and broads

Like cracks through a ceramic glaze, blue lines craze across the map east of Norwich. Long thought to be natural waterways, these broads are in fact flooded peat diggings. East Anglia was once the most densely populated part of England – a far cry from today’s rural idyll – and after the forests were felled, peat was harvested for fuel. It’s thought 900 million cubic feet of this black gold was extracted, before rising sea-levels and a storm surge in 1287 filled the pits with water. There are now 63 broads and seven major rivers in this unique aquadrome, drawing rare bird and insect life. There’s enough solid ground to support 190 miles of footpath too, including the 35-mile Wherryman’s Way ( www.wherry mansway.net), and a gorgeous walk from the lonely request-stop railway station of Berney Arms to Reedham, beside still waters that mirror the wide skies above.

WALK HERE: Download Berney Arms at www.lfto.com/bonusroutes P H O T O :