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diff --git a/35954.txt b/35954.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1a684f5 --- /dev/null +++ b/35954.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3966 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Handbook to the Rivers and Broads of +Norfolk & Suffolk, by G. Christopher Davies + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Handbook to the Rivers and Broads of Norfolk & Suffolk + + +Author: G. Christopher Davies + + + +Release Date: April 25, 2011 [eBook #35954] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HANDBOOK TO THE RIVERS AND +BROADS OF NORFOLK & SUFFOLK*** + + +This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler. + + [Picture: Wroxham Broad] + + Jarrolds' "Holiday" Series. + + * * * * * + + + + + + THE HANDBOOK + TO THE + RIVERS AND BROADS + OF + NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK. + + + BY + G. CHRISTOPHER DAVIES, + _Author of_ "_Norfolk Broads and Rivers_," "_The Swan and her Crew_," + _etc., etc_. + + * * * * * + + REVISED AND ENLARGED. + + * * * * * + + EIGHTEENTH EDITION. + + * * * * * + + JARROLD AND SONS, + 3, PATERNOSTER BUILDINGS, LONDON; + LONDON AND EXCHANGE STREETS, NORWICH. + + BRANCHES: 182, KING STREET, GREAT YARMOUTH; + THE LIBRARY, CROMER. + + (_All rights reserved_.) + + + + +CONTENTS. + +_Chapter_ _Page_ + INTRODUCTION. xi + I. THE BROAD DISTRICT. 17 + II. DOWN THE YARE--NORWICH TO REEDHAM. 22 + III. REEDHAM TO YARMOUTH. 43 + IV. YARMOUTH TO ACLE. 51 + V. ACLE TO WROXHAM. 57 + VI. WROXHAM BROAD. 68 + VII. WROXHAM TO COLTISHALL. 75 + VIII. UP THE ANT, TO BARTON AND STALHAM. 81 + IX. WOMACK BROAD. 91 + X. HICKLING BROAD. 98 + XI. HORSEY MERE AND SOMERTON BROAD. 106 + XII. BACK TO YARMOUTH. 114 + XIII. YARMOUTH TO SOMERLEYTON, UP THE WAVENEY. 117 + XIV. FROM SOMERLEYTON TO BECCLES. 124 + XV. OULTON BROAD. 129 + XVI. ORMESBY AND FRITTON. 136 + APPENDIX. +RAILWAY ACCESS TO FISHING STATIONS 138 +NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK FISHERIES ACT 143 +TABLES OF RIVER DISTANCES 148 +TIDES 151 +FISHING GENERALLY 151 + ROACH 155 + BREAM 161 +YACHTING 165 +SHOOTING AND SKATING 170 +FAUNA OF THE BROADS 171 + +ILLUSTRATIONS. + + _Page_ +WROXHAM BROAD _Frontispiece_ +A POOL IN SURLINGHAM BROAD xvi +PULL'S FERRY 22 +BISHOP'S BRIDGE 25 +BOOM TOWER 26 +THORPE GARDENS 29 +A NORFOLK WHERRY 30 +ON THE YARE, AT BRAMERTON 33 +ON ROCKLAND BROAD 36 +LANGLEY DYKE 38 +ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH, GREAT YARMOUTH 41 +THE QUAY, GREAT YARMOUTH 45 +A "ROW," GREAT YARMOUTH 49 +ST. BENET'S ABBEY 54 +COTTAGE, SOUTH WALSHAM BROAD 58 +HORNING VILLAGE 60 +RANWORTH CHURCH 61 +HORNING FERRY 67 +BELAUGH CHURCH 73 +DYKE NEAR COLTISHALL 76 +LUDHAM BRIDGE 78 +RIVER BURE AT HAUTBOIS 79 +A WOODLAND POOL--IRSTEAD 82 +ENTRANCE--BARTON BROAD 87 +CARRYING REEDS--BARTON 88 +BARTON STAITHE 90 +ORMESBY BROAD--LANDING STAGE 91 +DRAINAGE MILL--RIVER THURNE 92 +RIVER THURNE 92 +HICKLING BROAD 99 +DYKE AT POTTER HEIGHAM 100 +HICKLING STAITHE 104 +MARTHAM BROAD 105 +SOUND ASLEEP 108 +SOMERLEYTON HALL 120 +RIVER WAVENEY 128 +OULTON BROAD 130 +FRITTON DECOY 137 +ORMESBY BROAD--LANDING STAGE 152 + +INTRODUCTION. + + +Since the first appearance of this Handbook, and the larger volume on the +same subject, which the preface to the first edition stated to be in +contemplation, the Broad District has become highly popular. Each year +the tourist stream increases, but, happily, there is still plenty of +room. No doubt some of the old _habitues_, who liked to have the whole +landscape to themselves, grumble at the change, but the less selfish +persons, who happily constitute the majority, do not object to seeing a +dozen yachts where formerly they saw but one, or a score of anglers where +in past years but half-a-dozen might be seen. + +A large trade has arisen in the letting of yachts, boats, and pleasure +wherries for cruising purposes; but the inn accommodation has made little +advance, and is still too meagre, and insufficient for the demand. The +yachts have made great strides in speed and in number. The Norfolk and +Suffolk Yacht Club has flourished exceedingly, and its regattas are +popular. + +Artists have found out the charm of the quiet scenery of the Broads, and +visit us in great numbers. Notably Mr. E. H. Fahey and Miss Osborn have +given exhibitions in London devoted to the district. Then _litterateurs_ +without number have written magazine and newspaper articles, and others, +after a few days' scamper, have written exhaustive guide-books; and so +the ball, which the present writer set rolling in earnest some years ago, +is helped merrily forward, and the Rivers and Broads of Norfolk and +Suffolk are fast becoming one of the most popular of English playgrounds. + +I should like to put the brake on a little in one respect. One +guide-book writer appears to treat the riverside meadows as commons, and +suggests that yachtsmen should bring lawn-tennis sets and cricket +materials with them. Pray don't take such absurd advice. All riparian +owners adhere stoutly to their just rights. It must be remembered that +the rights of the public are limited to _passage along_ the navigable +rivers and the navigable broads, and the use of the banks of navigable +waters for mooring purposes and for towing. The soil of the greater part +of the river-beds is vested in the Crown, therefore angling is free to +the public. Strictly speaking, the shooting over the Crown rivers is +free, but this does not give persons a right to shoot an inch over the +banks. Looking to the fact that the Bure is very narrow, and passes +through private game preserves, let me earnestly entreat visitors not to +fire off guns either at birds or at bottles (which last amusement appears +to be a favourite one) above Acle bridge. The sport to the visitors is +_nil_, while the annoyance to the riparian owners is extreme. The +riparian owners are generally willing to afford the well-behaved public +all reasonable facilities for enjoyment. Let this be repaid by the +public refraining from potting away at waterhens and pigeons, or other +birds on the banks. + +It may be well to add that, up to about the year 1830, the Broads and wet +marshes were simply waste; but by the Enclosure Acts and Awards, these +watery commons were allotted and divided among the neighbouring +landowners. In some cases the rights of navigation and staithes were +expressly reserved. In others no reservation was made, and the Broads +are absolutely in the hands of private owners. In other cases again, +staithes and rights of way have grown into disuse, and channels have +become choked up by mud and vegetation. In no case, however, has the +right of the Crown to the bed of the common river been affected or +changed by the Enclosure Awards. + +A great point to remember is, that the possessors of the Broads set as +much store by their bulrushes and water lilies as the admiring visitor; +therefore, do not gather any off the Broads. All flowers and grasses +which grow in such luxuriance by the riverside, within the river wall, or +the three yards from the river margin where the navigator has an +indefeasible right, may as well be gathered for pleasure as die and rot. +Here there is abundance for everyone; but to penetrate into quiet nooks +of Broads and help oneself to other people's valued property, is an +indefensible act, which by oft repetition has much irritated owners +against the public. It is in this respect also that visitors from a +distance are most prone to err, because, without reflection, it appears +that no harm is done. Nor would there be much harm in a single instance, +but "many a little makes a mickle." + +As a general rule, visitors from a distance behave exceedingly well, +being educated persons with a due sense of law and order. The bottle +shooters, coot potters, and noisy revellers, the swan's egg robbers and +grebe destroyers, the persons who use one's boat-houses as luncheon rooms +or dust bins are, unfortunately, home products. Of course, I hear of all +offences that are committed, and by some people I am actually saddled +with the responsibility of any breach of good manners on the part of the +public, because I am supposed to have brought the latter to the Broads. +I therefore beg the large unknown public (of whose friendliness to me as +an author I have had so many proofs), when they visit the Broads, not to +allow the exhilaration of an enjoyable holiday to interfere with a due +propriety of behaviour. + +The hitherto unwritten rules of the Rivers and Broads are these:-- + +Do not, in the neighbourhood of other yachts or houses, indulge in songs +and revelry after eleven p.m., even at regatta times. + +Bathe only before eight o'clock in the morning, if in sight of other +vessels or moored in a frequented part of the river. Ladies are not +expected to turn out before eight, but after that time they are entitled +to be free from any annoyance. Young men who lounge in a nude state on +boats while ladies are passing (and I have known Norwich youths to do +this) may be saluted with dust shot, or the end of a quant. + +Adhere strictly to the rule of the road when boating, according to the +instructions contained in a subsequent chapter, and when angling, moor +out of the way of sailing craft, as afterwards explained. + +Do not throw straw or paper overboard to float to leeward and become +offensive; but burn, or take care to sink all rubbish. + +Do not light fires, place stoves, or throw refuse on the banks in the +path of others, whose yachts may be moored to the same bank. + +Steam launches must not run at full speed past yachts moored to the bank, +particularly when the occupants of the latter have things spread out for +a meal. + +Don't take guns on board unless you have leave to shoot on somebody's +land. + +Remember that sound travels a long way on the water, and do not criticise +the people you may encounter with too loud a voice. + +Don't go on a friend's yacht with nailed shoes (the commodore of a Thames +sailing club once came on board mine in cricket shoes armed with spikes). +Don't knock the ashes out of your pipe into his boat, and don't catch +small fish and litter his decks with them, leaving them for him to clean +up after you. + + [Picture: A pool in Burlingham Broad] + +Don't moor outside another yacht without the permission of its owner. + +Ladies, please don't gather armfuls of flowers, berries, and grasses +which, when faded, you leave in the boat or yacht for the unfortunate +skipper to clear up. Don't play the piano in season and out of season +(the reedbird's song is sweeter on the Broads); and don't turn out before +eight o'clock in the morning when other yachts are near. + +Observing all these simple maxims, any number of visitors will find +plenty of room for their own enjoyment, without offence to anyone. + + [Picture: View of Sailing boats and Yachts] + + + + +CHAPTER I. +THE "BROAD" DISTRICT. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] It is somewhat difficult to analyse +the charm which the "Broad" District of Norfolk and Suffolk has for those +who have once made its acquaintance in the only way in which an intimate +knowledge of it can be gained. + +In a journey through it by rail, you see nothing but its flatness; walk +along its roads, you see the dullest side of it; but take to its +water-highways, and the glamour of it steals over you, if you have aught +of the love of nature, the angler, or the artist in you. + +One reason may be that the rivers are highways. From them you view +things as from a different standpoint; along them flows a current of life +differing from that on either rail or road: the wind is your servant, +sometimes your master; there is an uncertainty in the issue of the day's +proceedings, which to an idle holidaymaker is most delightful, and the +slowly-moving water is more like a living companion than any other +inanimate thing can be. Houses are few and far between. Oftentimes +within the circle of your sight there is neither house nor man visible. +A grey church tower, a windmill, or the dark-brown sail of a wherry in +the distance breaks the sense of utter loneliness, but the scene is wild +enough to enchain the imagination of many. Long miles of sinuous +gleaming river, marshes gay with innumerable flowering plants, wide +sheets of water bordered with swaying reeds, yachts or wherries, boats, +fish, fowl, and rare birds and plants, and exquisite little bits to paint +and sketch--these are the elements out of which a pleasant holiday may be +made. + +I wrote these lines whilst at anchor on Salhouse Little Broad. The +evening was most still and placid, and the boat lay motionless among the +lily leaves which covered the water around. The white lilies had so +closed their petals that but the faintest morsels of white peeped out; +but the yellow, which were most numerous, did not close so completely, +and the dark interspaces of water were thickly starred with the golden +globes. Beyond the lily leaves was a belt of tall reeds, swayed only by +the birds which have their home among them. The yellow iris flowers made +the narrow neck of marsh ablaze with colour. Bounding the view was a +cordon of trees; on the one side a wooded bank; on the other, but out of +sight, the river. A rustic boathouse nestled amid the trees, white swans +lighted up the dark shades, moorhens led their broods across the pool; +the western clouds were edged with sunset glories, and the reflections in +the water were as perfect as the things they copy. But though there was +absolute calm, the lily leaves were not still, but moved tremulously, and +sent ripples on either side. Looking closely, you saw that the leaves +were covered with small insects, and the small roach were busily plucking +them off the under side. You could hear the little snap or suck the +fishes made, and once you caught the sound you found the air was full of +these snaps, and a most weird effect the sound gave. The roach crowded +eagerly round to eat the crumbs that I threw them. So fearless were +they, that when I put my hand into the water and held it quite still for +a while, they came and snapped at my fingers, and funny little tickling +scrapes they gave. I actually succeeded in grasping one or two of the +boldest. A piece of paper, which had been crumpled up and thrown on the +water, was being urged to and fro by the hungry little fish, who tried to +find it eatable, and tugged at it bravely. + +The clouds darkened. I went into my cabin as a squall of wind and rain +came on. The thunder grew louder and louder, and there, alone, with the +tempest raging, I could yet write that the end of the evening was as +pleasant as the beginning, so great to me is the charm of the water. + +I slung my hammock, hoping that on the following day the sun would shine, +the wind would blow, and the hours would pass as quickly as the boat +sailed, and slept as sound as man may. + +It has happened that I have written a good deal about these waters--too +much, some people say. One result has been that I have been pretty well +overpowered with correspondence arising from persons making enquiries +about the district, with a view to visiting it; therefore, when the +publishers requested me to write a kind of handbook or guide to the +Broads and Rivers, I thought it a good idea, in that enquirers might, by +buying such a book, save themselves the trouble of writing to me, and +getting necessarily short and inadequate replies. I am afraid, however, +the guide-book style is rather beyond me, and I shall be most at home if +I try to convey the requisite information by describing one of the +numerous cruises in which I have sailed as guide to those friends who +have trusted their holidays to my care, and I will select one lasting but +a fortnight, during which time we covered most of the available ground. + +Before doing so, a few words, descriptive of the situation of these +rivers and lakes, will not be amiss. + +From Yarmouth, looking inland, three main water-highways radiate. The +chief is the Yare, flowing from the westward; then comes the Bure, +flowing from the north-westward, and having her large tributaries, the +Ant and the Thurne, flowing from the northward. From the south-west come +the clear waters of the Waveney. All these rivers are navigable for +considerable distances, and on the Bure and its tributaries the greater +number of the Broads are situate. These Broads are large shallow lakes, +connected with the rivers, and are many of them navigable. Flat marshes +follow the lines of the rivers, and while higher and well-wooded ground +rises near the upper portions of the rivers, near the sea the country is +perfectly flat, and vessels sailing on all three rivers are visible at +the same time. + +The level of the marsh is frequently below that of the rivers, and at the +outlet of each main drain is a drainage pump, or turbine wheel, sometimes +worked by a windmill, and sometimes by steam, which pumps the water out +of the drains into the rivers. + +The fall of the river is about four inches to the mile. The ebb and flow +of the tide are felt for thirty miles inland, but its rise and fall are +very little indeed. There are no impediments to navigation of any +consequence, so it may be imagined what a "happy hunting ground" this is +to the boat-sailor, the naturalist, and the angler. + + [Picture: Decorative chapter end divider] + + [Picture: Decorative chapter header divider] + + + + +CHAPTER II. +DOWN THE YARE. NORWICH TO REEDHAM. