Day 6 - BERNEY ARMS TO THURNE

It always seems the way, that when you know you have to get up early, you have a very restless night. Although I doubt that anybody could have slept through the commotion that happened in the middle of the night. As we were moored right on the very edge of Breydon Water, the tidal rise and fall here must have been around 5 foot, and as such the edge of the boat must have been trapped under the iron pilings of the staithe. I remember coming out of my sleep , and the cabin was angled at 45 degrees, and then suddenly the boat must have pulled free, and was rocking from side to side. This was followed by a loud crash as the table toppled over, we checked everything was okay, and went back to sleep.

Early Morning Over Breydon Water

I cast off around 7am, the tide was already coming back in as and I wondered if I had left it too late. I was so glad to have moved from Reedham last night, as I was crossing Breydon Water within minutes. It was cloudy and a little misty, and I could only see a few of the red and green marker posts. I really put my foot down, and soon caught up with another boat, and felt slightly relieved about making the crossing to the northern rivers.

Passing Great Yarmouth Yacht Station

Leaving Great Yarmouth

Long Passage Over The Lower Bure

It took about 40 minutes to cross Breydon, I was about an hour late for the ideal time to hit Great Yarmouth, but I got under the two low bridges without a problem. The tide must have been coming in quite fast, as I was surprised to see Stracey Arms windmill so soon, I checked the time and it wasn't even 9 yet. I passed Stokesby and then Acle, the clouds rolled right back, and brilliant sunlight poured through. Paul emerge from his cabin, and was surprised that we had already crossed Breydon.

Early Traffic

Passing Stokesby

Through Acle

Here Comes The Sun

Passing Onlookers

Going To Be A Norfolk Day

It was 10am when I turned up the River Thurne, and we decided to make for Potter Heigham for breakfast, so he took the helm while I showered. We managed to get a nice mooring space just opposite Herbert Woods entrance. We went for a walk and popped into Lathams, but only bought chocolates, and nuts.

Passing A Familiar Landmark

Approaching Potter

Arrived!

Moored Up For A Pleasant Stay

The Infamous Bridge

View From The Bridge

We went back to the Mars, and had a late breakfast, and fed the leftovers to a hungry flock of Terns. We sat back for an hour or so and, enjoyed the very warm weather, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Lazy Hour, Watching The River

Feeding The Flock

Div-Bombing For Bread

We left around 1pm and retraced our steps back down the Thurne, turning left into Womack Water. Womack staithe was nearly full, but we managed to moor up, and got speaking to a couple. They had taken their table and chairs off the boat, and were enjoying a bottle of wine in the sun. They had hired one of those tall Brinks luxury boats, and were proud to show us around.

Womack Water, Always Busy

Looking Back At The Staithe

Leaving Womack

Short Walk To The Village

We had a quick look around the gift shop, but wasn't that impressed, so we headed off to the village centre. Ludham is to me, a perfect Norfolk village, pretty pub and shops, lovely Saxon church, pretty lanes, and a number of village greens. It also has a quaint thatched tea room, with a first rate view of the church and churchyard. It was to this tea shop that we made our first stop.

Village Limits

Village Centre

Our Favourite Teashop

View From Al Fresco's

We had lunch here last time we were on the broads, and had sandwiches and cake, and a great chat with the owners. We were still quite full from our brunch, so we just had a very nice cream tea each, and the owner remembered us, and we were soon chatting away again. An elderly lady came in and she joined the conversation. Her name was Beulah, she was 93 and had been born in the village pub, and was now the church archivist. She told us about life in the village, her battle of will with a number of the village vicars over the years. She was one of the most interesting people I have ever met, and from listening to her, I believe she has only left the county twice in her life.

Shopping In Ludham

Lane Back To Womack

The Welcoming Committee

We popped in the village store and bought a few essentials, then returned to Mars for a cuppa, fed the ducks and geese and topped up with water. It was around 5pm, and we decided to move on for the evening. There wasn't another boat in sight when we returned to river, it was a really beautiful evening. The river Thurne has few trees along the banks so we could see for miles across the fields, the light is so special in the evening here.

