Norfolk & Suffolk Broads
The Peninsula Cottages are delightful riverside holiday cottages set in Wroxham at the heart of Broadland. Set on the River Bure, Wroxham is often referred to as the capital of the Norfolk Broads.
The Broads are connected by a network of rivers, cuts and dykes, so you can enjoy waterside village life, or travel mile after mile on slow flowing waters exploring the Broads themselves.
The Broads cover an area of 187 square km (72 square miles). It is man-made from shallow peat diggings which are now flooded. They date from between the 9th and 13th century. During that time, peat was the main fuel for heating and cooking, particularly as most of east Norfolk had been deforested. As more and more peat was dug, the pits filled with water, eventually making them unworkable.
The Norfolk Broads have been fashioned by the lifestyles and livelihoods of local people who have used products from the wetlands for centuries. Fish and wildfowl were principal food sources . Reed and sedges provided roofing materials. Wind pumps drained the grazing marshes and the waterways were the principal routes of transportation, and many villages developed around them with special quaysides called staithes. From the mid 19th century, there was a shift from commercial transport to pleasure boating and recreation.
The advent of the railways opened up the area to outsiders and the Broads became a popular holiday destination with upper middle class Victorian families.
The Norfolk Broads is the largest protected wetland area in the UK A special Act of Parliament (The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act) came into place in 1988. It recognized that the area should be afforded similar legal protection to a National Park yet allow for tailor made legislation to deal with navigation and other interests related to local livelihoods and sustainable use. The area is managed by a statutory body, the Broads Authority, who came into being in 1989. The Authority is empowered to manage the Broads for the purposes of: Conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the Broads including habitat conservation and restoration, and monitoring the effects of tourism/boating impact upon water quality and wildlife. Promoting the enjoyment of the Broads by the public. Promoting the interests of navigation.
Today, the Broads are one of the most popular inland waterways in Europe. There is 198 km (124 miles) of navigable waterways with many boatyards offering cruising and sailing holidays. Popular activities include walking, fishing, bird watching and cycling.
The ancient cathedral city of Norwich with its perfect blend of historic and modern architecture, is a must for the visitor to explore and to shop. The fascinating seaside resorts of Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Cromer and Kings Lynn are all easily accessible to the visitor, as are an abundance of interesting smaller market towns and villages. Wroxham, the 'capital' of the Broads, boasts "Roy's" the largest village-store in the world!