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] "Do you mean to say," said Wynne, +"that these Broads are worth my giving up a few days to seeing them?" + +"If you will give up a fortnight, I promise you that you will find it too +short. You went to the Friesland Meres years ago, and enjoyed it. You +will like these quite as well." + + [Picture: Pull's Ferry] + +So he promised to come for a fortnight, rather reluctantly, and when, on +his arrival in Norwich, he took a preliminary canter by rail to Yarmouth, +he refused to say anything about what he thought of the country, which +looked ominous. We had hired a ten-ton cutter, and she was lying at +Thorpe, a mile and a half below the city. The man we had engaged rowed +the jolly-boat up for us, and as Wynne was enthusiastic about old +buildings, we rowed him up the river to the New Mills, a very old mill, +which spans the river Wensum near its entrance into the city. From +thence we came back along the narrow sinuous river, overhung with +buildings, many of them ancient and picturesque, under numerous bridges, +wharves where wherries were loading or unloading, using the half-lowered +mast as cranes, past the Boom Tower, still keeping watch and ward over +the river; quaint Bishops' Bridge; Pull's Ferry, where there is a ruined +water gate, often sketched and photographed; past the railway station, +into the reach parallel with King Street, where gables, and archways, and +courts delight the painter. Here, on the left bank, is another Boom +Tower, built of flint, the universal building-stone of Norfolk, faced by +another tower on the opposite bank, whence runs a fine piece of the old +city wall up the hill to another and larger tower, in better +preservation, on the summit. Then we next passed the very extensive +works of Messrs. J. and J. Colman, and below them innumerable stacks of +choice wood, out of which the boxes to contain the mustard, etc., are +made. + + [Picture: Bishop's Bridge] + + [Picture: Boom Tower] + +"You speak of this as the Wensum," said Wynne; "I thought it was the +Yare." + +"This river is the Wensum, but this smaller stream coming in on the right +is the true Yare, and from this point the united river takes the name of +the Yare. This spot is called Trowse Hythe, and half a mile up it, where +there is a mill, was once a famous spot for smelts, where they were +caught by large casting nets, used at night by torch-light, but the town +sewage has effectually spoiled the smelting. The pool below the New +Mills was also a place where the smelts were caught in large numbers, but +it is not so good now." + + [Picture: Thorpe Gardens] + +Presently we came to Thorpe, where a bend of the river has been cut off +by two railway bridges, and a straight new cut made for the navigation. +We took the old river, and Wynne was charmed with the view which then +unfolded itself. The long curve of the river was lined on the outer bank +by picturesque houses, with gardens leading to the water's edge, while +behind them rose a well-wooded bank. In the autumn of 1879 this reach +was found to be swarming with pike, and it speedily swarmed with anglers, +who had generally good sport until, apparently, all the pike were caught. +At intervals since, there have been similar immigrations of pike to this +reach when tides unusually high or salt drive the fish up from the lower +reaches. At the lower end of the reach is a favourite resort on summer +evenings, a waterside inn, known as Thorpe Gardens, where we pulled up. +Here there are also boat-letting stations, where cruising yachts can be +hired. + +Just through the bridge, {29} we joined the main river again, and noticed +several yachts moored against the bank, amongst which was ours. + +Wynne stepped on board, curious to inspect a Norfolk yacht, and he freely +commented on her enormous counter, short keel, great open well, and tall +pole-mast. In a short time we stowed all our belongings, and set +sail--mainsail, jib, and topsail--the spread of canvas rather startling +Wynne, who had only been used to sea yachts. There was a light +north-westerly wind, and we glided swiftly away before it. But ere we +had sailed a couple of hundred yards, Wynne insisted on our stopping to +sketch the White House, at Whitlingham, which, with the trees on the +hill, the wood-shaded reach of river, and the huge brown sails of the +wherries, formed a picture we might well wish to carry away. Wynne often +stopped in this way, to the intense disgust of our man, who liked to make +his passages quickly, and had no sympathy with artistic amusements. + +The dyke leading out of the river by the White House is a regular harbour +for pike, which is continually restocked from the river. It is private +property, but just at the mouth of the dyke, in the navigable river, is a +good spot. At least three hundred pike were taken here last winter by +Norwich artisans. + +"What graceful craft these wherries, as you call them, are!" remarked +Wynne, as he rapidly sketched the high-peaked sail of one which was +slowly beating to windward or "turning," as the vernacular hath it, up +the narrow river. + +[Picture: A Norfolk Wherry] And he was quite right. There is not a line +that is not graceful about a Norfolk wherry. She has a long low hull +with a rising sheer to stem and stern, which are both pointed. She has a +tall and massive mast supporting a single large sail which is without a +boom, but has a very long gaff launching out boldly at an angle of +forty-five degrees. The curve of the brown or black sail from the lofty +peak to the sheet is on all points of sailing a curve of beauty. The +wherries are trading crafts carrying from twenty to fifty tons of cargo. +They are manned generally by one man, who sometimes has the aid of his +wife or children. They are nearly as fast as yachts, sail closer to the +wind, and are wonderfully handy. The mast is weighted at the keel with +one or two tons of lead, and is so well balanced that a lad can lower or +raise it with the greatest ease, when it is necessary to pass under a +bridge. Wherries are the most conspicuous objects in a Norfolk broad +landscape, and are in sight for miles, as they follow the winding courses +of the rivers, often nothing but the sail visible above the green marsh. + +Very many of these wherries have been converted into sailing house boats +or pleasure barges, and so constitute most admirable floating homes for +those who like cruising with greater comfort than small yachts can give. + +It was an hour before we got under way again, and when, after sailing +down the long straight reach by Whitlingham, we came in sight of the +eminence known as Postwick Grove, Wynne wished to land in order that he +might see the view from the top. The man burst into open grumbling, so +we asked him if the trip were undertaken for his pleasure or ours, and on +his reluctantly admitting that it was for ours, we told him it was our +pleasure to do as we liked, and he resigned himself to his fate. The +watermen on these rivers are very civil, but they look with disfavour +upon anything which interferes with actual sailing. + +Well, the view from Postwick was worth seeing. The curving reaches of +the river, animated with yachts, wherries, and boats, lay beneath us, and +the green marshes were bounded by the woods of Thorpe, Whitlingham, and +Bramerton, while the ruined church of Whitlingham stood boldly on the +brow of the opposite hill. + +Under way again, we presently reached Bramerton, where the "Wood's End" +public-house offers good cheer to the wherryman and boating-man. + +The pleasure-steamers which run between Norwich and Yarmouth afford a +quick but less pleasant way of seeing the river, and stop at Bramerton +nearly every day in the week. + +Now the higher ground falls away from the river on each side of us, and +the belt of marshes widens, the river is higher than the surface of the +land, and the water is lifted out of the many drains and dykes by means +of turbine wheels, worked by the windmills which form such conspicuous +objects in the landscape, and by more pretentious steam drainage mills. + + [Picture: On the Yare, at Bramerton] + +Surlingham Ferry, 6 miles by river from Norwich, next came into view. +The house, with its picturesque gables, lies in the shadow of a group of +fine trees. A horse and cart was being ferried across on the huge raft +as we approached, and the chain was only just dropped in time for us to +pass. + +There is a good inn at the Ferry, with limited but comfortable staying +accommodation; and excellent roach fishing is often obtainable. The +shore above the Ferry on the same side is suitable for mooring yachts to, +as there is a fair depth of water close to the bank. + +"What numbers of boats there are with people fishing?" said Wynne. "Do +they all catch anything?" + +"Oh, yes, any quantity, as far as number goes, of roach, and bream, and +some good fish too, but the larger fish are caught in the deeper water, +lower down." + +Coldham Hall is the next fishing station of importance. There is a good +inn there, and plenty of boats for hire at a cheap rate. Fishing and +other boats can also be obtained at Messrs. H. Flowers and Co.'s new +boating station, where yachts can be moored and laid up. As the railway +station (Brundall) is close to it, it is very convenient for anglers. +The mooring places at Brundall and Coldham Hall are not many, as the +banks are very shoal. In the reach between Brundall and Coldham Hall +only the middle third of the river is navigable for yachts; and the same +may be said of the long reach below Coldham Hall. We could see +half-a-dozen fishing boats under the lee of the point above the station. +It seems a favourite place, for I never passed it without seeing +fishermen there. But as the man had to sail the yacht round the great +curve of the river, we took a short cut across Surlingham Broad in the +jolly. + +This Broad lies within a horse-shoe bend of the river, and has a +navigable channel across it. It is not deep enough, however, for yachts +or laden wherries. The Broad is largely affected by the tide, which +sometimes leaves its shallows exposed. The river, as I should have said, +is tidal up to Norwich, and the force of the tide increases with every +deepening of Yarmouth Haven. We rowed up the dyke which leads on to the +Broad, a small sheet of water, overgrown with weeds and very shallow, but +a capital nursery for fish and fowl. The fishing upon it is preserved. +Rowing across it, we entered another dyke, and emerged into the river +again, and caught up the yacht. + + [Picture: On Rockland Broad] + +Snipe abound on the marshes here, and their drumming can always be heard +in the early summer. The flat, far-reaching marshes glowed with a +thousand tints of flower and grass, and the iris gleamed brightly in the +lush margins of the river. We sailed quietly on, down the curving +reaches of the widening river, watching the slow-seeming flight of the +heron, the splash of fish, the bending reeds, and the occasional +boat-loads of anglers, until we came to the mouth of a dyke, about a mile +long, up which we again rowed in the jolly, to explore Rockland Broad, +where the open water is much more extensive than at Surlingham. Here +there are several eel-fishers' floating abodes, Noah's-ark-like +structures, with nets and "liggers" dangling about them. The fishing and +shooting on the Broad are, at present, open to all. + +This Broad is also much affected by the tide, as, notwithstanding its +distance from the river, there are numerous connecting dykes permitting +easy flow and re-flow of water. + +Back in the yacht again, we reached Buckenham Ferry (ten and a half +miles), a favourite angling rendezvous, with a railway station of the +same name close by. A long row of trees on the left bank is the cause of +daily trouble to wherrymen and sailormen, as it shuts off the wind. The +man who plants trees by the side of a navigable river, where the +navigation depends upon the wind, is the very reverse of a benefactor to +mankind, and only selfishness or thoughtlessness can permit such an act. + +There is fair mooring for yachts just below the Inn, on the same side, +but they must be kept well off the shore by poles, or as the tide ebbs +they will strand and perhaps fall over. The Ferry Inn is noted for its +comfort; and its limited staying accommodation is good. The fishing is +very good both up and down the river, and there are good boats for hire +for fishing purposes. + +The river now becomes very wide and deep, and the shoals near the banks, +which abound in the higher reaches, are not so frequent. I would call +the especial attention of the river authorities to the disgraceful state +of the river as far as Buckenham Ferry. Each year the shoals and weeds +increase, and the channel narrows, until in some places not more than a +third of the river-width is available for the navigation. The natural +consequence will be that the navigation must gradually cease to be made +use of, as it becomes a matter of difficulty, and the railway will take +the trade, which might be kept to the river if a more energetic care of +the navigable stream were taken. This is a most serious matter, and +ought to be attended to. + + [Picture: Langley Dyke] + +Next is Langley Dyke, near which are the reaches of the river where the +principal regattas are held, and by the river side is Cantley Red House +(fourteen miles). Cantley railway station is very close to the river, +and as the water is deep close to the bank, and there is some fairly firm +ground, this is a favourite yachting station, with good mooring to the +banks. Comfortable quarters may be had at the Red House, and the fishing +is good all about. A little lower down, on the same side of the river, +is another house, "Peart's," where one may obtain comfortable +accommodation, and a "dock" where small boats may be safely left. + +We delayed so long on our way that the wind was falling, as it usually +does towards five o'clock on summer days: the tide had also turned, and +we had it against us, so our progress was slow. We passed the mouth of +the Chet on our right, navigable some four miles up to Loddon. Its mouth +is marked by Hardley Cross, which forms the boundary between the Norwich +and Yarmouth jurisdictions over the river. We barely made headway as a +public-house on the left, called Reedham Ferry, was reached, and a little +lower down we lay to against the "rond," or bank, and made all snug for +the night. A little further is Reedham village (eighteen miles), which +is picturesquely situated on high ground on the north bank of the river. +The railway station is close by, and is the junction between the +Yarmouth, Lowestoft, and Norwich lines. There is staying accommodation +to be had at Reedham. Yachts can be moored against the south bank above +the bridge, but should not be left unguarded, as the tide runs strong, +and wherries tacking through the bridge often jam up against the bank. + +[Picture: Roach] The stove was soon alight, and the kettle on, while we +walked to the village for eggs and milk. As the gloaming deepened, Wynne +grew poetical over the scene of wide space there was about us, filled +then with an orange glow from the west, while the swallows skimmed the +river, and struck red drops of spray from the surface. Then when the +awning was spread over the stern sheets, and the lamp lit up the snug +cabin, Wynne smoked contentedly, to the envy of the writer, who cannot +smoke; and it was later than it ought to have been ere we lay down in our +respective bunks, and were lulled to sleep by the ripple of the water +against the planks. + + [Picture: St. Nicholas' Church, Great Yarmouth] + + [Picture: Decorative Chapter header] + + + + +CHAPTER III. +REEDHAM TO YARMOUTH. