About the Broads

The Broads - Britain's Magical Waterland -
lies in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in the east of England. At 303 sq km it is Britain's largest nationally protected wetland and a member of the international family of national parks.

Six rivers link the shallow lakes of the Broads and make up a total of 200km of navigable and lock-free waterways. They are the Ant, Thurne, Bure, Yare, Chet and Waveney.

The rich variety of habitats from shallow lakes and marshes to fen and carr woodland provide perfect homes for a wealth of rare plant and animal life. The Broads is renowned for its many species of birds and the fens alone have 250 plant species.

The rolling countryside around the Broads is dotted with restored windmills, medieval churches and pretty villages.

The area is perfect for walking, cycling, canoeing, bird watching and fishing and we urge you to Get Outdoors and Discover the Broads.

There are more than 60 broads which range from small, isolated lakes to large expanses of water. Formed in medieval times when peat was dug to use as fuel, they became flooded as water levels rose over the centuries and are now one of Europe's finest and most important wetlands for nature conservation. As well as its status within the national parks family it has major international designations, such as Ramsar Convention sites and Special Areas of Conservation. It also has 28 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and 9 National Nature Reserves, plus a growing number of Local Nature Reserves.