National Parks Week
It was 25 years ago that the Norfolk Broads became part of the National Parks family – known as Britain’s Magical Waterland – joining iconic landscapes such as the Lake District, Snowdonia, the Yorkshire Dales and the Brecon Beacons.
Today there are 15 members of the National Parks family, and every year, they celebrate the amazing places and people within their boundaries during National Parks Week.
This year, National Parks Week is 28 July to 3 August, and the Norfolk Broads is playing its part with a series of special events stretching from the coast to the city of Norwich.
You may have read about National Parks Week, as it has been featured in local newspapers, as well as the travel sections of national papers. Indeed, at Herbert Woods we were rather chuffed to see the Norfolk Broads included in The Independent’s recent round-up of the best National Parks in the country.
It highlighted our “mosaic of lakes, land and rivers” which covers 303 square kilometres – and also pointed out that the Broads boasts the UK’s largest protected wetland and a quarter of its rarest species. Meanwhile, The Mirror said National Parks Week features “a packed programme of activities to entice families out into the great outdoors and make the most of the glorious countryside”.
It flagged up events at Whitlingham Country Park and pointed readers to find out more at the Norfolk Broads’ dedicated visitor site at www.visitthebroads.co.uk.
All this attention comes hot on the heels of praise from The Daily Telegraph, which dubbed our county “the classiest” in the country.
It said the Broads were “as gorgeous as ever” – and we have to agree! In fact, the only problem could be deciding what you’d like to do – cycling, walking, bird-watching, fishing, swimming, photography, sailing, canoeing, star-gazing, concert-going, bug-hunting, otter-spotting…the list is practically endless.
But you don’t have to cram it all into one week – many of these activities are available throughout the year, and we can highly recommend visiting during different seasons to witness the variety of views and wildlife in our region.
For some instant inspiration with beautiful images, check out some of the lovely photographs on the National Parks website. Or if you’re a bit of a photography buff yourself, how about entering the ‘Space to Grow’ photo competition with your own image from the Norfolk Broads.
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