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] The next morning we were up betimes to +take the last of the ebb down to Yarmouth, and catch the tide up the +Bure. As there was a fresh breeze from the east, we had to tack nearly +the whole of the way. + +At Reedham there is a swing bridge, over which the railway passes, and if +the wind is foul it is always a difficult matter to sail through, +particularly if the tide be against you. On the present occasion we had +the tide with us; therefore, on reaching the opening of the bridge, we +could shoot the yacht up into the wind, and carry her way on until +through, when her head was paid off on the proper tack. + +"I tell you what, these Norfolk waters are capital places to learn to +steer in. An inch either way, and we should have torn our sail against +the bridge." + +"Yes, and what with getting the utmost on every tack, without going +ashore, shaving wherries by a yard or two, and watching for every puff as +it comes over the grasses on the marsh, so as to make the most of it, +there is more fun in sailing here than on more open waters." + +Just below the bridge is the _New Cut_, a perfectly straight canal, three +miles long, connecting the Yare with the Waveney, and so saving a round +of some eighteen miles, which would otherwise be necessary to get from +the one river to the other, as a reference to the map will show. + +Now came a steady beat for several miles, until we reached the Berney +Arms (on the right is the mouth of the river Waveney), when Breydon water +opened out before us, with Yarmouth in the distance. When the tide is +in, this is a remarkable sheet of water, four and a-half miles long by a +mile broad. There are mud flats on either side of the wide channel, +where herons and sea-fowl greatly congregate. The strong wind against +the tide raises a respectable sea, and the tacks being longer we made +rapid progress, and the motion was exhilarating. A sail across Breydon +in a strong wind, is a thing I always consider a great treat. The +channel is marked out by stout posts at intervals of two hundred yards or +thereabouts, but it is not safe to sail too close to all these posts +unless the tide be high, as the shoals stretch out beyond them, and, in +default of local knowledge, it is best to give them a wide berth. + + [Picture: The Quay, Great Yarmouth] + +The spires of Yarmouth grow more distinct, and at last we arrived at its +quays, just as the tide was on the turn. We made fast alongside a wherry +moored to the quay, and while our man, with the assistance of one of the +loiterers on the quay, lowered the mast, and quanted the yacht up the +narrow mouth of the Bure and under two bridges, we took a stroll about +the quays, the quaint "rows" and streets of the old part of the town, and +had a peep at the splendid church. + +The ebb tide runs very strongly, and, to avoid being carried against the +bridge which spans the contracted harbour, it is prudent for the stranger +to have an anchor in readiness. The public quays are on the north side +next the town, and a berth alongside a wherry or other yacht can be +chosen. There are private moorings laid down alongside the south shore +off "Cobholm Island," and it is customary, in case of need, to bring up +to one of these, if vacant; but a yacht must not be moored there, or +alongside another yacht there, without permission. If the visitor is +nervous or inexperienced, he can avail himself of the services of one of +the watermen loafing about the quays, to help him through the fixed +bridges which block the entrance to the river Bure, which here enters the +harbour. + +[Picture: Bream] The river bends to the south at an acute angle with its +former course, and for about three miles runs very close to, and almost +parallel with the sea. It is interesting to row past the wharves and +quays, where many quaint and picturesque bits present themselves, but on +account of the rapid flow of the tide, it is not a part of the river much +frequented by the river yachts. + + [Picture: A "row", Great Yarmouth] + +As Yarmouth has guide-books all to itself, it is not necessary here to +expatiate upon its attractions. + + [Picture: Decorative chapter header] + + + + +CHAPTER IV. +YARMOUTH TO ACLE. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] On going back to the yacht, we found +that she was moored in the North River, or Bure, having been quanted +under the two fixed bridges, and the mast was being slowly raised. The +big pole masts of these river yachts are very heavy and unwieldy, and I +am always glad when the operation of lowering and raising them again is +safely over. Sometimes they have lead weights permanently fixed to the +heel of the mast (which latter swings in a tabernacle), but generally, +lumps of ballast have to be shifted and hooked on, a troublesome +"pinch-finger" business which I avoid in my own yacht by using a tackle +and blocks. + +Of course the wind was fair, as our course up the Bure lies north for a +mile or two, and then due west as far as Acle; and it is well when it is +fair, for the next twelve miles are very uninteresting. There is nothing +whatever to see, except eel sets and boats. These Noah's-ark-like craft +are generally made out of old sea boats, with a hut built on them. They +are shoved a little way up a dyke, out of the way of wherries, and the +eel net is stretched across the stream, waiting for the eels, in their +annual migrations seawards, to swim into it. Those two wooden buoys, one +on each side of the river, mark its position. + +Almost at our first starting, we got aground; hard and fast too, for the +shoals are frequent hereabout. We waited for the tide to float us off, +and to help it we sent a rope ashore to a man on the bank. The rope was +not quite long enough, and Wynne undertook to bend another to it. The +man set all his weight on it, the knot parted, and the man disappeared on +the other side of the embankment, where there was, we knew, a deep ditch. +Presently he reappeared, dripping wet, and in a towering passion. He +refused to assist us any more, so we waited a little longer, and as the +tide rose, we were again afloat. + +Once round the bend by the Two-mile House we sped away at top speed to +the westward, with frequent jibes as the river bends. The great boom +came over with tremendous force, and made the yacht quiver again, +although we eased it all we could by rallying in the sheet. The low, +dull banks passed rapidly by, the only land-marks being solitary houses, +known as the three-mile, four-mile, five-mile, six-mile, and seven-mile +houses. Then we came to Stokesby Ferry, where there is a group of +houses, which would make a picture, and an inn, where there is tolerable +accommodation, called the Ferry House. Then, on the right, are some +sluices, marking the entrance to the "Muck Fleet," a shallow, muddy dyke, +only navigable for small boats, which leads to the fine group of Broads +known as Ormesby and Filby Broads. Of these we shall have something to +say afterwards. A separate excursion has to be made to them, as they do +not come within the round of a yachting trip, unless you drag your jolly +over the sluices, and row the four-miles-long Muck Fleet. Having once +tried this experiment, I cannot recommend others to do it. + +A mile and a half further on, and we came to Acle bridge, twelve miles +from Yarmouth. Here is a fixed bridge, where the mast has to be lowered. +When we got through this we stopped for dinner, and then, although we +might have sailed up to Wroxham with the wind before dark, we were fated +to spend the night here, in consequence of a freak of Wynne's. In the +exuberance of his spirits, he attempted to jump a wide dyke, using the +quant as a leaping-pole. As a matter of course, the pole sank deep into +the mud, and when it attained an upright position, it refused to depart +from it, and so checked Wynne in mid-air. + +"Whatever is going to happen now?" he exclaimed, and after a frantic +gymnastic exercise on the top of the quant, it slowly bent, and finally +broke, depositing Wynne on his back in the middle of the dyke. + +We fairly shrieked with laughter, and, as Wynne said, it served him +right, for laughing as he did at the man rolling into the ditch, when the +rope gave way. + +As we had to get a new quant from Yarmouth, we had to wait here until the +morning, and amuse ourselves with fishing for bream, of which large +quantities may be caught here, and of good weight. Acle is a capital +fishing station, and is now accessible from Norwich by the new line to +Yarmouth, branching off at Brundall. Acle is a charming village, and +offers many residential facilities to those who are fond of country life +and aquatic amusements. It is within easy reach of all the best Broads, +lying on the rivers Bure and Thurne, and not far by water to Yarmouth. +There are three good inns--the "King's Head," the "Queen's Head," and the +"Angel." The most convenient is the one by Acle bridge (the "Angel"), +kept by Mr. Rose, who well understands and can supply the needs of +yachting men and anglers. There is staying accommodation at the inn, a +wagonnette to meet the trains, fishing boats to let, and every attention +from the host. As there is good mooring to both banks, especially above +the bridge, and the river is wide and deep, Acle is rapidly becoming a +favourite yachting and angling station. + + [Picture: St. Benet's Abbey] + +Owing to the wide breadth of marsh there is a true wind for sailing, and +the reaches above Acle to Thurnemouth are wider and finer than any other +parts of the Bure. + + [Picture: Decorative chapter header] + + + + +CHAPTER V. +ACLE TO WROXHAM. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] The wind, on the next morning, was +from the north-west, a head wind for us, and there was little of it; so +little, indeed, that we could not stem the tide, and had to quant for +three miles. Then we came to the mouth of the river Thurne, leading to +Hickling Broad, up which we intended to sail on our return from Wroxham. +The Bure turns off sharply to the west, and as the wind gradually gained +in strength, we were able to dispense with the unwelcome labour of +quanting. + +The first noteworthy spot that we came to was St. Benet's Abbey, situated +on the north bank of the river. Once upon a time it must have been a +mighty building, covering much ground, as its scattered ruins testify. +Now nought reminds us of its founder, sensible King Canute, but a fine +archway, with some contiguous walls, upon which a windmill has been +erected, but which is now itself in ruins, and two massive parallel +walls, standing about two hundred yards to the eastward; also, there are +arched doorways, and strong walls in the house by the riverside, whose +cool recesses speak of ancient days. This house was once a public-house; +we landed to get a drink of buttermilk, and lay in a store of eggs and +butter. We also climbed to the top of the ruined arch, whence a wide +prospect is visible, and one may count a goodly number of churches. + +Opposite the ruins is a dyke, down which a wherry turned. + +"Where does that lead to?" asked Wynne. + +"To South Walsham Broad, which is a mile and a half down it; and, +although wherries can sail down, this boat, which draws about five feet +six inches, cannot. Still, we can go down in the jolly, or, if you like, +stay here, and fish for perch. This is a noted spot, because there is a +hard gravelly bottom, and, by the way, we might have stopped at Thurne +mouth, which is a good place for pike." + +"I like exploring these dykes, so I vote we go down to the Broad." + + [Picture: Cottage, South Walsham Broad] + +So we started, and overtook the wherry, which had been aground, and she +gave us a tow down. The Broad, which was formerly one sheet of water, +has, by the growth of reeds and plants, been divided into two portions. +There was nothing particular to be seen in the first one; but on rowing +into the further Broad, we saw a cottage on the right bank, which, with +its long, low thatch, deep eaves, its honeysuckles and roses, its trees +and its landing-place, formed a most tempting object for a sketch, and +one the artist would do well to seek. The Broad is private, save for the +navigation across one part of it to South Walsham, and the fishing is +preserved. The old course of the river formerly made a horse-shoe bend +down towards South Walsham, and the present straight channel by the Abbey +ruins is an artificial cut. The site of the Abbey is an island of solid +ground in the midst of a great extent of marsh. When we got back to the +boat we saw the man fast asleep on the counter, with his rod in the +river, in tow of a large perch, weighing one pound and a half, which we +secured. + +About a mile further, on the right hand, as we ascend the river, is the +mouth of the river Ant, leading to Barton Broad and Statham, of which +more anon. + +"The river is getting uncommonly pretty," said Wynne, "and this slow +tacking enables me to see it to advantage, eh! How close we steer to the +fishing boats! and, pray tell me, why do fishermen in Norfolk wear such +extraordinary hats! Here is another dyke. Can we sail down it?" + +"If we only drew four feet of water, we could go on to Ranworth Broad." + +"Then, on my next cruise here, I will get a yacht that does not draw more +than a wherry does. It is absurd to have such deep draught yachts where +there are so many shallows. Let us row down." + +Ranworth Broad is a very pretty Broad, but grown up so that it is divided +into two. The eastern half is navigable to the village of Ranworth, but +otherwise private, as is the other portion of the Broad. This is very +strictly preserved, on account of the wild fowl which frequent it. It is +a favourite fishing place, although permission has first to be obtained +from the owner, who, however, cannot be expected to give leave +indiscriminately. It is not worth while seeking to fish in private +waters in this district, for other fish than pike, seeing that the free +fishing in the rivers is as good as any one could wish for. From the +eastern part of the Broad, a very pretty picture, with the church in the +background, on a wooded height, is visible. + + [Picture: Horning Village] + +Then to Horning Ferry, where, as we approached, a horse and cart were +being ferried across, and we had to lie to for a few minutes, until the +huge raft was safely across, and the chain lowered. The public-house at +the ferry is a very comfortable one, with a nice sitting-room and garden +in front, and is a capital place to make one's head-quarters. It is +about nine miles drive from Norwich, and four from Wroxham railway +station. A little further on is Horning village, a picturesque group of +houses, straggling along the river bank, with a large windmill on the +hill behind, making a good picture. Here our ears were greeted with the +song which, for generations past, the small children of the village have +chanted to passing yachts-- + + "Ho! John Barleycorn: Ho! John Barleycorn, + All day long I raise my song + To old John Barleycorn." + +That is all. It is simple and effective, and extracts coins from too +easily pleased holiday-makers. + + [Picture: Ranworth Church] + +The river turns to the left, at right angles to its former course, as it +passes the village, and on the north bank is a reedy sheet of water, +called Hoveton Little Broad, where there is a small colony of the +black-headed gulls. On the south side is a small, but pretty Broad, +called the Decoy Broad. Then the river turns still more sharply to the +left, and we sailed due south, after having come due north by Horning. + +"What a number of anglers there are!" said Wynne, "and the singular thing +is, that they always seem to be catching fish.--How many have you +caught?" he called out to two fishermen in a boat. + +"About six stone, sir," was the reply; "but we have been at it since +daylight, and they bite very slow." + +"I must say I think Norfolk a very favoured county, with all these +splendid rivers and free fishing; and one place seems as good as +another." + +"Yes, as long as you pick deepish water, and get under a lee." + +"Do they groundbait the place where they fish?" + +"Not before they come, but while fishing they throw in a good deal of +meal, mixed with water and clay. If they were to groundbait one or two +suitable places on both sides of the river, so as to be sure of getting a +lee, for a day or two before they fish, they ought to get even more than +they do now. Here is a boat-load trailing for jack. Ask how many they +have caught." + +Wynne did so, and the reply was, "Fifteen, but all small: they run from +two pounds up to seven." + +"People here either fish for pike with a live bait or trail with a spoon. +You rarely see anybody spinning by casting, or even using a dead bait on +a spinning flight. Now, I know that in the hands of one or two people, a +paternoster has proved very deadly. With three large minnows on your +tackle, and roving about close to the bank, you may get many pike and +perch." + +"I'll try it in the morning before breakfast," said Wynne. + +In another mile the river again turns westward. On the north is a very +large Broad, called Hoveton Great Broad, whence comes the clangour of a +large colony of black-headed gulls. The Broad is not navigable for +anything of greater draught than a small sailing boat; and now all access +to it has been barred by chains across the dykes, and it is strictly +preserved, chiefly in consequence, it is said, of the disturbance of the +gulls by visitors. The gulls flew, screaming, overhead, in a white +cloud, so that the air seemed filled with them, and the half-grown young +ones floated on the water, as lightly as thistle-down. Although this +colony is nothing like so large as the famous one at Scoulton Mere, near +Hingham, in Norfolk, yet it is extremely interesting, and particularly +when the eggs are being hatched off, and the little fluffy brown balls, +which represent the young birds, are running and creeping about the reeds +and grasses, and swimming in and out of the water-divided tussocks. Air +and water and grasses seem thrilling with abundant life, and the ear is +deafened with abundant noise; a noise, however, which, discordant as it +is, has for a naturalist the music of the nightingale. The water is very +shallow at the east end, where the gulls are, but the soft mud is of an +exceeding great depth. + +Some years ago the American weed, _Anacharis alsinastrum_, that pest of +our inland waters, so completely filled this Broad, that a duck could +walk upon the surface. It then suddenly decayed, at the same time +poisoning the fish so that they died by thousands. Since this time the +Broad has been comparatively free from it. + +During Wynne's visit the Broad was still open, and we visited it in the +jolly. After rowing about for some time, we turned to go back to the +yacht, and Wynne said, "I don't see the sails of the yacht anywhere. +Where can she have disappeared to? I know that the river is over there, +because there is the sail of a wherry over the reeds, but there is no +channel through the reeds, and it is no use your rowing that way. You +have lost your way, my boy." + +We only laughed at him and rowed on. + +"I tell you that there is no way into the river here. Oh, yes, there is; +I beg your pardon, but I should have rowed about until doomsday before I +found the way off." + +"And you couldn't