By Daniel Graham

Published: Saturday, 21 January 2023 at 12:00 am

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A unique patchwork of rivers and lakes, the Broads is not – as was once thought – a natural landscape, but a result of intensive peat digging in the Middle Ages to provide fuel. The empty pits flooded, forming lakes known locally as broads.

When combined with the area’s natural rivers, they make up a network of more than 125 miles of navigable waterways, nowadays mainly used for recreation. Renowned for its biodiversity, the Norfolk Broads are home to more than a quarter of Britain’s rare species, from birds and butterflies to mammals and fish.

But you don’t need a boat to discover Norfolk’s wildlife-rich waterways and wild beaches. Our guide explores some of the best walks in the Broads, each with its own walking map and directions.

Learn more about Britain’s National Parks

What is a national park, how many national parks are there in the UK, and where is the nearest one to you? Our guide to the UK’s 15 spectacular national parks looks at the history of each, how to visit them, the best walking routes, and local wildlife to spot.

• National Parks of the UK: history, wildlife and best walking routes

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Broads walks

Horsey

5.4 miles | 3 hours | easy–moderate

Horsey’s pale sands and huge skies are evocative at any time of year. This 5.4-mile loop walk around the village of Horsey in the north-east of the Norfolk Broads National Park, runs alongside the North Sea and then inland through wildlife-rich marshland, before returning to the village pub.

The route

• 8.7km/5.4 miles
• 3 hours
• Easy/moderate

Route and map

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Halvergate and Berney Marshes

7.5 miles | 4 hours | moderate

This route takes you through rustling reed-bordered marsh tracks and along the flood banks of Breydon Water where wigeon, shelducks and Bewick’s swans winter.

Explore this a watery world of marsh and river that sparkles beneath wide-open skies with a 7.5-mile circular walk through Halvergate and Berney Marshes.

The route

• 12km/7.5 miles
• 4 hours
• Moderate

Route and map

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St Benet’s Abbey

6.5 miles | 3.5 hours | moderate

Once the home of wealthy monks, a famous knight and an industrious farmer, the lonesome relic of St Benet’s Abbey now stands empty, save for the occasional crow, owl and wren.

Once you’ve had your fill of silence, enjoy a 6.5-mile circular trail through the Broads.

St Benet’s Abbey walking route and map

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Acle Bridge

2.8 miles | 1.5 hours | easy

This easy 2.8-mile walk winds through classic Broads countryside, returning along the Bude River to Acle Bridge.

Alce Bridge walking route and map

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Hickling Broad, Norfolk

Explore the reedbeds and watery banks of Hickling Broad with a five-mile loop walk around Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Hickling Nature Reserve.

Hickling Broad walking route and map

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