About the reserve

Broadland Country Park is funded by Broadland District Council and managed by Norfolk Wildlife Trust. 

A visit offers you a beautiful mosaic of heath, woodland and marshy grassland to explore, and a chance to immerse yourself in nature all year round. With walking and cycling trails, as well as bridleways, you can enjoy this wild place on foot, wheel or hoof! 

The park’s heath comes alive with colour and wildlife in spring and summer. As well as the beautiful silver-studded blue, you might also see butterflies including the holly blue, small copper and meadow brown. During the day you may also be lucky enough to see common lizards, slow worms, grass snakes or adders - four of the UK's six indigenous reptile species. And on a summer evening you could even have a chance to see and hear beautiful and elusive nightjars.  

A wander through the woodlands will bathe you in dappled sunlight and treat you to a variety of birdsong. You could catch sight of the park’s feathered residents, including green woodpeckers and pink-bellied bullfinch. Rarer birds such as cuckoo and woodcock also make a home here.  

Head deeper into the woodland and you’ll reach the secret territories of the park’s owls. Stay later in the day and you might spot them emerging at dusk to swoop through the park on the hunt for dinner. 

Come autumn through winter to revel in the changing of seasons as the purple heather slowly fades, and copper leaves fall to reveal the striking shapes and shadows of the woodland trees. 

Family cycle trails 

Bring your wheels, and a series of family cycle trails offer you and your young ones a fun way to explore the site and its wildlife. 

The Butterfly and Toadstool trails are accessible for disability and adapted bikes in good weather. There are three trails to explore, each roughly 750 metres in length. 

• Butterfly Trail - Choose between straight and wide or float and glide through the narrower trail.
• Toadstool Trail - The simplest and widest trail with long straight sections.
• Squirrel Trail - The most challenging trail with weaving twists and turns, bumps and dips. 

The trails are clearly marked on arrival at the park, and feature two rest areas for families to stop and enjoy a picnic surrounded by the beautiful woodland. 

We ask that visitors ensure everybody’s enjoyment and safety on the trails by being kind and respectful to each other and the woodland. 

New visitor facilities – due summer 2026 

Broadland District Council is in the process of building new visitor facilities at the park, thanks to generous funding provided by the Greater Norwich Growth Board. 

When they are complete, the visitor facilities will offer a cafe and picnic benches, along with toilets, additional parking, a dog washing station and electric vehicle and bike charging points. They are due for completion in summer 2026 and will be handed over to Norfolk Wildlife Trust to manage. 

To find out more about the development phase of the new facilities, visit Broadland District Council’s website.