Wilder Hickling: A haven for nature, heritage and people

We will safeguard the habitats of the Broad and surrounding area to enable wildlife and people in the Upper Thurne area to thrive, including being better able to adapt to the impacts of climate change.  

During Phase 1, we will: 

• Focus on helping iconic Broads wildlife species, such as swallowtail butterflies, thrive as we face the prospect of a warmer and wetter climate.
• Secure more land in the Upper Thurne area for wildlife conservation.
• Manage land to sequester and store carbon and creating larger, more resilient natural floodplains, whilst delivering successful wildlife conservation. 

A wider diversity of people will have increased access to Hickling Broad and Marshes, helping them to enjoy and support the area’s special wildlife and wild spaces. 

During Phase 1, we will focus on creating new wildlife experiences for a wide variety of visitors, including young people and people with limited access to nature, such as: 

• A new walking trail from NWT Hickling staithe to our existing visitor centre at Hickling Broad, with accessible features including hard packed surfaces, wide paths and signage.
• New features at the nature reserve, including new walks, viewing points and wildlife experiences.
• Installation of a changing places toilet at NWT Hickling staithe.  

People will better recognise how nature thriving in the Broads supports local livelihoods, as we sustain these benefits and develop new ways to contribute to the local economy.  

During Phase 1, we will: 

• Help local marsh trades such as reed and sedge cutting to adapt to the challenges of climate change.
• Seek ways to expand our offer to visitors in a way that continues to support local employment and volunteering opportunities and the area’s wider hospitality and tourism sector.
• Work closely with our landlord tenants at the Pleasure Boat pub to ensure its future success, including developing new wildlife experiences to visitors.
• Install EV charging points for cars and electric bikes across NWT car parking. 

We will bring Hickling Broad and Marshes’ amazing natural and social heritage to life for visitors.

During Phase 1, we will: 

• Find innovative ways to tell the story of the Broads, its natural and social history and impact.
• Deliver memorable experiences that encourage visitors to find out more about the heritage of the site.
• Provide additional information across the area which tells the natural and social history of Hickling Broad and Marshes.
• Use reed and sedge to ‘naturalise’ car park boundaries, blurring lines between the built and natural environments.

A national public appeal in 2017 allowed Norfolk Wildlife Trust to purchase Hickling Broad and Marshes in its entirety. As the principal landowner for the nature reserve, NWT embarked on designing a vision for the site. Like so many projects, work was put on hold during the pandemic only to resume in 2023 when NWT purchased a plot of land at Hickling staithe, which included the Pleasure Boat Inn pub, adjacent buildings and a large car park, together with associated moorings.  

Following the renovation and re-opening of the pub in 2024, NWT updated the vision for Hickling, created with the help of consultant landscape architects and specialist ecological advice. 

In implementing our vision for Hickling, we recognise the challenge of balancing the desire to improve accessibility and to enable more people to engage with nature and wildlife in the area, whilst also protecting the valued feeling of wildness and the unspoilt nature of the Broad and marshes. 

Maintaining this balance is at the heart of this project. We will be guided by commitments which safeguard the landscape character of the area, ensuring building work is in keeping with the local area, ensure biodiversity considerations are fully incorporated with no loss of biodiversity value, and apply the principles of sustainable development.