have landed, for I don't think there is a bit of solid +ground all round the Broad. But where is the yacht?" For there was no +sign of her. + +The wide opening on the opposite side of the river suggested that perhaps +the man had taken her on to Salhouse Broad. So we rowed on, disturbing a +kingfisher, which was perched on a bullrush, and there was a picture. +Wynne cried, "OH!" with delight, and, although I have seen the like so +many times, the scene is always fresh in its beauty. On the placid bosom +of the small lake the yacht lay motionless, while a pair of swans, with +their brood of cygnets, swam near her. Outside the ever-present boundary +of green reeds, was a darker circle of trees, and crowds of yellow lilies +made a bright bit of colour in the foreground. On the further shore was +a thatched boat-house, and behind it a wooded bank. The thud of the +jolly against the yacht's side aroused a wild duck; a shoal of rudd broke +the still surface, as they sprang from a pursuing pike, and the +red-and-white cows, which had pushed through the reeds to drink, stood +looking at us contemplatively. + +We dropped the anchor, and got tea ready, and Wynne worked hard at a +water-colour sketch, brush in one hand, bread and butter in the other, +palate, plate, and sketch-block mixed up, and the brush going as often +into his teacup as into the mug of water. + +After tea, we landed, and walked into the long and straggling village of +Salhouse, in search of bread and fresh meat, and on our return, climbed +to the top of the bank, whence a fair prospect met our eyes. At our feet +were Salhouse Broad, and the smaller Broad next to it, which I call +Salhouse Little Broad, a lakelet covered with water lilies; outside +these, the sinuous river, doubling upon itself, as though loth to leave +so pleasant a land; Hoveton Broad to the right, and Wroxham Broad to the +left; many white sails flitting about on the latter, and more yachts +coming slowly up the river. + +There is a navigation across Salhouse Broad to Salhouse Staithe, but the +present owner of the Broad discourages sailing upon it, and the reader is +advised not to anchor or moor there. The old times when one could come +and go upon the Broads as a matter of apparent right are now past. + +We went to Girling's farm, close by, to get milk, and eggs, and butter, +and I may mention that Mr. Girling has comfortable rooms to let, suitable +for a family, whilst the situation is unsurpassed for prettiness. + +We quanted off the Broad, and found just sufficient air moving on the +river to take us gently on. We had a little surprise in store for Wynne. +As we came up to Wroxham Broad, I asked him to reach me something out of +the cabin. When he was safe inside, I put the helm up, and we slipped +through the 'gatway' into the Broad. When Wynne came out of the cabin, +instead of the river banks, he saw the wide-stretching Broad, the Queen +of the Broads, for her beauty, size, and depth of water combined. + +"This is lovely. I had no idea that we had left the river. What a +string of fishing boats! Are they having a match?" + +"Yes. Angling matches are very favourite amusements here, and the prizes +are sometimes valuable, and sometimes very miscellaneous in their nature. +They are very sociable, well-conducted gatherings, and I think the +Norfolk anglers would meet with old Izaak's approbation, as being honest +and peaceable men." + +"They all look very happy. But, tell me, are there always so many yachts +here as there are to-day?" + +"Not quite. The fact is, there is a regatta of the Norfolk and Suffolk +Yacht Club here to-morrow, and it is always a genuine water frolic. This +is a favourite place at all times; Wroxham is only seven miles by rail +from Norwich, and the Broad is only a mile and a half from Wroxham by +water." + +We drifted across to the other side of the Broad, and there dropped our +anchor, and made all snug. + + [Picture: Horning Ferry] + +It was a lovely evening, and yacht after yacht came upon the Broad, and +anchored; anchoring, by the way, meaning, in the majority of cases, +dropping some pigs of ballast overboard, at the end of a rope, for the +mud is so soft that an ordinary anchor would drag through it. We visited +our friends on various yachts, and then the moon shone so brightly out of +a cloudless sky, that, late as it was, we did not turn in for a long +time, but floated about in the boat, and yarned about old times, until it +was very late indeed. + + [Picture: Decorative chapter header] + + + + +CHAPTER VI. +WROXHAM BROAD. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] I had scarcely closed my eyes, it +seemed to me, ere I was awakened by Wynne moving about. + +"What are you up to?" I cried. + +"I am going to paternoster for perch, and I'll take the casting-net to +get some small fry." + +"Oh, dear! why can't you wait until the morning?" + +"It is morning. It is four o'clock and broad daylight." + +"Then go, and don't come back until breakfast time." And I drew the +curtains over the windows, and tried to think it was quite dark, and to +get to sleep again. + +On awaking I heard the sound of a piano. My first thought was, "Where am +I?" I found that I was on the boat, sure enough, and it was seven +o'clock. There was no more sleep for me, for a wherry, fitted up as a +yacht, was lying near, and her crew had not only got a piano on board, +but played upon it at seven o'clock in the morning. It is an excellent +plan to rig up a wherry in this way for a cruise, as good accommodation +for a large party is secured, and the interior can be well divided into +several sleeping-rooms. The presence of ladies aboard the wherry, and up +so early, was rather a nuisance, as one had to row away for one's dip. +Up to eight o'clock, the Broad is generally sacred to the men, who can +take their plunge overboard with safety. + +Presently Wynne came back. + +"Well, what have you caught?" + +"Two jack, about five pounds each, and three perch, about a pound each. +If I could have got some minnows I should have done better, but the roach +I got were too large for paternostering, and not lively enough. I got +into a row, too. I found a bow net set among the weeds, and there were +three large tench in it. As I took it up to look at it, its owner +appeared, and slanged me considerably at first; but when he cooled down, +he got talkative, and told me that the reaches of the river by Salhouse +and Hoveton Broads are the best for pike, but that all the way down to +Horning Ferry is good. By the way, I saw a lot of boats fishing on the +Broad when I set out, and they went on to the river when they saw me. +The Broad is not preserved, is it?" + +"No; but one of the owners, Mr. Chamberlin, levies a tax of 2s. 6d. on +fishermen, and as it goes to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, one ought +to pay it willingly. Poor men can't pay it, so they fish on the Broad in +the early morning, and then leave for the river. They walk here from +Norwich, overnight, and begin to fish before daylight, and as they can +get a boat at Wroxham for a shilling a day, it is not an expensive +pastime for them." + +"I saw some notice boards at Salhouse, but there was so much on them, and +the letters were so small, that I could not read them, but I suppose they +were meant to warn people off." + +"Yes, there is unfortunately too great a disposition amongst owners to +try and close the Broads against the fishing public, and even to +interfere with the old navigation rights, but there are praiseworthy +exceptions, and here comes one, the owner of this end of Wroxham Broad." +{70} + +As the sun rose higher, so it grew hotter in too great a ratio, and the +breeze was too light to afford much excitement in the way of racing. +Still, it was a wonderfully pretty sight, such as could be seen on no +other English inland water, save Windermere: the yachts, too, are very +much like the Windermere yachts, but carry even more canvas than the +latter do. The following are the dimensions of a 10-tonner of that time: +length on keel, 25 feet; over all, 34 feet; beam, 10 feet. Ordinary +canvas would be, mainsail luff, 23 feet; head, 28 feet 6 inches; foot, 35 +feet, and leech, 42 feet; jib, leech, 23 feet; foot, 36 feet; and luff, +48 feet, with a topsail yard of 23 feet. For racing, these dimensions +are largely increased. For fast sailing and quick turning to windward, +these boats are justly celebrated, but the Broads are so rapidly growing +shallower, that their draught, about five feet, closes many of the Broads +to them. A much more sensible type of a large boat for pure comfort in +cruising (though not for sport in sailing) is one founded on the wherry +plan, with a large mainsail, and drawing not more than three feet of +water. For such boats under 10 tons, the "Una" type is the best. Its +shallow draught would enable it, with the centre-board up, to go +anywhere, and penetrate into the most charming recesses of this wild +country, which the deeper yacht can never see. Its beam gives safety, +and also minimises the inconvenience of the centre-board case in the +cabin, and a high booby hatch would give head-room. The one sail is very +handy, and if her owner has but ordinary skill and energy, he could sail +her alone, and so dispense with the expense of keeping a man. Without +this expense, yachting in these waters is a reasonable and very cheap +amusement. These remarks are for the benefit of the great number of +people who have written to me at one time or another, to know what +facilities for economical boat-sailing and living exist in these waters. +For fast sailing and ease of handling by a _skilled_ person, the present +improved type of sloop or cutter cannot be surpassed on any waters. + +Well, 10-tonners and 4-tonners, open cutter-rigged sailing-boats of a +very fast type, canoes with battened sails, luggers and boats, and +wherries sailed to and fro, and steam launches puffed noisily about, and +marred the beauty of the scene, as well as upset the glasses and dishes +of breakfast or luncheon by the swell which they caused. The people paid +very little attention to the racing, but set themselves heartily to enjoy +this great water picnic. + +Wynne went ashore, and discovered some pretty woodland vistas, with +glimpses of the Broad, and the glancing sails between leafy boughs of +oaks, and under lofty arms of Scotch firs. Also, he discovered that at +the farm at the lower end of the Broad, Mrs. Newman's, there were rooms +to let, and that an artist friend of his had taken them, so there he +stayed for a long time, and kept the jolly, in spite of vigorous hails +for it. + +Of the adventurous journeys of yachts up to divers Wroxham Regattas, of +the exploits of elated yachtsmen, and the mishaps of careless ones, of +the fun and merriment attendant on these annual gatherings, the writer +has written in another place. At present, we must hurry on. + +In the evening we sailed, or rather quanted, up to the Bridge. These +reaches of the river were lovely in the extreme. The clear and brimming +river reflected the marginal flowers and groups of trees, while acres of +marsh shone with the yellow iris flowers. But, alas! the woods and the +sloping fields kept off the wind, and made one wish that the _upper_ +entrance to the Broad were widened and made navigable. + +We came to the Bridge at last, and moored to the bank, watching the +homeward-bound holiday makers arrive in yachts, and boats, and wherries; +a goodly number of the latter having numerous passengers. + + [Picture: Belaugh Church] + +Wroxham has two decent inns, where good boats and bait may be +obtained--Jimpson's (the "King's Head"), and Whittaker's, the former the +largest, but both comfortable. + + [Picture: Chapter Header] + + + + +CHAPTER VII. +WROXHAM TO COLTISHALL. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] The bridge at Wroxham is very narrow +and low. The mast, of course, had to be lowered, and the yacht quanted +under the road and railway bridges. A wherry passing under raised her +mast too soon, and damaged the ornamental vane, which consisted of the +inevitable figure of a Welsh girl with a high hat and holding a bunch of +leeks. + +"There, I must have a new Welsh girl," said the wherryman. + +"Why is such an emblem chosen in Norfolk, of all places?" asked Wynne. + +"Some thirty years ago there was a wherry named after the famous Jenny +Morgan of the song, and she had such a vane. It took the fancy of the +wherrymen to such an extent that they all adopted it in the course of +time." + +The river here is very narrow, and Wynne, who was steering, put the yacht +"on the putty" twice, before he could be induced to give up the helm to +the man, who professed to know the exact depth of every part of the +river. The river makes a very long loop to the south, just above +Wroxham. In this loop is Belaugh Broad, said to hold some very large +carp, but it is preserved. On the neck of the loop, on a high bank, +stands Belaugh Church, a prominent object for some miles, as you follow +the river. It is very picturesquely situated, and the view from it is +characteristic. Close by the church is a draw-well, with a pent-house +over it, well worth sketching. There is a pretty backwater, or old +channel of the river, near here, called "Little Switzerland," which is +worth rowing up, but unfortunately the owner objects even to artists +visiting it, and hence it must be considered as sacred ground. + +It came on to blow very hard, as we finished the three-mile loop of +river, half a mile from where we entered it, and as the wind was fair, +the corners sharp, and the river narrow, we lowered the mainsail, and ran +up under the jib alone, to Coltishall, where we at once made a rush for +the butcher's, just in time to secure a piece of meat for our dinner +to-morrow, which, being Sunday, we intended to spend at Coltishall. The +village is superior to most Norfolk villages, and contains some old +houses with rounded gables, and a fine church. + + [Picture: Dyke Near Coltishall] + +The great business of the place is malting, and many men labour as +maltsters in winter and boat-builders in summer, so that summer is the +time to get a boat built at Coltishall, when either Allen or Collins will +build you one at a reasonable rate. + +The fishing is very good in this portion of the river, and there are +great numbers of jack here, although they run rather small. In the +spawning season, the bream head up here in large numbers, and as there is +no close season in Norfolk, many anglers follow them up. + +The first lock on this river is just above the village, and on the +bye-stream stands Horstead mill, a very fine specimen of the Norfolk +water-mill. It stands upon arches, and the stream runs under it, the +wheels, of course, being undershot. It makes a very effective picture, +seen from below, and, in fact, if you row your jolly up the left-hand +stream, as you go up, you will see very many lovely bits worth the +painter's attention. I have photographed some of them, as I can't +sketch, but photographs cannot depict the colour. It is in the soft +living light of these Norfolk scenes that their chief beauty lies, but +they cannot be depicted without the aid of colour, and only imperfectly +then. + +The river is navigable for wherries and yachts drawing but little water, +right up to Aylsham, some eleven miles further; but there are two more +locks before reaching Aylsham. + + [Picture: Ludham Bridge] + +Coltishall is accessible by rail from Norwich, being the next station to +Wroxham, and lodgings are obtainable there. The jack fishing is very +good all the way. + + [Picture: River Bure--Hautbois] + + [Picture: Decorative chapter header] + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. +UP THE ANT, TO BARTON AND STALHAM. