Broadland Local Group

From The Chair

As a relative newcomer to Norfolk – I have farmed here for 54 years since replanting my roots from Derbyshire – it is a great honour to have chaired the Broadland Group for the best part of several years. We are fortunate to live in an area of outstanding natural beauty, encompassing a varied coastline, the unique habitat of the Broads and those famous Norfolk skies filled with migrating and resident birdlife. We are a very active regional group and normally greet up to 75 people at our meetings and varied programme of events. Whether you are a knowledgeable wildlife enthusiast or just want to join us for a family boat trip on the river, you will always feel welcome and find someone to help you enjoy our superb surroundings to the full.
Murray Ferguson

Our Local Area

Broadland is a unique expanse of East Anglia extending from east Norfolk down into Suffolk. It consists of numerous navigable waterways and sections of open water forming Britain's largest protected wetland. The broads are essentially manmade and were formed when Medieval peat diggings later became flooded. In the past trading wherries used the waterways for transporting heavy loads, but today the remaining wherries are pleasure craft and the broads are used mainly for leisure and tourism.

Our local NWT group concentrates on the northern section of broadland, taking in the major nature reserves of the rivers Bure, Ant and Thurne. The two largest broads, Hickling and Barton, are both NWT reserves, as are the smaller broads at Upton, Ranworth, Alderfen, Cockshoot and Martham.

Around each of these stretches of open water there are fens, marshes, reedbeds and carr woodlands making up a diverse network of wetland habitats. The region abounds with Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and National Nature Reserves (NNRs) and the whole of broadland is designated a Special Protection Area (SPA).

The Broads are home to many rare and beautiful creatures including Swallowtail butterflies, Norfolk Hawker dragonflies, Bitterns, Otters and Water Voles. The winter raptor roost at Stubb Mill, NWT Hickling Broad can contain up to 100 Marsh Harriers and over 30 Common Cranes frequent the same marshes. NWT Upton Broad and Marshes is one of the best sites in the whole county for dragonflies and has recently been extended to almost three times its original size. NWT Ranworth Broad and NWT Barton Broad both have colonies of Common Terns that nest on specially built floating platforms and at Barton there is also a successful heronry in the carr woodland.

About the Group

NWT Broadland Group holds indoor meetings from October through to April on the second Friday of each month. These meetings usually take the form of an illustrated talk by a guest speaker, although occasionally we persuade one of our own members to talk about their travels or ask one of the NWT broadland wardens to update us on their work. We hold our AGM in December and usually invite someone from NWT HQ in Norwich to talk to us on that occasion.

Our winter indoor meetings are held at Ingham Village Hall from 7.45pm onwards and the talks are followed by coffee and biscuits, giving members in this small and friendly group a chance to chat to each other. A small charge is made for these indoor meetings, but the cost includes refreshments and a monthly raffle raises further funds for the NWT to use on local reserves.

Every summer we hold an open garden and plant sale, as well as a wine and cheese evening to raise funds for Norfolk Wildlife Trust. We also arrange an annual moth evening and a number of guided walks for birds, butterflies, dragonflies and other wildlife, each of which are led by local experts and open to all.

The group produces its own local newsletter, The Broadland Browser, distributed twice a year in April and October to those attending our indoor meetings. The Broadland Browser lists our forthcoming events, has reports on previous outings and talks, publicises local conservation issues and gives highlights of unusual bird sightings in the local area over the previous six months.

Conservation Work Party

NWT Broadland Group runs its very own team of conservation volunteers who meet monthly on a Sunday from November to March. They work on NWT reserves and occasionally County Wildlife Sites to open up and restore areas of fen, reedbed and open water, by clearing scrub and having bonfires. A very welcome source of warmth in the darker months!

During the 2007/2008 winter period, there were conservation work days at NWT Ranworth Marshes, NWT Upton Broad, Catfield Fen and Swanton Abbott Low Common. Tools and training are provided on site and new volunteers are always welcome. If you think you might be interested in getting some fresh air and exercise, whilst at the same time helping Norfolk’s wildlife, please contact the group for further details.

Join Us!

Details of our summer events are outlined above, but to give you a taste of our indoor programme, these are some of the talks we enjoyed last winter; ‘Protecting Coastal Birds’ by RSPB warden Mark Smart, ‘A voyage in Antarctica’ by Kevin Elsby, ‘A Beginner in Kenya’ by group Chairman Murray Ferguson and returning a little closer to home, ‘Sutton Fen’ by its warden Tom Bridge. If this has whetted your appetite, come and join us at one of our forthcoming events.

Contact Us


Chair: Murray Ferguson 01692 650388
Secretary: Margaret Henderson 01692 581858
Conservation work party: Andy Beaumont 01692 581380