National Parks Week a resounding success
People were out in their thousands on the Broads last week to celebrate National Parks Week in glorious sunshine.
How Hill was teeming with visitors for the first event, a Picnic in the Park on Sunday July 27th. An estimated 700 people arrived by car, and many others by boat, to enjoy activities with a green theme including measuring your carbon footprint, pond dipping, rush candle making, food from the wild, face-painting, and a Nutmeg puppet show. Nearly 600 people visited Toad Hole Cottage, the Victorian marshman’s cottage, and a steady flow of people enjoyed boat trips, the walking trail (including a guided walk), tours of the wherry Hathor and guided walks to the three wind pumps.
Whitlingham Country Park ‘s visitor centre was visited by nearly 7000 people –including Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Landscape and Rural Affairs who had a go in a canoe, and the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah. This was an increase of 1500 on the previous week.
A group of nine to 12 year olds joined a five day woodland survival course from Monday to Friday and two boys enjoyed it so much that they have re-booked for the next survival course later this month.
A week of wonderful weather induced sun-lovers to bask on the beach on the Little Broad while the Great Broad was extremely busy with all sorts of water activities. Some visitors arrived by boat, mooring at the free Yareside 24hour moorings.
Guided walks were well attended by both residents and holidaymakers with 31 joining the walk round Ranworth and South Walsham Broad where they heard a Grasshopper Warbler. A twilight bat hunting trip aboard the solar boat ‘Ra’ on Barton Broad was fully booked weeks in advance and paid off with sightings of Pipestrelle, Daubentons and Serotines species. People in wheelchairs took part in both this trip and a guided walk round the Barton Boardwalk at Heron’s Carr.
The final event of the week, Hoveton Riverside Park Open Day, on Sunday, which was not so lucky with the weather, attracted a steady stream of 340 people who went canoeing on the upper Bure and enjoyed 40 minute boat trips on a reed lighter. Children’s activities included pond dipping, mini beast hunts and the popular Nutmeg Puppet show.
On the same day the Bishop of Papua, New Guinea, sailed on the wherry Hathor to take the annual commemorative service at ancient St Benet’s Abbey.
Chief Executive of the Broads Authority, John Packman, said: “We’ve had a week of wonderful weather to show the Broads off at its best and make National Parks Week, which celebrates our most beautiful landscapes, a resounding success.”
A six week Wherry Heritage Tour of the Broads began on Saturday at Ranworth with the wherry Hathor giving public trips to the southern rivers as far as Geldeston and back. The tour, which includes free viewings of the wherry and guided walks continues until September 11th. To book contact the Broads Authority on 01603 610734.
The Broads Authority’s Fun in the Broads events can be found in its free visitor magazine, Broadcaster, available from information centres and other outlets or at www.broads-authority.gov.uk.
