Monday 21 May
Tuesday 22 May
Wednesday 23 May
Thursday 24 May
Friday 25 May
Saturday 26 May
Sunday 27 May
Berney Arms to Thurne Mouth
Thurne Mouth to Ranworth
Ranworth to St Bennet's Abbey
St Bennet's Abbey Ruins to Ranworth
Ranworth to Ludham Bridge
Ludham Bridge to Sutton
Sutton to Neatishead Staithe
returns to top of this page
* FBS&KP = Fray Bentos Steak and Kidney Pudding - tin(s) thereof - see text
At the junction of the two rivers Maureen ventured forward to lower the mast while I folded up the chairs and lowered the ensign staff. We then turned up the Bure and towards the low bridges for which we needed a low water in order to pass under. Clearance between the top of the windscreen and the bridge ironmongery was no more that 4 or 5 inches and we decided that on the return trip we would go for absolute low water rather than slack water (a difference of one hour) to get a bit more clearance.
On the way up the Bure we stopped at the Stracey Arms wind pump and shop where we spotted our first FBS&KP*. We purchased a jar of Royal Norfolk Regiment Campaign Chutney which looked irresistible.
We then headed on to one of our favourite spots - Thurne Mouth Staithe - where we were not disappointed to be able to watch a barn owl making its rounds of the various fields, following its progress for a good ten minutes before it disappeared out of range. There was one here last time we visited which we saw on each occasion we moored here - is it the same one we wondered?
Thurne Mouth staithe
Thurne village staithe
First thing, we walked from the Staithe into the village of Thurne where there is a pub (The Lion) which had what looked like a good menu at reasonable prices. But the nearby Thurne Staithe (a different one from the one we stayed at) holds a good twenty or so hire boats so we imagined it could get a bit "busy/rowdy" in the evening. The local shop yielded up some milk. No FBS&KPs* but a shelf full of baked beans was the main attraction!
We then pottered gently to Horning, and moored on the island staithe on the opposite side of the river to the village and its own staithe which was full. To get across to the village we took our dinghy, and moored it in a special little inlet for dinghies and day boats, out of harms way from hire boats! There is a good deli in Horning and we purchased some very fine Mediterranean vegetable tarts and other delights for our planned trip tomorrow up Hickling Broad in the dinghy. We also saw some real vegetables at another shop. I have the pictures to prove it!
After an ice cream we returned to the mother ship for lunch and then headed for Malthouse Broad and the village of Ranworth. The staithe here is "stern to" mooring only and so the boats are all squeezed together like cars in a car park with no privacy at all. We much preferred the idea of anchoring in the Broad far enough away from the hubbub of the staithe, but close enough to observe the goings on through the bino's!
Today has been a lovely mild day and perfect for messing about in boats.
Horning
A very peaceful night just gently rocking with no creaking of ropes! After pulling the anchor out of the mud and cleaning it off, we set out for Potter Heigham and moored up opposite Maycraft Boatyard, about a quarter of a mile from the infamous low bridge.
Hire boat crews are not allowed to take their boats under the bridge themselves but must use the services of a bridge pilot stationed there for the purpose. We set off in the dinghy and headed for the bridge. It was not yet low water so there was very little boat traffic. We headed up the Thurne to Martham where we turned left along Duck Broad, Heigham Sound, and across Hickling Broad to the village of Hickling. There was hardly anyone here, just a few sailing boats and a couple of local cruisers - no hire boats.
The Pleasure Boat Inn provided a fine pint, and we ate our pic-nic on a park bench overlooking Hickling Broad. After that we headed back, stocking up with food in PH on the way past and ferrying it back to Starry Night in the dinghy. Altogether it was a four hour round trip, which is probably as much as my posterior can stand of sitting cramped up in the dinghy! It was a perfect day for the trip - not too hot but plenty of sunshine.
The night was spent at the new staithe (still being finished off) at St Bennet's Abbey.
Typical Potter Heigham "cottage"
Eel trap hut on the Thurne
In the morning we had a wander round the site of the old abbey which is well and truly ruined. The main structure is in fact the base of a derelict windmill built of brick and built into the old gatehouse. The rest of the place is a few piles of stones and a large oak cross. The abbey was never dissolved by Henry VIII and there is still an annual service performed there by the Bishop of Norwich.
We then went to South Walsham Broad to the boatyard there to take on water. We then headed back to Malthouse Broad and anchored up in time for lunch. In the afternoon we took the dinghy across to the village staithe and posted some letters and postcards, and then took the dinghy to the Broads Wildlife Centre at Ranworth Broad.
The rest of the day was spent lazing in the sunshine; it was warm enough for us to eat outside for the first time this trip. Maureen spent an inordinate amount of time glued to the binos watching a pair of crested grebes and their chicks. The four chicks were ferried about on the back of the mother while the father (we presumed) hunted for fish and fed the chicks. This is the first time we have seen a mother grebe with four chicks on her back at the same time.
St Bennet's Abbey
After that we returned to St Bennet's staithe to have lunch and to prepare for the passage under Ludham bridge. To get safely under this bridge involves folding down everything, windscreen, aerials, the lot. Clearance is only about six inches at low water and I have to duck down to the point that I cannot see where we are going. At least being on top means that I can see if we are going to fit under.
We stopped the other side and restored order to everything upon which it started to rain. So we decided to call a halt to progress up the river Ant and save this lovely river for tomorrow.
Friday is hire-boat changeover day and in the late afternoon and evening there were masses of hire-boats streaming down the Ant from Stalham. All the moorings at Ludham Bridge quickly filled up, mostly by crews for whom this was their first stop since taking the controls!
The hire boats that were passing by were hell bent on getting somewhere else as soon as possible; the later it became the more the desperation, judging by the speed of some of the boats and the wash they created (speed limit here 4mph - some probably doing 6 or 7?).
They were still coming past in the dark!
Typical Broads scene
Hire boat chaos at Ludham Bridge moorings.
Peace and calm in the morning. The hire boats mostly headed South and we have been unmolested all day heading North.
We stopped off at Irstead and had a look at the little church there. A brief shower sent us back to the boat for coffee and a browse of the paper. We then set off again and by lunchtime had arrived at Barton Turf with its pretty boatyard and staithe almost deserted apart from a few privateers.
After lunch we then headed over to Sutton where we spent the rest of the day. It is now 17:00 and the hire boats are homing in.
Barton Turf
We then proceeded to Neatishead staithe where we moored up for the rest of the day. A fine carvery lunch was had in Neatishead at Ye Olde Saddlery - very yum yum! It then started to rain and didn't stop all day. The staithe is just 3 boats wide and it filled up on both sides with two down the middle at our end. Rain all night too.
Neatishead Staithe on a drier day in 2004
Copyright © 2006-2009 Mike Hawkridge