Evening Light On The Thurne

Looking Across The Meadows

Approaching Thurne For The Evening

We turned down the dike at Thurne, and moored up for the night. We have moored here twice before, and only just got a space, but tonight there was only one other boat moored here. We walked to the little gift shop, but it had just closed, which is a shame as there are some lovely things displayed in their window and I have never been inside.

Moored Up With Our Neighbour

Waiting For Bread

We had dinner in the Lion, unfortunately there wasn't a pub quiz tonight. However, Sid the landlord was on form chatting away to all the patrons, so we had all the entertainment we've come to enjoy at the Lion. We joined the discussion, and when Sid went off to cash up we were left chatting to a couple from Leeds, they were two days into their first Broads holiday. They were in the only other boat moored in the dike, so I guess the rest of the patrons were locals. We chatted well after the last bell, then returned to Mars by torchlight.

Day 5 - NORWICH TO BERNEY ARMS

Looking out this morning, everything looked eerie, there was a faint mist on the river which gave the willows along the bank a ghostly appearance. We walked down to the yacht station, and made use of the proper showers, as they were included in the price of the night mooring. Paul made the tea and filled up with water while I walked down the main road to a mini market for milk and some fresh bread rolls.

Leaving Norwich

Riverside Apartments

It was just before 10am when we left and made our way back through Norwich, and under the five city bridges, and then joined the River Yare. The skies were still overcast, but the scenery up to Brundall was so pleasant. As planned when we reached Bramerton Common, we stopped for a late breakfast of fresh rolls and the rest of the Norfolk sausages we got in Roys on Saturday. Bramerton Common is a lovely place to stop, a long, wide green with a dense line of trees as a back drop, it's a bit like Coltishall without the main road. We spent a very relaxing hour there, then continued on our travels.

Approaching Bramerton

Water's Edge At Bramerton

Bramerton Common

Winding Breakfast Up

Leaving Bramerton

Brundall came and went without incident, the river was slightly more busy than the previous day, and the distance seemed a lot shorter. Just after passing Cantley, it started to drizzle, and we had to put the canopy up. Twenty minutes later we passed Reedham Ferry, the rain stopped and the sun made an appearance.

Boats Moored At Brundall

Passing Cantley

Mooring At Reedham

Sunshine At Reedham Marina

Riverside Cottage

We pulled over, and the harbour master helped to to moor as the river was flowing very fast here. The sun was out, and there wasn't a cloud in sight, and it was getting very warm. We locked up and went for a walk behind the shop fronts, where the lane leads uphill. We passed plenty of cottages here, one with a working beehive, there were busy bees buzzing around everywhere.

Beehive Cottage

Reedham Cottage

Downhill Back To The Marina

We came to the village shop, and got some provisions for of breakfast tomorrow, and walked past the village chippy which we have never seen open, the fact that it's only open 4 hours a week might explain this. The lane led downhill towards one of the village pubs, The Ship which has a very attractive riverside beer garden. It was such lovely afternoon, that we had a drink in the garden and watched a boat of beginners trying to moor by the pub, they did very well seeing how fast the river was flowing.

The Ship

A Welcome Pint

River Watching By The Swing Bridge

Pleasant Beer Garden

For the rest of the afternoon, we sat on the boat with the canopy down, and enjoyed the sunshine. As we were going back through Great Yarmouth in the morning, and  as the tide times meant we would have to be up very early, we decided to get as close to Great Yarmouth as possible. So we reluctantly left Reedham just after 4, and continued downstream for an hour to the Berney Arms, which is right on the very edge of Breydon Water.

An Afternoon Of Sunshine

Heading Towards Berney Arms

Bleak Landscape

It was very bleak and lonely here, there was a pub, a windmill and a few boats, and nothing else for miles, which gave it a stark kind of beauty. We had dinner that evening in the Berney Arms, and chatted to the landlord, who had recently taken over the pub. He told us that their weren't any roads to the pub, and the only way to get to civilisation was by boat, or a five mile walk, or by one of the two trains that passed a day. He wasn't certain that he had done the right thing taking the pub over, but there were a few large parties of boater who ate there that evening.

Berney Arms Windmill

A Quiet Location

We had a relatively early night, as it was an early start in the morning. It was very quite that night, in contrast to the busy road next to the yacht station the previous night.

Remotest Pub