Barton Broad
Barton Broad
The river Ant runs from the Bure in the south up to Wayford Bridge to the north, a meandering roughly four-mile stretch that is one of the of region’s most picturesque, taking in the wide expanse of Barton Broad, the second largest of the Broads and recently dredged of the heavy silt and algae that was clogging it up as both a waterway and wildlife zone. Now fully restored to health and looked after by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, it’s a beautiful spot: by boat you can follow the channel of Lime Kiln Dyke all the way down to the village of Neatishead, where you can stop for a pint in the village's cosy local, the White Horse. On foot, about half a mile east of the village, beyond Gay’s Staithe, you can access the Barton Boardwalk, where you can get up close to the edge of the broad by way of walkways and a couple of viewing platforms. You can also do a nice walk south from here down to much smaller Alderfen Broad, another Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve that is a lovely and very peaceful spot. A path winds from a small jetty through the trees around its western edge, after which you can pick up the road that heads back north towards Neatishead – maybe an hour’s walk in all.