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] Wynne had undertaken the office of +steward, and so far we had fared sumptuously, but as we were tidying up +on Monday morning, the fact became apparent that the provision lockers +were nearly empty. + +"The fact is," he said, "I thought there would be a better chance of +buying things, as we went along, than there appears to be, for with the +exception of butter and eggs, we might as well be on the prairies. What +shall we do?" + +Now, provisioning is a very perplexing thing, particularly when it is for +several days, and as I knew that at Norwich made-up hampers of provisions +for fishing-parties could be obtained, we telegraphed for one to be sent +to us at Wroxham station, and departed in hope, with a light but fair +wind. We trailed a pike-bait behind, and caught several jack, and two or +three good perch. We were three hours getting to Wroxham, and while the +mast was being lowered, Wynne went to the station to meet a train then +coming in. He returned in glee with a hamper of good things, and our +difficulty was at end. Once we spent a Sunday at Wroxham, with nothing +procurable to eat but biscuits, and once, at Barton, we were obliged to +fish for our meals. Meat so soon goes bad on board a boat, and one does +not always care for tinned things. A good wrinkle is to have a bottle +containing a strong solution of permanganate of potash on board, and then +a few drops placed in a pint of water will make a most efficient +deodorising liquid, with which you may safely sprinkle the meat, and wash +out the lockers. + +As the day advanced, the breeze got up, and by two o'clock we were at the +mouth of the river Ant, ten miles from Wroxham. + +As we turned up its narrow and shallow waters, our man said, + +"We shan't get very far up this river, sir, with a craft drawing so much +water as this." + +"No, but we can get to Ludham Bridge, and there I have arranged for an +old lateener to be waiting for us." + +[Picture: Woodland Pool--Irstead] We touched the ground several times +before we got to the bridge, about a mile up, thus showing that a very +fine Broad is practically closed to the possessor of a large yacht of the +usual type. We left the yacht below the bridge in charge of the man, and +Wynne and I transferred ourselves on board a six-ton lateener, very broad +and very shallow, with bluff bows; a boat sixty years old, if a day, only +drawing about two feet of water. She had an enormous lateen foresail, +and a mizen, and she subsequently formed a picturesque object in Wynne's +sketches. A wherry was coming through the low and narrow bridge, and, as +the water was high, she had some difficulty in doing it. + +The wind was fair for a large portion of the way, and we bowled along +very fast. Where it was ahead, owing to a bend in the river, there was +no room to tack, and one of us would jump ashore with a line, and tow. +The Ant is just like a canal, except that it has no tow-path. The +fishing in it is remarkably good, particularly at Irstead shoals, where +there is a stretch of water about half a mile long, with an even depth of +four to five feet, and a firm, level, pebbly bottom, a curiosity in this +land of boggy streams. This is an excellent spot for perch and pike. It +is marked by the presence of a church on the western bank, and is one of +the few places on these waters where a person who cannot swim can bathe +with safety or comfort. The muddy bottom, of course, prohibits wading. +As you approach the entrance to Barton Broad, the bottom becomes muddy +again, and the Broad itself is full of mud; there being large "hills" +where the water is not more than two feet deep. The navigable channels +wind between these hills, and are marked out by posts. The Broad is a +mile long, and very pretty, and the entrance to it is four and a half +miles from the mouth of the Ant. In our light-draught lateener, we +ignored the channels, and sped about all over, often, however, finding +our speed diminished, as the keel cut through the soft mud, and turned up +yellow volumes of mud behind. It is a curious fact that in some Broads +and portions of Broads, the mud is of a light yellow colour, and in other +portions black. As all this mud is the result of decayed vegetation, +this difference is singular. + +There is an artificial island in the Broad, where a picnic party were +then enjoying themselves. We sailed away into the long bight which leads +towards Neatishead, where the bowery woods, fringing the water, spoke of +welcome shade, but we were brought to a stop by the mud, and had some +difficulty in getting back. On this very lovely Broad, we found we had +much better stick to the channels, which were wide enough, and explore +the shallows in the jolly. The fishing here is remarkably good. I do +not think any objection is made to angling for coarse fish, but +permission must be obtained for pike fishing. The Broad, though the +water is fresh, is affected by the rise and fall of the tide. Going on +one night in the dark, I missed the channel, and ran so hard on to a +"hill," that in the morning when the tide was at its height, we had to +lay the yacht on her side by means of lines and tackles to the nearest +channel posts ere we could float her off. The Broad is easy of access, +by going to Stalham railway station, and hiring boats at Stalham, whence +a row of about two miles will bring you on to the Broad. + + [Picture: Entrance--Barton Broad] + +At the north end of the Broad, a wide dyke leads northwards. This +divides into two about a mile from the Broad; the left-hand one leads to +Dilham and North Walsham, becoming a canal, with locks and water-mills. +We took the right-hand one, and on coming to another sub-division, took +the left-hand one, the right leading to a grown-up piece of water, known +as Sutton Broad. The course we chose led us over Stalham Broad, which, +though marked on maps as a piece of open water, now only consists of a +tract of marsh, with a dyke kept open through it. Stalham is at the end +of this dyke. Here there are two good inns, the "Swan," and the "Maid's +Head," and there are plenty of good boats for hire at the waterside. +Stalham has a station on the Yarmouth and North Norfolk Railway, and as a +fishing station is considered very good. + +We caught a pike in the dyke, at luncheon time (ours as well as his), and +a big fellow of about fourteen pounds in weight was said to haunt the +spot. We saw a large fish strike at some roach, but he would not look at +our spinning-bait. Within sight of the dyke end is a tumble-down house, +with a thatched roof, broken-backed, and altogether so jumbled and +ancient-looking, that it makes a capital subject for a sketch. + +In the afternoon we sailed quietly back to the cutter, and took both +boats back to the Bure, and down it to St. Benet's Abbey, which we +reached by moonlight. + +[Picture: Carp] Wynne had taken a great fancy to the lateener, which had +been lent to me by a friend, and as we wished to explore the Broads about +Hickling, all too shallow for the cutter, we decided to take both yachts +up the Thurne to Heigham Bridges, and leave the cutter there, while we +took the lateener up on the wide, wild waters above the bridge. The next +morning we devoted to pike fishing, at the mouth of the Thurne, getting +our bait with a casting-net. We got up very early, and were moored in a +convenient spot, and all rigged up ready to start before the mist had +risen off the water. I do not intend to go into the details of our +sport, which was not out of the way, but by one o'clock we got six pike, +from four to ten pounds in weight, and put back four under-sized fish. +This was with live bait, without moving more than one hundred yards from +the same spot. + + [Picture: Carrying reeds, Barton] + + [Picture: Barton Staithe] + + [Picture: Stalham Dyke] + + [Picture: Decorative chapter header] + + + + +CHAPTER IX. +WOMACK BROAD. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] Being tired of fishing, we had a swim, +and then dinner; and, late in the afternoon, we hoisted sail, to a stiff +breeze, Wynne and the man in the cutter, and I in the lateener. They ran +away from me so quickly, however, that I could not stop them at the +entrance to Womack {91} Broad, as I had intended, and was obliged to go +in chase of them up to Heigham Bridges. The round, bluff bows of my old +lateener, designed to support the heavy mast, which raked forward over +them, made such a hollow in the water, and raised such a big wave, that +sailing very fast was impossible. As it was, the nose of the boat sank +so that it seemed as if she must run under, a fate not uncommon with +lateeners, when running before a stiff breeze. It was this peculiarity +of theirs, combined with the large foreyard, more than twice the length +of the boat which caused the rig to fall into disuse. For turning to +windward, however, they are uncommonly handy, and easily managed +single-handed. The Thurne is a fairly wide stream, with deep water, so +that you can tack close up to the banks. It is four miles from the mouth +of the Thurne to Heigham Bridges, and the cutter was there ten minutes +before me. + + [Picture: Drainage Mill--River Thurne] + +"I say, Wynne, I wanted you to stop at that dyke, half way up, but I +could not make you hear me. There is a charming little Broad there, +called Womack Broad, and a picture ready composed, so bring your +paint-box, and we will beat back in the lateen." + +We reached the dyke in half an hour, tacking in that narrow channel with +great celerity. + + [Picture: The River Thurne] + +"This boat turns more quickly than the cutter, I think; at all events, +there is less trouble in managing her," said Wynne. "Do you know that I +think a fine-bowed lugger, with main and mizen rig, would be a handy boat +for these waters." + +"Some of the old lateeners have been turned into luggers, and sail very +well. Here is the dyke, nearly a mile long, and fringed with ferns and +flowers, reeds and bulrushes, iris and forget-me-nots." + +"Here comes a wherry. What shall we do? There is no room to pass." + +"We must go to windward of her, or her sail will take the mast out of us. +Here is a place made wide to admit of wherries passing, and we can hold +on here until she gets by. There, that was a tight fit." + +The boat sailor must be very careful to keep to windward of the wherries +in narrow waters, as their huge gaffs and sails take up a great deal of +room, and if they catch your mast, they may carry it away, or capsize +you. It is still more important not to get across the bows of a wherry, +as she would get the best of the encounter, and a small yacht very much +the worst of it. It is not often that accidents happen through any +collision, but occasionally the crew of a row-boat get bewildered and row +across the bows of a wherry, sailing fast, and a day of pleasure is +turned into mourning. A special Providence seems to watch over amateur +boat-sailors, and it is marvellous to see how they come unharmed out of +predicaments which seem most serious. The wherries are sailed remarkably +well, and you can generally rely on their carefulness, so that you may +sail your yacht rigidly according to the rule of the road. One thing +should be remembered, the wherry's sailing is a matter of business, and +the yachtsman's is a matter of pleasure only; therefore, it is well to +give way to a wherry, if there is any doubt on the point, and not hamper +her unnecessarily. + +The dyke we were then sailing down is about a mile long, leading westward +to Womack Broad, which was once a nice sheet of water, but is very +rapidly growing up, each year seeing an accretion to the growth of spongy +marsh, and an additional layer of mud on the bottom. At present, the +channel is navigable for wherries, which ply to Ludham village, at the +further end of it. + +On the right-hand side, as we entered the Broad, is a bit of an old-world +picture: a boat-builder's shed, large and old, and of picturesque +construction, stands on the margin, amid low bushes and under the shade +of mighty trees. Beneath it is a large boat, of an age and type unknown, +and a wherry sleepily awaiting repair. Behind the boat-house is a barn, +whose high-thatched roof is shaded by the branches of a cherry tree. By +the side of the boat-shed is a dyke, where sundry small craft are +ensconced. Behind all, and peeping out of a garden run wild, are low, +thatched cottages, and scattered about, among the tall grasses, are +trunks of trees, curved "knees" of oak, suitable for boat-building, and +broken-up boats and punts. On the still water in front is moored a +floating eel-fisher's hut, and all around is the sense of the repose of +the past. The former busy life has left its emblems resting in +acquiescence with the fate which contracts the sphere of their +usefulness, day by day, and year by year, as the vegetation slowly, but +surely, drives out the water. That dense growth of reeds lies upon a +skim of soil which would not bear the weight of a dog, and now undulates +with the movement of the water, but in three years' time it may bear the +weight of a man. + +An old man who lives near there, grumbles because the artists come and +paint his cottage and broad, and take away pounds' worth of sketches, and +never think of sending him a picture in acknowledgment. + +It was a lotos lake to us that afternoon. Wynne painted, and I fished, +and we sailed back to Heigham Bridges by moonlight. + +[Picture: Gudgeon] Womack Broad is not shown upon some maps and charts, +but those who are susceptible to a lovely scene should not pass it by. + + [Picture: Decorative chapter header] + + + + +CHAPTER X. +HICKLING BROAD. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] Heigham Bridge is a small stone one, +with not much room to get through, and a little above it is the railway +bridge, over which the Eastern and Midlands Railway runs, with a station +not far off--Potter Heigham. Near the station is the "Falgate" Inn, +where there is comfortable accommodation. A gate hangs over the inn by +way of a sign, and on its bars is inscribed the following-- + + "This gate hang high + But hinder none, + Refresh and pay + And travel on," + +The omission of the _s_ in the third person singular of the verb is truly +Norfolk, and common even among the middle classes. At the bridge is the +"Waterman's Arms," where one or two bedrooms, and a small parlour, all +scrupulously clean, are obtainable. Just by the bridge, in a sort of +wooden "Peggoty's Hut," lives Applegate, who has good boats, sailing and +rowing, for hire, stowed away in a remarkably neat boat-house. The +fishing all round is as good as it can be, and I never fail to get a jack +near the bridge, while, within four miles lie Hickling and Somerton +Broads, Heigham Sounds, and Horsey Mere. For myself, I should prefer +this as a fishing and boating station, to any other, because of the +wildness of the district. + + [Picture: Hickling Broad] + +The tide ebbs and flows strongly; and I caught Wynne standing on the +bridge, and looking in a perplexed way at the rate the perfectly fresh +water of the river was running up stream. The exit of these waters--at +Yarmouth--was twenty miles away, by water; Heigham Bridge is only between +four and five miles from the sea, in a direct line, and the water was now +running eastward, towards the sea, and the lakes, which daily rise and +fall, though only a few inches, actuated by the salt tide, "so near, and +yet so far." + +"Verily, this is a strange country," said Wynne, "and not, I should +think, beyond the possibility of a sudden visit from the sea." + +"No, those light-coloured mounds in the distance are the sea-banks, of +sand, only held together by scanty marram grasses. We will pay them a +closer visit." + +We got the lateener through the bridges, taking sufficient things for a +night's absence, and sailed away up the Thurne, which seems now to lose +its name as a river, and take that of the "Hundred Stream." About half a +mile above the railway bridge is the mouth of Kendal, or Candler's, Dyke, +a narrow winding stream, up which we turned, soon to find ourselves +bordered by tall reeds on either hand, and then sailing through a +wilderness of water and reeds so tall that they bounded our view. This +is Heigham Sounds, now greatly overgrown, and a capital place for wild +fowl; also for rudd, which here attain a very large size, and go in +immense shoals. Out of the channel the water is extremely shallow. In +the channel, particularly in Kendal Dyke, I have caught a good number of +pike. + +The fishing on all these Broads--Hickling, Horsey, and the Sounds--is +nominally preserved, but fair anglers do not seem to be interfered with. +At all events, in the channel and the dykes one may pretty well do as one +likes, and no attempt has ever been made to set up an exclusive right to +the rivers. I note that a Fishery Preservation Society has been formed +to abolish illegal netting, and to overlook this district, and under the +auspices of this it is probable that riparian owners will not object to +anglers taking a share of the superabundant fish out of the Broads. I +call the fish superabundant advisedly, and will adhere to the term until +anglers can assure me that they know what to do (usefully) with the +number of fish they catch, and cease from throwing them away on the bank, +after ascertaining their weight and number. + + [Picture: Dyke at Potter Heigham] + +Well, we sailed as close to the wind as we could--and nothing goes closer +than a lateener--and could just lie the channel through another reedy +lake, called Whiteslea, on to the vast expanse of Hickling Broad, a lake +400 acres in extent, and looking three times as large, owing to the +extreme lowness of its shores, the absence of any landmarks, and the +great concave sky, which seems to fit close down all around it. A +channel across it is marked by posts, which we left to starboard, as we +sailed over it. The width of the channel you will have to determine by +experiment, as there is no guide. At a guess, it is twenty yards wide, +and all the rest of the Broad is so shallow that you might wade over it, +and find a hard, yellow, gravel bottom almost everywhere. Trusting in +our two-feet draught, we sailed hither and thither, and felt our way +checked, as the keel cut through masses of weed, and then the bound +forward, as the boat entered a part clear of weeds. These bunches of +weed have lately increased greatly in Hickling Broad, which used to be +comparatively free from them, and the promontories of reeds are pushing +themselves further and further into the lake, and the bays between are +getting shallower. Still, the lake is large enough, as yet, to be able +to stand a little filching from. + +We sailed down to Catfield staithe, on the western side of the Broad, and +not far from Catfield railway station, on the line already alluded to. +Then we went to Hickling staithe, at the north end, where there is an +inn, the "Pleasure Boat," and walked into the village to post letters, +and to receive some. + +Boats of a rough kind can be obtained here for fishing purposes. They +are long, narrow, and flat-bottomed, and the usual method of propulsion +is by "_setting_." The setter sits in the extreme stern, and pushes the +boat along with a light pole, at a great rate. There are often setting +races at local regattas, and great fun they are. + + [Picture: Hickling Staithe] + +The number of broken-up lateeners on the shores of the Broad attest the +decay of large pleasure-boat sailing on these remote waters, but the +smaller class of centre-board boats are coming into favour, and are, +perhaps, more suitable. + +After lunch we had to reef the great foresail, which was not an easy +operation, as the reef was taken in along the yard, and we had to go into +the jolly boat to get to the end of it. The jolly boat committed a joke +its species is very fond of, under similar circumstances; that is, it +slipped away from under one of us, and left him clinging to the yard, +with his legs in the water. + + [Picture: Martham Broad] + +I shall never forget three days I spent, on Whiteslea and Heigham Sound, +for the fishing and fowling, one December with a friend. I stayed in the +little cottage on the small island in Whiteslea. We had two boats and +two men to attend to us during the day, but at night we were left to +ourselves in the lonely house, where the water oozed through the floor, +and the beds were so damp that I slept completely clothed in my oilies. +There was a bitter north-easter sweeping over the dry reeds under a +leaden sky, and the sport was of the slowest. I never felt the cold so +much, accustomed though I am to winter pike-fishing. + + [Picture: Decorative chapter header] + + + + +CHAPTER XI. +HORSEY MERE AND SOMERTON BROAD. