Gold DofE Expedition: Paddling the Norfolk Broads

Gold DofE Expedition: Paddling the Norfolk Broads

Click here to watch our presentation video, a comprehensive guide to paddling the broads and everything you need for an expedition: Link to the video

On the evening of Friday 2nd May, a small but well-formed team of four Gold DofE paddlers set off up the A12 to Suffolk, ready to take on a four-day expedition along the River Waveney and River Yare—part of the Norfolk Broads navigation.

We met at Hopehill at 6pm, loaded up our boats, and hit the road. After about three hours, we arrived at Outney Meadow Caravan Park in Bungay, which would be our base for the night before the expedition began.

Saturday started bright and early. Once we were up, fed, and the site packed away, we headed off to our expedition start point at Shotford Bridge in Harleston. Working together, we unloaded the gear from our vehicles and loaded the boats, preparing for a four-day journey that would take us via Bungay, Beccles, and Reedham, all the way to just outside Norwich.

After shuttling the cars to the end point, we finally got underway around 10:30am. The sun was shining and temperatures were already in the mid-teens as we paddled the upper stretches of the River Waveney, heading back toward Bungay for our first overnight stop. The day could be described as being “at one with nature”—we navigated shallow sections, ducked under overhanging branches, and even had to get out and walk the boats through part of the route! We also had a very close encounter with some curious cows who took a keen interest in what we were doing. Fortunately, Dan's excellent cow-shooting skills got us moving again quickly.

Day two began early, with us leaving Outney Meadow around 8:30am for what would be the longest leg of the expedition. Thankfully, the river widened and deepened, making for smoother paddling as we wound our way toward Geldeston (the official start of the Norfolk Broads navigation, where powered boats are allowed). From there, the weather took a turn for the worse. We battled a strong headwind and tide all the way from Beccles to our next overnight stop at the Waveney River Centre. We arrived around 5:30pm, just in time to set up our tents before the wind and rain closed in for the night. Despite the weather, we managed to cook a hearty stir-fry under the tarp and were more than ready for an early night.

Day three was our shortest day of paddling, but it was still a busy one as we worked on our expedition project—creating a guide to the river system we were exploring. Along the way, we passed several interesting landmarks, including two swing bridges, one of which we saw open and close! After travelling through Somerleyton and St Olaves marinas, we entered the long, straight "New Cut," designed to bypass the tidal waters near Great Yarmouth. We eventually reached Reedham, where we took a break to admire the views in this charming village. Then it was on to the Reedham Ferry and our campsite for the night, set in the garden of a pub which had been turned into a touring park. This involved a slightly awkward portage over a three-foot-high wall and down a grassy field, but it was all worth it in the end. The site was beautiful, and we finished the day with our favourite expedition meal, a delicious carbonara we’d tested on our practice trip!

Before we knew it, the final day had arrived. With a long drive home ahead of us, we set off early at 7:30am for the last leg toward Norwich. Although the wind was strong again, it actually worked in our favour at times, pushing us upriver without even having to paddle! We passed the Cantley British Sugar Factory and the busy boating area around Brundall, before finally arriving at the Water’s Edge Pub, where our supervisor Pat, and assessor Terry, were waiting to greet us.

After a short debrief and loading all our kit into the cars (with a well-earned pub lunch along the way), we returned to Hopehill to unload and wrap up what had been a very successful expedition. Over four days, we paddled 80km in a wide range of conditions, and had a brilliant time doing it.

A huge thank you to Pat and Terry Duncumb for supervising and assessing the expedition, and for all their support in helping us plan and carry out the trip.  Jack Reeves

District Youth Lead - Gravesham Scouts

Gold DofE Expedition: Paddling the Norfolk Broads