Introduction
The Broads
The Broads is the UK’s largest lowland wetland.
“...a breathing space for the cure of souls” *
The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads is renowned as the UK’s premier wetland, a unique and globally important landscape shaped and nurtured by its inhabitants since at least Roman times. Encompassing an area of 303km2, the Broads sits between the peripheral urban areas of Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, with a short coastal strip at Winterton and an estuary at Breydon Water. The low-lying, mainly open and undeveloped landscape of the Broads comprises an interconnected wetland mosaic of rivers, broads, fens, marshes and woodland rich in rare habitats and species, some of which are unique to the area.
The shallow lakes referred to as ‘broads’ originated as great pits dug for peat to provide fuel during medieval times. In the 14th century these peat diggings flooded and became part of an extensive communication network for transporting fuel, building materials including reed for thatch, and livestock and their products, especially wool. The advent of the railways in the mid-19th century and motor vehicles in the 20th century brought most river-borne commerce to an end, but made the Broads accessible as a popular tourist destination for boating holidays, with 200 km of navigable, lock-free rivers and open water bodies to be explored and enjoyed.
The importance of the Broads is borne out by a range of national and international designations in recognition of its landscape, nature conservation and cultural features. These special features and the ways in which they provide for local communities and economies are described in more detail throughout this Plan. Particularly important is the role of the Broads, as a member of the UK National Parks family and global network of protected landscapes, in demonstrating how wetland resources can be managed sustainably for the benefit of nature and people.
* Quotation by Norfolk naturalist Ted Ellis
Delivering and financing the Plan