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] It was exhilarating work sailing over +Hickling Broad, and we were very loth to leave its wind-swept waters. We +had a rare run back along the channel, and over Whiteslea, and then +turned sharp to the left, up the Old Meadow dyke leading to Horsey Mere. +This dyke is a mile long, and of fair depth, but so narrow that people +fishing on the banks had to hold up their rods as we passed, while our +sail swept the tops of the reeds. Then we shot into Horsey Mere, a lake +of 130 acres in extent, with a small island in the middle. It was very +clear, and very shallow, the channel for wherries lying along the west +side of it, into Palling dyke, which leads north-westward for several +miles until it reaches almost to the sea. + +The white sand-hills on the coast were plainly visible, and the thunder +of the surf was audible, as the sea was but a mile and a half away. We +did what nearly every one else does who visits Horsey in a yacht; landed +at the east end of it, and walked to the coast, but it was too rough to +bathe. These sand-hills form a very curious barrier between the salt and +fresh water. They are steep and high, and make one wonder by what force +of wind and waves they attained their present shape and dimensions, in so +flat a country, and why the like forces do not dissipate them over the +plain. Breaches have been made in them by the sea, from time to time, +notably in the winter of 1791, when a very high tide made several gaps, +and threatened to overwhelm the marshes inland. + +"I like this Mere as well as any of the Broads," said Wynne, when we +returned to the yacht. "It is so very still and lonely, and its quiet is +in such contrast to the roar and unrest of the sea close by. Is the +fishing free here?" + +"No, it is supposed to be preserved, though I don't suppose anyone will +object to our catching a pike for supper, if you wish. There are no pike +like those in Horsey, the proverb says." + +But the wind had fallen as suddenly as it arose, and the glamour of a +fiery sunset shone over the silent mere. An occasional cry of coot, or +duck, or splash of fish, and the distant sound of the sea, but emphasized +the stillness around us. We sat on the cabin roof, and talked lazily, as +the dusk came slowly on, and our voices were low, in unison with the +evening hush. + +"I do not wonder," said Wynne, "that you are so fond of these waters. An +evening like this, in such watery solitude, makes a strong impression +upon one." + +Horsey Mere is only accessible by water. There is a railway +station--Martham--about four miles off, but if you walked from there you +could get no sight of the Broad without a boat, and boats are not +procurable. + +"What are these cushions stuffed with?" asked Wynne, as we lay down for +the night. + +"Horse-hair, I expect; but then age has made them hard and crabbed." + +"Well, I think that the sleeping accommodation might be vastly improved +in your Norfolk boats generally. Canvas cots or hammocks, air beds and +pillows, would all be better than the thin cushions there are in the +cutter. I sha'n't sleep to-night, for I have pins and needles all over +me already." + +And in five minutes he was snoring! One could sleep on a deal plank, or +even on an oak one, after a few days and nights on the Broads. + +We woke very early in the morning, and found that a brisk breeze had +sprung up, and that the lateener had dragged her moorings and drifted +into the reeds. She had taken no harm, for, short of being run down by a +wherry, there are no dangers of shipwreck on the Broads, and you might +drift about unmoored, for all the hurt there is likely to accrue. + + [Picture: Sound Asleep] + +After a hurried breakfast we hoisted the foresail, and tore down the dyke +into Heigham Sounds, across which we sped fast, throwing the shallow +water into waves, which shook the reeds mightily. When we emerged from +Kendal dyke into the main stream, we turned to the left, and in less than +a mile reached Martham Ferry, which was stretched across the river while +some wagons were passing across. This ferry is a large raft, which is +kept in a recess on either side of the river, and floated across, +reaching from bank to bank when required. There is no one to tend it, +and if it happens to be on the other side, a wayfarer must wait until +some one appears on the other side to get it across. It is a wonderfully +clumsy thing to look at, and is not regarded with friendly eyes by the +wherrymen, who run their wherries full tilt against it too often at +night, or when, with the wind astern, they are unable to stop. One +wherryman, exasperated beyond endurance, let his wherry go at it with all +her force when running before half a gale, but only smashed the bows of +his vessel, not moving the ferry a bit or injuring it, for it is heavily +bound with iron to withstand such experiments. + +We sailed to and fro until the wagons had passed, but a wherry coming up +had to lower her sail in a hurry, and then struck the raft with great +force before it could be drawn away. This jammed it diagonally across +the river, and it was half an hour before it could be moved. + +At the other side of the ferry, and at the mouth of a dyke, is a capital +place for pike and large eels, and I can conceive of no better-looking +pike place than the mile of stream between here and Somerton or Martham +Broad. The water is deep and clear, with a stratum of lily leaves, about +four feet below the surface, and here and there lilies on the surface. +As we sailed over its glassy surface, not ruffled by the crossing wind, +on account of the high reeds and grasses, we could see thousands of fish +of all sizes darting away beneath us; and at the end of the main dyke, +where it divides into two, is a deep, clear pool, with a hard, gravelly +bottom, where there are any quantity of perch and large roach. It is the +beau-ideal of a spot for bottom-fishing, but "fine and far off" must you +fish, for the water, though deep, is passing clear. It is easily +accessible from Martham railway station, and preferably from Potter +Heigham, where, too, you could procure a boat. + +The right-hand dyke leads to Somerton Broad, another reed-surrounded +lake, possessing no particular merit. From Martham ferry we walked up a +steep road to the village, lying around a broad green, and had we time we +would have ascended the tower of the church, which is a conspicuous +object for miles, and from which a splendid view of sea and lake is +attainable. + +In the church we noted a tablet to one Burraway, whose history is told +there, but is too unpleasant to be more than referred to here. + +After being so long on board a small vessel, one's legs become cramped +and unfit for walking, and the walk to Martham and back, only a couple of +miles, quite tired us, and we were glad to get back to our little craft. +In half an hour's time we were passing under Heigham Bridge, and watching +our man playing a seven-pound pike in the pool below. On the bank, by +the cutter, he had arranged for our inspection a score of bream, from one +pound to three pounds in weight, which he and another had caught early +that morning and the night before. + +Before turning our faces again towards Yarmouth, it may be mentioned that +yachts may safely be moored to the bank anywhere above Acle, care being +taken to avoid the obviously shallow parts. + +In many places you will notice the eel-sets, which are fixed nets across +the river for the purpose of intercepting the silver-bellied eels on +their migration to the sea. These nets are only set at night, and there +is a man in charge (sheltered in a rough sort of house-boat or hut), to +lower the nets when craft are passing, so that they do not obstruct the +navigation. Immense quantities of eels are caught in these nets, and it +has been proved by an inquiry conducted by the Yare Preservation Society, +that other fishes are not caught therein, and that the sport of the +anglers is in no wise interfered with. + + [Picture: Decorative chapter end] + + [Picture: Decorative chapter header] + + + + +CHAPTER XII. +BACK TO YARMOUTH. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] It was two o'clock when we hoisted a +reefed sail on the cutter, leaving the lateener in charge of the owner, +who had joined us, and it was three o'clock when we reached Acle bridge, +having done the seven miles in the hour, wind and tide with us. We left +Acle at four, being much delayed in lowering and raising the mast, and +reached Yarmouth (12 miles) by half-past five; so we made a pretty quick +passage. We laid by the "Ale Stores" for the night, and were very +careful to have the yacht strongly moored, for the tide runs fast. We +were interested in the way the wherries dropped down out of the North +River, with lowered masts, and a chain or weight out over the bows, so as +to retard their speed, as they drifted stern first, steering, of course, +by the pressure of the faster-flowing tide against the rudder. We had +intended to drop down in a similar way, through the swing bridge just +below us, and to go, by sea, to Lowestoft, a distance of only eight +miles; but as the wind kept getting up, and Breydon was white with foam, +we put off making up our minds until the morning, for the +disproportionate bowsprits and open wells of the river yachts are not +very suitable for sea work. + +Of course, we strolled upon the pier, and then returned to the quay-side +by moonlight. We found that it was dead low water, and that the yacht +had receded so much below the level of the quay, that no plank within +reach would touch her. The man was in the forepeak fast asleep, and it +was a long time before we could wake him, and then we jumped on to some +wherries lying near, and he brought the jolly to us. + +[Picture: Perch] We woke at times during the night, and felt the boat +swaying, and heard the wind howling in the rigging to a very pretty tune. +In the morning there was no abatement, and although it was off the land, +we shirked the wetting we should get at sea, and decided to go over +Breydon, and up the Waveney. As the tide would not make until the middle +of the morning, we took the jolly and rowed down to the harbour mouth at +Gorleston. It is interesting to note how, for three miles, the river +flows parallel with the sea, and, on the average, under half a mile from +it, the dividing land being nothing more substantial than shingle and +sand. Deeply interesting is it, also, to read of the early struggles of +the inhabitants of Yarmouth to maintain a navigable waterway. Sometimes +the river would open a new outlet for itself, and sometimes they made a +new one for it; and, time after time, the river mouth got silted up with +the wearing away of this soft eastern shore. Even now there is often +insufficient water at the bar for deeply-laden vessels of ordinary size, +and the entrance is particularly unsafe for sailing vessels to enter +unassisted at certain times. Picturesque sights abound on the river, and +the quays. Fishing smacks taking their brown nets on board from carts +ranged alongside; boats of every form and size hauled up on the beach; +vessels building; and vessels in dry docks, undergoing repairs; a regular +covey of smacks, in tow of a powerful steam tug, and hundreds of similar +sights of deep interest to a man bitten with the joint love of the water +and the picturesque. + + [Picture: Decorative chapter header] + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. +YARMOUTH TO SOMERLEYTON. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] On reaching the yacht, after rowing +back with the first of the flow, we started with two reefs down to beat +over Breydon, on which the wind against the tide raised a respectable +sea. There was a great deal of weight in the wind, for it was veering +towards the south-west, having been north-west all night, and a strong +south-west wind is generally full of puffs and squalls. Many times we +had the water over the coamings of the well, and the lee plankways were +always awash. + +"This is something like fun!" gasped Wynne, as he eased off the jib sheet +to a squall, and the salt foam dashed in his face; "but there won't be +much skin left on my hands by the time we get to the top of Breydon. +These enormous jibs are horrible things to have to work. If the yachts +had finer bows, they would not want nearly so much head-sail, and would +go as fast, if not faster." + +This was heresy to our man, who had seen no other rig for river boats all +his life, and he and Wynne had a heated argument on the matter, without +either being much the wiser. + +On reaching the top of Breydon, we turned to the left, up the Waveney, +for half a mile, as far as Burgh Castle, passing over the dreaded Burgh +flats, where a wherry and a yacht were both hard aground, waiting for the +tide to float them off. The deep water channel is not near the line of +posts as one would imagine, but close along the west shore. We touched +two or three times, but did not stick, and at last moored alongside a +wherry, and landed to inspect the ruins on the top of the hill. No one +passing along these waters should miss the ruins of Burgh Castle, a Roman +station of great interest. + +There is a very extensive stretch of massive wall, with towers at +intervals, and at the corners; and we spent a considerable time in making +sketches of the ruins, and admiring the extensive view. + +We could, if we chose, continue on up the Waveney, but the next five +miles of river are narrow, uninteresting, and with a heavy run of tide, +while at the end is a fixed bridge--St. Olave's, where the mast would +have to be lowered. So we turned back into the Yare, and sailed up to +the mouth of the new cut at Reedham. This is a ship canal, about three +miles long, connecting the Yare with the Waveney. The tide flows and +ebbs from the Reedham end of it. It is perfectly straight, and if the +wind should be straight up or down it, there is nothing for it but to +tow. Now, however, we had a beam wind, and tore along merrily enough. +But trouble was in store for us. The canal is wide enough, but it is not +kept "didled" out ("didling," or "dydling," being a Norfolk term for +dredging, with scoops at the end of poles, and lifting the mud on to the +banks), and the sides are very shallow. In the distance, we saw a large +_billy-boy_, or topsail smack, from the Thames, and as we approached, it +became only too plain from the rake of her mast, that she was aground in +the very middle of the channel. We got the mainsail down directly, and +ran along under the jib, and then, as we expected, ran aground alongside +of her. A wherry coming behind lowered her sail, and stopped in time. +The smack was laden with rice for Messrs. Colmans' Works, and her +skipper, instead of going round by Yarmouth, had tried the short cut by +Lowestoft. After much shoving and towing we got past, and left the smack +patiently waiting the rise of the tide, or the arrival of a tug. + +[Since the foregoing was written, the Cut has been much improved in depth +by dredging, and piling the banks.] + +There is very good fishing to be had in the cut, and the banks are sound +and dry, which is a rare thing on these rivers. There is a lift-bridge +at Haddiscoe railway station, near the end of the cut, which takes some +time to get opened; this is a great inconvenience, and even a serious +matter when you are sailing fast, as there is not room to come about. +They also sometimes fail to open the bridge wide enough, and some time +since a large yacht had her mainsail torn as she passed through, by its +catching on the corner of the uplifted bridge. A toll of 1s. for each +yacht is taken, and a man holds out a bag on the end of a pole to receive +it. The toll for wherries depends in amount upon whether they have the +bridge opened for them or go through with mast lowered, and at night a +chain used to be put across to prevent them stealing through unobserved, +but the chain was frequently "charged" at full speed, and broken. + +In a quarter of a mile we emerged into the Waveney, and, looking back, we +could see St. Olave's bridge, a rather handsome structure. There are a +few houses grouped rather prettily, and a good inn, the "Bell," close by +the Bridge, a quarter of a mile from Haddiscoe station, and about a mile +from Fritton Decoy, a favourite lake for fishing, which we shall +afterwards mention. + + [Picture: Somerleyton Hall] + +We then passed through a railway swing bridge, where the East Suffolk +Railway passes over, and sailed without further incident some two miles +further to another swing bridge at Somerleyton, where the Lowestoft line +passes over. This bridge is the worst on the rivers to pass when wind +and tide are against you, as they so frequently are, and I am always glad +to be well clear of its piles and projections, through which the tide +swirls so swiftly. + +The reach below the bridge used to be the best in the whole river for +pike, but the greater run of tide in recent years and the salter water +has spoiled the pike fishing, for which one has now to go higher up the +river. + +There is a very good inn at the top of the bank to the west of the line, +called the "Duke's Head," and a very beautiful belt of woods skirts the +marshes on the east side of the river, where some delicious "bits" may be +obtained, and birds, butterflies, and flowers abound. + +[Picture: Dace] Somerleyton village is well worth a visit, for the owner +of the estate has built some most artistic cottages and houses, which, +with another score of years' wear, will be beautiful. The hall, occupied +by Sir Savile Crossley, M.P., stands in a sylvan park. + + [Picture: Decorative chapter header] + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. +FROM SOMERLEYTON TO BECCLES. