and flows
   into the sea between Great Yarmouth and Gorleston. On its way it passes
   through:
     * RSPB Breydon Water
     * Halvergate Marshes, also RSPB reserve
     * Halvergate
     * Berney Arms
     * RSPB Berney Marshes
     * Reedham
     * Cantley
     * Carleton Broad
     * Rockland Broad
     * Wheatfen Broad
     * Strumpshaw Fen
     * RSPB Strumpshaw Fen ( Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
       reserve)
     * Mid-Yare NNR ( National Nature Reserve)
     * Surlingham
     * Surlingham Broad
     * Brundall Broad
     * Haddiscoe
     * Haddiscoe Cut also known as New Cut
     * Brundall
     * Langley
     * Postwick
     * Thorpe St. Andrew
     * Barnby Broad

River Chet

   The River Chet is a tributary of the River Yare. It flows through, or
   passes by:
     * Loddon
     * Chedgrave
     * Hardley Flood

River Waveney

   Oulton Broad
   Enlarge
   Oulton Broad

   The River Waveney is a tributary of the River Yare, joining that river
   just upstream of Breydon Water. It flows through, or passes by:
     * Burgh Castle
     * Beccles
     * St. Olaves
     * Herringfleet
     * Somerleyton
     * Fritton
     * Fritton Decoy
     * Gillingham
     * Geldeston
     * Burgh St. Peter
     * Bungay
     * Ditchingham
     * Lowestoft
     * Oulton Broad
     * Kessingland
     * Benacre Broad NNR ( National Nature Reserve)
     * Covehithe Broad NNR
     * Easton Broad NNR

River Wensum

   The River Wensum is a tributary of the River Yare. It rises in the
   Breckland area of south-west Norfolk and flows through the centre of
   the city of Norwich before joining the Yare just to the east of that
   city. The navigable section of the river is entirely urban and runs
   from the centre of Norwich, past Norwich Cathedral to the confluence
   with the River Yare.

Trinity Broads

   The Trinity Broads are an exception to the general rule, in that whilst
   they are connected to each other they have no navigable connection to
   the rest of the broads. The broads are:
     * Rollesby Broad
     * Ormesby Broad
     * Filby Broad
     * Lily Broad
     * Ormesby Little Broad

Ecology

   The Broads are Britain's largest protected wetland and are home to a
   wealth of wildlife, especially birdlife. Amongst the waterfowl:
   Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Great Crested Grebe, Greylag Goose, Canada
   Goose, Egyptian Goose. Larger birds include Grey Heron, Cormorant,
   Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Bittern.

   The scarce Cetti's Warbler breeds in the Broads, and Britain's only
   breeding Common Cranes are found in the area. Among the rare insects is
   the Norfolk hawker, a dragonfly. Some of the broads are surrounded by
   fens, i.e. reed and sedge beds. Norfolk reed from the broads has been a
   traditional material for thatching houses.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Broads"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
