Whitlingham Visitor Centre officially opened
Whitlingham Visitor Centre was officially opened in a converted Norfolk flint barn in Whitlingham Country Park on Tuesday 23 May.
The stunning barn, which features spectacular views over Whitlingham Great Broad, houses a new Broads Authority information centre, a café and an environmental classroom. It acts as a base for a wide range of educational activities and for the Broads Authority’s Fun in the Broads events programme.
Members of Whitlingham Charitable Trust, which manages the park at Trowse, and the Broads Authority took the opportunity to thank the many partners who have made the centre a reality.
David Adler, Chairman of Whitlingham Charitable Trust, said: “The visitor centre will be a huge asset to the country park. It will provide a starting point and centre for relaxation for what has become a recreation corridor in Trowse as well as being a beautiful building to be enjoyed architecturally. The trust is very grateful to all the partners who have made the visitor centre possible.”
NEWS (Norfolk Environmental Waste Services) has supported the Whitlingham project, through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, since 1998 and has donated in excess of £400,000 to the country park. More recently donations have gone to aid the renovation of the flint barn and NEWS continues to support the Country Park Warden post.
David Beadle, Managing Director of NEWS said “we have been very keen to support this project as it provides an excellent outdoor facility on Norwich’s doorstep, with the potential to provide a wide range of leisure and sporting opportunities for local people. The project is now maturing and it is clear that it is becoming very well used, particularly as an opportunity for people to get closer to wildlife without travelling very far from the city.”
The 280 acre country park, which is just two miles from Norwich city centre, boasts two broads, a beach, woodlands, meadows and an Outdoor Education Centre offering sailing, canoeing and windsurfing.
Factfile
The visitor centre is open 9.00am - 6.00pm seven days a week.
The information desk is staffed 10.00am - 2.00pm and 2.30pm - 4.00pm (5.00pm in July and August). Tel 01603 617332
Parking at the Little Broad and outside the visitor centre: £1.20 for 2 hours, £3.50 all day, £20 for the season.
18/05/2006
