New boardwalk opens up Filby Broad to public
Official opening: Wednesday March 23rd 3pm, Filby Bridge Restaurant.
A £56,600 boardwalk offering fishing facilities and panoramic views over the open water of Filby Broad, near Great Yarmouth, is to be opened on Wednesday March 23rd.
The solid 40 metre walkway is the first and only public access to the broad and features four fishing platforms suitable for wheelchair users. The platforms are fitted with sloping shelving designed for resting rods or for use by artists. They are also ideal as a base for pond dipping.
The boardwalk was built at the request of Filby Parish Council who approached the Broads Authority for a public right of access to the broad, which is owned by Essex and Suffolk Water Co and used as a reservoir.
Post master David Thompson, 75, who has been council chairman for 25 years, and was born in the village, said he was “absolutely thrilled” with the quality of the boardwalk.
“I think it’s going to be a tremendous asset, not only to the local people but to the tourists who visit the village,” he said. “Until now, lads have had to stand on the edge of the road to fish, which wasn’t a problem when I was a boy but in the last ten years it has become dangerous. Now anglers can sit in comfort out of the way and it will be a super place for photographers and artists to work. The quality of the construction is something be really proud of. It is the work of a true craftsman.”
The boardwalk has been built over the last three months by Waterway Conservation and Maintenance of Ludham. It is just 100 metres from the Filby Bridge car park and a pavement and a special non-slip safety crossing connect it to the walkway. A new reedbed is to be planted to screen the boardwalk from the road and provide a habitat for wildlife.
The walkway was funded by the Trinity Broads Project, a partnership between the Broads Authority, Essex and Suffolk Water, English Nature and the Environment Agency. Money was also given by the Broads Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund, Broads and LEADER+, and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The broad, which is a SSSI and candidate SAC (Special Area of Conservation) is protected for its reed fringes and wildlife and is a popular spot for birdwatchers.
17/03/2005