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] The angling in all this part of the +Waveney is extremely good, and the bream and roach are of large size. It +is not nearly so much frequented as the other rivers or the upper part of +the Waveney, and is practically unfished, on account of the difficulty in +obtaining boats, there being no boating-station nearer than Oulton Broad, +five miles away. Still, it is worth while rowing from Oulton Broad, half +way to Somerleyton, for the takes of bream there lately have been +wonderful, both as to size and number. The river is broad and deep, and +one part is as good as another, provided that you select a sufficient +depth of water. + +We had no time to fish, and as a matter of fact I cannot stay to fish, if +there is a good breeze blowing; sailing first, fishing after! + +We lay to at the mouth of Oulton dyke, to get our lunch, which we had put +off rather too long. The dyke is nearly as broad as the river, and a +mile and a half long, leading to Oulton Broad, which we intended to +visit, after going up the Waveney to Beccles. At the junction of the +dyke with the river there is an excellent fishing spot, with a great +depth of water. While we lay there, a large two-masted vessel, a +brigantine of 100 tons, came along the dyke at a good pace, with topsails +only set, and looked as if she were going to scoop all the water out of +the river with her great bluff bows. Her crew were pointing out to us, +as we lay on the Waveney, and presently the hail came across the narrow +neck of marsh, "Do we turn up past you to go to Beccles?" + +"Yes, sharp to port; right around!" + +The topsails came down, and the mainsail went up with great celerity, and +with the aid of her aft canvas, and the helm hard over, she came round +the acute angle of the sharp bend with creditable quickness, looking a +veritable Goliath on those comparatively narrow waters. As she was now +head to wind, down came her canvas, and half-a-dozen men went ashore with +a long line to tow, and tow they did all the way to Beccles, 13 miles, by +which time they must have had enough of it. She was in sight all day +over the marsh. + +After lunch, we sailed up the Waveney, having to tack a good portion of +the way; but the river is so tortuous that some of the reaches can be +sailed whichever way the wind is, without tacking. + +"How remarkably clear the water is!" remarked Wynne. + +"Yes, those weeds you see are 14 feet at least below us, and the river is +deep close up to the banks. It is a very pleasant river to sail upon." + +"And what a lot of small fish there are!" + +"Yes. The Waveney ought to be the best bottom-fishing river in England, +it is so deep, clear, and sweet, but the poachers used to harry it +dreadfully, with their long, small-meshed nets, and it was even _trawled_ +up by smacks, to get bait for sea-fishing, but the Norfolk and Suffolk +Fisheries Act has stopped all that, or nearly all, and the river is +rapidly recovering itself. There are some very large perch in it, and +wherever you see the bank gravelly and free from reeds, the bottom will +be hard too, and a haunt of perch. Look at those bulrushes." + +"What huge ones, and what a quantity of them!" + +"Yes, the marshmen sometimes dry the heads, and rub them up to stuff +pillows and cushions with." + +On the north bank is the church of Burgh St. Peter, the tower of which is +built in gradually-lessening steps, and presents a very strange, +un-English appearance. + +The sail up to Beccles is a very pleasant one, and pretty bits +continually present themselves. Two miles below Beccles there is a swing +railway bridge, which is tolerably easy to get through, as there is not a +great rush of tide through it, as under the bridges lower down. + +Beccles church had been a prominent object all the way, and when we +arrived at Sayer's Grove, so prettily sylvan a place that we decided to +stay there the night, we went in the useful jolly another mile to Beccles +bridge, 23 miles from Yarmouth, until lately a narrow arched stone +structure, but now replaced by a wider and more convenient bridge. +Passing through, we skirted the town of Beccles, until we came below the +church, a sight no one should miss who is in the neighbourhood. Viewed +from the river, it stands on the brow of a hill, in a commanding +position. Landing, we climbed up a series of steps and reached the +churchyard, whence a splendid view westward is obtained, the river +winding in and out through the green marshes towards Bungay. The south +doorway of the church is richly ornamented, but the peculiar feature of +the church is that the tower, a very high and massive structure, is +separate from it. + +Beccles is a quiet, old-fashioned place, with good railway accommodation, +as a glance at the map will show. It is a cheap place to live in, as +there are no heavy rates, these being defrayed by the letting of valuable +marshes belonging to the town. It is a healthy little place, and pretty +withal, and would, I think, be a capital place for retired persons with +small incomes to settle in. + +The river is navigable for wherries and small yachts, for about ten miles +further up to Bungay, but the navigation is rather troublesome, and there +are two or three locks to be passed through. + +It is worth while to row up the river a few miles to Shipmeadow lock. +The river all the way is very pretty, with crystal clear water, and the +lock itself is quaint and old-fashioned. + + [Picture: River Waveney] + +After laying in some stores we returned to the yacht, and spent a +peaceful evening in the shadow of the wooded hill, beneath which we were +moored. + + [Picture: Decorative chapter header] + + + + +CHAPTER XV. +OULTON BROAD. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] In the night we were awakened by the +sound of very heavy rain pattering on the deck and cabin roof, and +presently we discovered that the recent very dry weather had opened the +seams of the wood, and sundry persistent droppings evaded our attempts to +escape them. + +"My nose is wearing away with one dreadful drop." + +"Then open your mouth and catch it. Oh!" + +"What's the matter?" + +"A drop went splash into my eye!" + +We made merry for a time, but presently it clearly became a case of "a +drop too much," and we sat up in despair. Just as things were getting +uncomfortably wet, the storm passed off, and the morning dawned with a +wondrous clearness and brilliance, while the air was full of the sweet, +earthy scents that arise after rain. The reeds were fresher and greener, +and the grasses and flowers glittered in the sun, like the radiant +ripples on the water. And so, amid the songs of birds and the quickened +joy of nature, we bowled along down the Waveney at a merry pace, and in +two hours we had reached the mouth of Oulton Dyke, the sharp turn into +which necessitated a heavy gibe. + + [Picture: Oulton Broad] + +A mile and a half of this and Oulton Broad opened out before us. This is +the most civilized of all the Broads, and is always gay with yachts +sailing about, and populous with yachts lying at their moorings. It is +of an irregular shape, and in the bight, or "ham," at the north-east end +of it, the yachts are thickly clustered. Also, for what reason it is +hard to say, many of the old and worn-out fishing smacks of Lowestoft are +brought into this corner, and moored against the bank, where very many of +them have sunk, and all are picturesque in the extreme. Some large sea +yachts also use this bight as a laying-up place for the winter. The +river yachts and sailing boats are of every size and rig, and a paddle in +and out among them is of interest to a nautical mind. At the lower end +of the lake is a lock which gives access for sea-going vessels to Lake +Lothing, which is a tidal lake, two miles long, ending in Lowestoft +harbour and the sea. By the lock is one of the most charming hostelries +it is possible to conceive. It ought to be called the "Angler's Rest," +were it not already called the "Wherry Hotel." Here there is capital +accommodation for anglers, and boats, bait, etc., are provided at +reasonable rates. There is also another comfortable inn, called the +"Commodore," and there are two smaller inns, the "Waveney Hotel"--the +landlord of which, George Smith, is an excellent waterman--and the "Lady +of the Lake." The railway station is close by, and is now called Oulton +Broad Station, but was formerly Mutford, that being the name of the +village at the east end of the Broad. The village is very prettily +situated between the two lakes, and is only two miles from the sea. +There are lodgings to be had there, and for a place combining the +attractions of lake, river, and sea, it has few equals. Of course, the +Broad is within easy reach of Lowestoft, the most attractive +watering-place on the coast of Norfolk and Suffolk. It has a fine pier, +good houses, cliffs, a capital harbour for yachts, a harbour for fishing +vessels, where the artist will find much that is picturesque, and an old +part of the town on the higher ground to the north, which has many +features of interest. It has not the noise and bustle of Yarmouth, but +it is gay enough for reasonable people. + +At Lowestoft, facing the harbour, is the club house of the Norfolk and +Suffolk Yacht Club, and annual visitors to Lowestoft would find it an +advantage to join the Yacht Club for the sake of the conveniences +afforded by the club-house. + +Oulton Broad has plenty of fish in it, and the fishing is free. When the +rivers are flooded, and the rank water off the marshes pours into the +river, the fish of all kinds crowd into the purer waters of the Broad in +surprising numbers. Formerly it was noted for its perch, but for some +time they appear to have decreased in numbers. Lately, however, they +have been more freely caught. In a few more years the benefits of the +Norfolk and Suffolk Fisheries Act will be more widely felt, as the +abundance of small fish in the rivers plainly testifies. Pike are +present sometimes in great quantity, but the supply seems to fluctuate +considerably. For a few weeks each season they seem to be uncommonly +numerous, and large catches are made. Then they fall off, and none are +caught for some time. + +The shooting on the Broad is also free, and in the large room at the +"Wherry Inn" is a most attractive collection of fishes and birds, which +have met their death in this locality. + +The most interesting and tantalizing inhabitant of the Broad is the grey +mullet, large shoals of which may be seen disporting themselves on the +surface. They run to a large size, and seem to average two or three +pounds in weight. Anglers cannot catch them as a general rule, but some +persons say that they have succeeded, using small hooks baited with +strange baits, such as the beard of an oyster, or a bit of boiled cabbage +stump. I fancy that by using a fly cast, buoyed at intervals by bits of +cork, and having small hooks baited with gentles, and then paying out a +long line so as to cover a shoal, some sport might be had. At all +events, the experiment is worth trying some day when there is no wind for +sailing. The mullet, when alarmed by a net or other obstruction, has a +habit of leaping high out of the water, and frequently leaps into boats. +Once, while I was sailing through Reedham Bridge, a grey mullet, of four +pounds in weight, leaped into the jolly-boat towing astern, and was +captured. + +[Picture: Ruffe] At Oulton the mullet are often shot with arrows having +heavy lines attached, while they are accidentally confined in the lock +between the Broad and Lake Lothing. + +Well, we spent the rest of our holiday at Oulton, and as I was saying +good-bye to Wynne at the station, I asked him what he thought of the +Broads. + +"The finest places for boat-sailing and bottom-fishing in England. I +shall bring a boat here in the winter for wild-fowl shooting on Breydon, +and I shall certainly come again next summer." + +So ended our cruise. + + [Picture: Decorative chapter header] + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. +ORMESBY AND FRITTON. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] There are still some very important +Broads in Norfolk and Suffolk, which I could not mention in an account of +a cruise, because they are not accessible from the navigable waters, and, +as a matter of fact, I know comparatively little about them for that +reason. There are the Ormesby, Filby and Rollesby Broads, lying together +in a straggling group four or five miles north-eastward of Acle. +Altogether, they contain 800 acres of water, but much of this is +overgrown by reeds. The Muck Fleet, which we passed below Acle Bridge, +is their outlet into the river Bure. They are very easily accessible +from Yarmouth by rail to Ormesby station, on the North Norfolk Railway, +and boats may be obtained at the Eel's Foot, and the Sportsman's Arms, +the former having fair staying accommodation. The fishing is free, at +all events to persons going to the houses named, and uncommonly good +sport is to be had amongst pike, rudd, and bream, the number of a catch +being counted by the hundred, and the weight by the stone. For fishing, +pure and simple, Ormesby Broad is as good a place as any to visit. + + [Picture: Fritton Decoy] + +The other lake I have not described is Fritton Decoy, a long curving +lake, about a mile from St. Olave's station, on the Yarmouth and +Lowestoft Railway, and Haddiscoe station, on the Norwich and Lowestoft +Railway. It is only open to anglers from April to September, being +closed the rest of the year, to protect the wild-fowl decoys, which are +still worked on it, by the two proprietors. For a note upon these +decoys, and others in Norfolk, I must refer the reader to a paper upon +decoys, written by Mr. Thos. Southwell, F.Z.S., published in a new +edition of that most fascinating book, Lubbock's "Fauna of Norfolk," +issued by the publishers of this book, and for descriptive accounts to my +own larger book, "Norfolk Broads and Rivers," published by Wm. Blackwood +and Sons. + +Fritton is an exceedingly beautiful Broad, and its waters are very deep. +It is, in fact, a lake, rather than a Broad proper. It is extremely well +stocked with fish, and good sport may generally be obtained there. Boats +can be obtained at "Fritton Old Hall." + + [Picture: Decorative chapter end] + + [Picture: Decorative chapter header] + + + + +APPENDIX. +RAILWAY ACCESS TO FISHING STATIONS. + + +[Picture: Decorative drop capital] To begin with, it may be well to state +that Norwich itself can be reached from London by two lines of +railway--one via Colchester and Ipswich, and the other by Cambridge and +Ely, the journey taking from three to four hours. From Norwich, Yarmouth +and Lowestoft may be reached in an hour of slow travelling, and as the +line runs by the river the whole way, and every station is convenient for +fishing purposes, it will be desirable to give a list of them, with +remarks upon the adjacent fishing places. + + + +WHITLINGHAM. + + +This is too close to Norwich for very good fishing, although occasionally +the fish seem to head up, and good takes are to be had. Good rowing +boats may be obtained at Thorpe Gardens, five minutes' walk from the +station. Omnibuses ply between the Gardens and Norwich every hour. The +reach of the old river is very lovely. + + + +BRUNDALL + + +Is the station for "Coldham Hall," at which inn visitors can be +accommodated. The inn is ten minutes' walk from the station down the +river, and across the ferry. There are plenty of boats, and the place is +much frequented. From here down to Buckenham Ferry there are large +numbers of pike, and it is customary to row down trailing a bait behind. +Roach and bream are plentiful. + + + +BUCKENHAM FERRY. + + +From this station you have ten minutes' walk down to the Ferry, where +boats are to be obtained, and the fishing