Whitlingham Country Park is located just to the south of Norwich, close to the quaint village of Trowse.
It’s a popular place with anyone living close to Norwich or tourists visiting the area, somewhere you can enjoy a nice short walk and just enjoy being surrounded by nature.
Of course, Whitlingham Country Park is not just a nice place to see ducks, geese and swans. The adventurous can partake in water and land based activities with Whitlingham Adventure, and there’s a campsite close-by.
There are several places you can access the broad from, but, for the purpose of starting somewhere, our walk starts at the car park near to the Whitlingham Visitor Centre. You could walk either way round the broad, though most people seem to go left at this point, possibly because it seemed naturally correct (like driving on the left), but in this case it may also be because this direction heads towards the Whitlingham Outdoor Adventure Centre.
So, who’s ready for a walk? Let’s commence the photographed journey!
You’ll see plenty of birds at Whitlingham, particularly wildfowl. Below, a couple of swans are joined by greylag geese and Egyptian geese.
A female mallard duck resting in the undergrowth.
More Egyptian geese, below.
One of several sculptures you can find here. This one has been decorated with the following wording. “we have endured all of time to be here together today”.
The ruins of Trowse Newton Hall are located close to the Great Broad.
Around this point (below) is the confluence where the River Yare meets the River Wensum and River Tas. The Yare runs alongside a good portion of the walk around Whitlingham Great Broad. Where you can see the boats moored in the distance this area is called Trowse Eye, which was once a separate island but has over time been connected to the main land.
Below, this a lovely position to sit and watch life go by. Literally! Boats on the River Yare, and the occasional train rushing by on the track opposite. The train line goes across Thorpe Island, which is to the right of the track.
The next couple of photos are zoomed in, so not great quality, but I’ve included them as it just shows what you can see if you stop and take the time on your walk around Whitlingham.
I think this butterfly below may be an White orange-tip butterfly. It doesn’t always have the orange tinge on the upside of the wing, but do have it the blotchy camouflage under the wings.
We were pleasantly surprised to spot this little fella, which I think is a dark edged bee-fly using its long proboscis.
A nice place to stop, below, to observe the Great Broad.
We’re now opposite the other end of Thorpe Island, with another railway bridge centre of the photo, leading off the island.
It’s good to have choices! Go left and stick closer to the Yare for a while longer, or go right and follow the path closers to Whiltingham Great Broad.
We’ve reached the far end of the Great Broad, and on the second half of the walk.
Wooden footbridge. When you reach this point you’re approximately three-quarters of the way around.
Another sculpture close to the broad.
A couple of greylag geese. I think they were hoping we might have food to spare, but we didn’t. It is always advisable to what the relevant authority’s advice is on feeding the wildlife (i.e. whether it is okay, and if so what food is okay). I think the Broads Authority advise not to feed birds at Whitlingham, but advice can change so please visit the Broads Authority’s website or social media for the most up to date advice.
We’re on the home stretch – Not long to go now. Time to start deciding whether to have a cake or an ice-cream as your reward! Of course, if you want to delay your gratification, there’s a well-positioned bench up a few steps, middle-left on this picture.
Did you know both Wherryman’s Way long distance footpath and National Cycle Route 1 pass through the park? Well, the sign below points the way along the Wherryman’s Way route. If you want to explore a longer walk you may enjoy reading our article covering the Wherryman’s Way from Yarmouth to Reedham.
Okay, from here we’re not far from the car park, so that’s it for the photos. After the walk we enjoyed some light refreshment at the information centre.
We hope you enjoyed this article, and hopefully it has given you some insight into walking around Whitlingham Great Broad.
Field Notes
FACILITIES – There is a visitors information centre, which also has a café. There is a toilet block in the car park near to the visitors centre.
DOGS – On a lead in certain areas (See Whitlingham County Parks’ dog policy) and you should keep your dog under effective control at all times.
SAFETY – There is some uneven ground, roots in footpaths, and potential hazards such as deep water.
WHEELCHAIRS – There is a wheelchair accessible route around Whitlingham Great Broad.
CLOBBER – It’s a short flat walk with pretty even ground, so normal comfortable footwear should be okay. We walked on a dry day and wore trainers.
DISTANCE AND DURATION – The walk around Whitlingham Great Broad was approximately 2.3 miles. You should allow an hour for this walk (longer if you want to stop and enjoy the scenery, or walk at a leisurely pace).
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