generally is good. + + + +CANTLEY. + + +Close by the station is the "Red House" Inn, where there is good +accommodation for visitors. Boats can be had. The fish, as a rule, run +larger here than higher up. The water is deep and the tide swift. When +the water is fairly clear, some good pike may be had. + + + +REEDHAM. + + +The "Ferry" Inn is ten minutes' walk. Good accommodation. The bream run +large, so do the perch, of which there used to be large numbers _under +the ferry boat_. + +The line divides at Reedham, one part going to Yarmouth and the other to +Lowestoft. There is no fishing place on the Yarmouth branch, but on the +Lowestoft line there are-- + + + +HADDISCOE, + + +whence the Cut may be fished. Boats are difficult to obtain, but the +landlord of the "Bell" Inn, at St. Olave's bridge, might procure you one. +This is the station for Fritton Decoy. + + + +SOMERLEYTON. + + +This would be an excellent fishing station if boats could be procured, +but you cannot rely upon being able to borrow one. The porters at the +swing-bridge, or the landlord of the "Duke's Head," might direct you +where to obtain a boat. I think the latter has one or two. The bream +are very large and numerous. The good fishing in this part of the river +has been exemplified by Mr. Winch, of Norwich, who has taken 8 stone in a +day--five bream weighing 20 lbs., and one bream weighing 6.75 lbs. + + + +OULTON BROAD. + + +See the last chapter for full information as to this important fishing +station. + +Another line from Norwich leads to-- + + + +WROXHAM. + + +7 miles. The river is full of roach, bream, perch, and pike, although it +is much fished. Boats at Jimpson's or Whittaker's, where there is also +fair accommodation for visitors. The Broad is a mile and a half down +stream, from the bridge. It can be fished by permission only. Tickets +to fish on the Broad can be obtained through Mr. C. J. Greene, Fishing +Tackle Maker, London Street, Norwich, at 2s. 6d. per boat. + + + +COLTISHALL. + + +Two miles further. The fishing is much better here than is generally +supposed, but boats are not plentiful. Enquire at the waterside who is +likely to have one at liberty. + +The Eastern and Midlands line runs from Yarmouth through the heart of the +Broad District to North Walsham, on the Norwich, Wroxham, and Cromer +line. The stations from Yarmouth are-- + + + +ORMESBY. + + +A mile and a half from its Broads, about 200 acres of which are free. +The fishing is as good as it can be for pike, rudd, roach, and bream. +Boats at the "Eel's Foot" and "Sportsman's Arms." Staying accommodation +at the former. + + + +MARTHAM. + + +Not far from the river Thurne, but the next station is more convenient. + + + +POTTER HEIGHAM. + + +Inns, the "Falgate" and "Waterman's Arms," where there is staying +accommodation. Good boats at Applegate's. The river Thurne and the +channels through Heigham Sounds and Hickling swarm with bream, rudd, +perch, roach, pike, and eels. + + + +CATFIELD. + + +The nearest station to Hickling, but not so convenient for boats. + + + +STALHAM. + + +Barton Broad is within a mile and a half, where the fishing is excellent. +Plenty of boats obtainable at the end of the dyke. Inns, the "Maid's +Head" and the "Swan," both very comfortable. Stalham is a pretty +village. + +Thence to North Walsham there is no fishing station of interest. + +On the direct line between Yarmouth and Lowestoft, ST. OLAVE'S is the +nearest station to Fritton. + + + +ACLE + + +Is now a station on the new line between Norwich and Yarmouth, joining +the old line at Brundall. + +Of places not accessible by rail, the chief is Horning Ferry, on the +Bure, where there is a capital inn to stay at, kept by a good host and +sportsman, Mr. Thompson, who can be relied upon to make his visitors +comfortable. At Horning village, the "New" Inn deserves mention, and +boats can be procured there. Horning is about four miles' drive from +Wroxham, and ten from Norwich. + +The reader is requested to look at the Map, and note the relative +position of the various places. As to fishing, it can hardly be said +that one is better than another, for all are so good. + + + + +NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK FISHERIES ACT. + + +Under this Act, which was passed in 1877, certain Bye-laws have been +made, with which the reader should make himself acquainted. + + APPROVED BYE-LAWS. + + CLOSE TIME--ALL WATERS. + +1. No person shall fish for, catch, take, or kill, or attempt to +catch, take, or kill, otherwise than by rod and line, within the +limits of the above Act, any Trout, between the 10th day of +September and the 25th day of January, both days inclusive, or any +other kind of fish, between the 1st day of March and the 30th day +of June, both days inclusive, except Smelts, Bait, and Eels, as +hereinafter provided. + NETS GENERALLY. +2. No person shall, for the purpose of taking Fish within the + limits of the above Act, do any of the following things:-- + 1. Use or attempt to use any Net between one hour + after sunset and one hour before sunrise, except + in the River Ouse below Denver Sluice, and in + the River Nene below Wisbeach Bridge. + 2. Use or attempt to use, at any time before the + 30th day of June, 1890, for the purpose of + taking Fish, other than Tench, Smelts, Bait, and + Eels, any Net having a mesh of less dimensions + when wet than three inches from knot to knot, + measured on each side of the square, or twelve + inches all round. + 3. Use or attempt to use any Net having a wall or + facing, with a mesh of less dimensions when wet + than seven inches from knot to knot, measured on + each side of the square, or 28 inches all round. + 4. Use or attempt to use, in any navigable river, + any Bow Net. + 5. Use or attempt to use, in any navigable river, + any Drag Net having a poke or pocket. + 6. Use or attempt to use a drag net of any kind in + the under-mentioned waters:-- + 1. The River Yare or Wensum-- + + 2. The River Waveney-- + + 3. The River Bure, below the lower entrance + into Wroxham Broad-- + + 4. The River Ant, below the lower entrance into + Barton Broad-- + + 5. The River Thurne, below the entrance into + Somerton Broad-- + except with the previous permission in writing + of the Board of Conservators, under their Common + Seal. +3. No person shall, within the limits of the above Act, use or +attempt to use, any net for taking Fish, unless it is sufficiently +weighted to sink vertically in the water, or take, or attempt to +take, Fish by placing two or more Nets behind or near to each +other, or use any other device or artifice so as practically to +diminish the size of the mesh of any net allowed to be used by +these Bye-Laws, or to evade this provision. + PROHIBITING USE OF TRIMMERS, &C., IN NAVIGABLE RIVERS. +4. No person shall use, or attempt to use, any Trimmer, Ligger, +Dead Line, or Snare, or any like Instrument or Engine, for the +purpose of taking Fish in any navigable river within the limits of +the above Act, except Lines for taking Eels as hereinafter +provided. + TAKING SMELTS.--RIVERS YARE AND WENSUM. +5. No person shall, within the limits of the above Act, use, or +attempt to use, any Net in the River Yare or Wensum for the purpose +of taking Smelts, except a Cast Net or Drop Net, between the 10th +day of March and the 12th day of May, both days inclusive, and then +only between the New Mills, in the parish of Saint Swithin, in the +City of Norwich, or Trowse Bridge, in Trowse, or Trowse Newton, and +the junction of the Rivers Yare and Wensum at a place known as +Trowse Hythe, and between Hardley Cross and the junction of the +Rivers Yare and Waveney. +6. No person shall use, or attempt to use, a Cast Net or Drop Net +exceeding 16 feet in diameter, in the River Yare or Wensum, within +the limits of the above Act. + TAKING SMELTS.--RIVER WAVENEY. +7. No person shall, within the limits of the above Act, use, or +attempt to use, in the River Waveney, above the Burgh Cement works, +any Net for the purpose of taking Smelts, except between the 10th +day of March and the 12th day of May, both days inclusive, and then +only at the places and by the means hereinafter mentioned, viz., +between Rose Hall Fleet, and the Boat-house Hill, near Beccles, and +in the pen of Shipmeadow Lock, by a Cast Net or Drop Net not +exceeding 16 feet in diameter, and if any such Net be used between +one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise, the same shall +be used with a light or flare, and not otherwise. + TAKING SMELTS.--RIVERS OUSE, NAR, AND NENE. +8. No person shall, within the limits of the above Act, take or +kill, or attempt to take or kill, Smelts in the Rivers Ouse, Nar, +or Nene, between the 1st day of April and the 31st day of August, +both days inclusive. +9. No person shall, within the limits of the above Act, use or +attempt to use, in the Rivers Ouse, Nar, or Nene, for the purpose +of taking Smelts, any Net having a mesh of less dimensions, when +wet, than five-eighths of an inch from knot to knot, measured on +each side of the square. + TAKING SMELTS.--BREYDON WATER. +10. No person shall, within the limits of the above Act, use, or +attempt to use, in the water known as Breydon Water, for the +purpose of taking Smelts, any Net in the months of May, June, July, +and August, or any Net between the 1st day of September and the +30th day of April, both days inclusive, having a mesh of less +dimensions, when wet, than five-eighths of an inch from knot to +knot, measured on each side of the square. + TAKING BAIT.--NAVIGABLE RIVERS. +11. No person shall, for the purpose of taking Bait in any +navigable river within the limits of the above Act (except in the +River Ouse below Denver Sluice, and in the River Nene below +Wisbeach Bridge), use any Net other than a Cast Net, or any Cast +Net having a mesh of less dimensions, when wet, than five-eighths +of an inch from knot to knot, measured on each side of the square. + TAKING BAIT.--ALL WATERS. +12. No person shall, within the limits of the above Act, use, or +attempt to use, any Cast Net exceeding twelve yards in +circumference, between the 11th day of October and the 1st day of +April in each year, or any Cast Net exceeding eight yards in +circumference at any other time of the year, or any such net, +having a sack, or purse exceeding fourteen inches in depth, when +extended, for the purpose of taking Fish for Bait; and the word +"Bait" shall mean Roach, Rudd or Roud, Bream, Dace, Ruff or Pope, +Gudgeons, and Minnows, measuring less than eight inches from the +nose to the fork of the tail. +13. No person shall, within the limits of the above Act, Net for +Bait at any time on a Sunday; and no person shall, within such +limits, Net for Bait at any time on a week-day except between one +hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset, nor unless such Bait +is for use in angling, or trolling, or taking Eels within the +limits of the above Act. + TAKING EELS.--RIVERS YARE AND WENSUM, ABOVE HARDLEY CROSS. +14. No person shall, for the purpose of taking Eels in the Rivers +Yare and Wensum, above Hardley Cross, do any of the following +things:-- + 1. Use or attempt to use in the months of + April, May, and June, a line with a hook or + hooks, except in connection with a rod used + for the purpose of Angling. + 2. Use or attempt to use any Net in the months + of April, May, and June. + 3. Use or attempt to use at any other time of + the year, a Line, whether fixed or not, + with more than one hook, except in + connection with a rod used for the purpose + of Angling. + 4. Use or attempt to use any Net other than a + Skim or Skein Net. + TAKING EELS.--ALL OTHER WATERS. +15. In all other waters within the limits of the above Act, lines +with one hook only, whether fixed or not, and fixed Nets, but no +others, may be used at any time for taking Eels only. +16. No person shall use or attempt to use, in any water within the +limits of the above Act, a Dag or Spear, for the purpose of taking +Fish other than Eels. + ALL WATERS. +17. Any person, within the limits of the above Act, taking any +Fish except Smelts, Eels, or Bait in any Net allowed by the Bye +Laws to be used for taking Smelts, Eels, or Bait respectively, +shall immediately return such first-mentioned Fish to the water +without avoidable injury. +18. The foregoing Bye-laws shall not apply to any other than +fresh-water Fish, or to the water known as Breydon Water, except as +to Smelts, as hereinbefore provided. + +_I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true Copy of the Bye-laws made +by the Board of Conservators under the above Act, and that such Bye-laws +have been approved by one of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of +State, and have been duly advertised as approved Bye-laws in newspapers +circulated in the Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, and have been +otherwise published as the Board directed._ + +_Sealed by order of the Board._ + + + + +TABLE OF RIVER DISTANCES. + + FROM CARROW BRIDGE. + YARE. + _Miles_. +To Trowse Hythe .5 +,, Thorpe Second Bridge 1.5 +,, Whitlingham Ferry 2 +,, Corby's Dyke 2.25 +,, Postwick Grove 3.25 +,, ,, Hall 3.75 +,, Wood's End 4.25 +,, Wilde's Cottage 4.5 +,, Surlingham Ferry 5.75 +,, Coldham Hall 7.75 +,, Walpole's Reed Bush 9 +,, Buckenham Ferry 10 +,, Hassingham Dyke 10.75 +,, Langley Dyke 11.75 +To Cantley Red House 12.75 +,, Devil's House 13.25 +,, Hardley Mill 14 +,, ,, Dyke 14.25 +,, ,, Cross 15.25 +,, Norton Staithe 15.25 +,, Reedham Ferry 15.5 +,, ,, End of New Cut 17 +,, Upper Seven Mile House 18.5 +,, Berney Arms 20.75 +,, Burgh Flats 21 +,, Yarmouth Drawbridge 25 +,, Gorleston Pierhead 27.25 + FROM REEDHAM BRIDGE. + WAVENEY. +To Herringfleet Bridge 3 +,, Somerleyton Bridge 4.5 +,, Oulton Dyke 7.5 +,, ,, Broad 8.75 +To Mutford Lock 9.75 +,, Lowestoft Bridge 11.5 +,, ,, Pierhead 11.75 + FROM YARMOUTH BRIDGE. + YARE. +To Berney Arms 4.25 +,, Reedham Town 8 +,, Norton Staithe 9.75 +,, Hardley Cross 10 +,, Cantley 12.5 +,, Buckenham Ferry 15 +,, Coldham Hall 18.25 +,, Surlingham Ferry 19.75 +,, Bramerton Wood's End 21 +,, Postwick Grove 22 +,, Whitlingham 23 +,, Carrow Bridge 25 + WAVENEY. +To Burgh Cage 4.75 +,, St. Olave's Bridge 9.5 +,, Mouth of New Cut 9.75 +,, Somerleyton Bridge 12.25 +,, Mouth of Oulton Dyke 15 +,, Carlton Share Mill 16.25 +,, Seven-Mile Corner 17.75 +,, Six-Mile Corner 18.75 +,, Worlingham Staithe 20 +,, Aldeby Staithe 20.5 +,, Beccles Mill 21 +,, Sayer's Grove 22 +,, Beccles Bridge 23 +,, Nine Poplars 24.25 +To Dawson's Dip House 24.75 +,, Barsham's Boat House 25.75 +,, Mouth of Oulton Dyke 15 +,, Horse Shoe Point 16 +,, Oulton Broad 16.5 +,, Mutford Bridge 17.25 +,, Lowestoft Bridge 19 +,, Length of New Cut 2.5 +BURE. +To Three-Mile House 3 +,, Runham Swim 5.5 +,, Six-Mile House 6.5 +,, Seven-Mile House 8.5 +,, Stokesby Ferry 10 +,, Acle Bridge 12 +,, Fishley Mill 12.5 +,, Thurne Mouth 15.25 +,, St. Benet's Abbey 17 +,, Mouth of Ant 17.5 +,, Horning Ferry 21 +,, Horning Point 22 +,, Wroxham Broad 25.5 +,, Wroxham Bridge 27 +,, Belaugh 31 +,, Coltishall Bridge 34 +,, Aylsham Bridge 45 + THURNE. +To Thurne Mouth 15.25 +,, Potter Heigham Bridge 19 +,, Candler's Dyke 19.5 +,, Hickling Staithe 22.25 + ANT. +To Mouth of Ant 17.5 +,, Ludham Bridge 18.25 +,, Mouth of Barton Broad 21.75 +,, End of Barton Broad 22.5 +,, Stalham 23.5 +,, Stalham Staithe 24.25 +From Yarmouth Bridge to Runham Swim 5.5 + ,, ,, ,, Six-Mile House 6.5 + ,, ,, ,, Seven-Mile House 8.5 + ,, ,, ,, Stokesby Ferry 10 + ,, ,, ,, Acle Bridge 12 +From Acle Bridge to Fishley Mill .5 + ,, ,, ,, Thurne Mouth 3.25 + ,, ,, ,, St. Benet's 5 + ,, ,, ,, Mouth of Ant 5.5 + ,, ,, ,, Horning Rectory 7.5 + ,, ,, ,, ,, Ferry 9 + ,, ,, ,, ,, Point 10 + ,, ,, ,, Entrance to Wroxham Broad 13.5 + ,, ,, ,, Wroxham Bridge 15 +From Wroxham Bridge to Belaugh 4 + ,, ,, ,, ,, Coltishall 7 + ,, ,, ,, ,, Aylsham 18 +From Yarmouth Bridge to Wroxham Bridge 27 + ,, ,, ,, ,, Coltishall 34 + ,, ,, ,, ,, Aylsham 45 +From Thurne Mouth to Heigham Bridge 3.75 + ,, ,, ,, ,, Kendal Dyke 4.25 + ,, ,, ,, ,, Hickling Staithe 7 +From River Ant to Ludham Bridge .75 + ,, ,, ,, ,, Mouth of Barton Broad 4.25 + ,, ,, ,, ,, End of ,, ,, 5 + ,, ,, ,, ,, End of Stalham Broad 6 + ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, Staithe 6.75 + +TIDES. + + h. m. +It is high water at Lowestoft 0 43 later than at + Yarmouth Bar +,, ,, ,, ,, Cantley 3 0 ,, ,, + ,, ,, + ,, +,, ,, ,, ,, Coldham 4 0 ,, ,, +Hall ,, ,, + ,, +,, ,, ,, ,, Oulton 4 0 ,, ,, + ,, ,, + ,, +,, ,, ,, ,, Horning 4 0 ,, ,, + ,, ,, + ,, + +The Tide flows and ebbs in the Bure one hour later than at Yarmouth +Bridge. + + Springs. Neap. +The rise at Yarmouth is 6 feet 4.5 feet +,, ,, ,, Lowestoft ,, 6.5 ,, 5.25 ,, +,, ,, ,, Cantley ,, 2.5 ,, 1.5 ,, +,, ,, ,, Oulton ,, 2 ,, 1.25 ,, + + +The Tides, however, vary according to the strength and direction of the +wind and the quantity of flood water in the river. + + + + +FISHING GENERALLY. + + +In the rivers it is customary to fish in 10 to 14 feet of water, and the +shortness of the swims necessitates the line being heavily weighted, in +order that it may sink rapidly. The floats are necessarily large, +particularly when used for the lower reaches, where there is a +considerable tidal current. The boats are moored in a line with the +stream, not across it, as on the Thames, and the swims are thus very +short. For the upper and clearer waters, the Nottingham system of +angling might be advisable, but in the more turbid lower reaches the +Norfolk style is practically the best. Worms are used for bream, and +paste for roach. Worms are procurable at some of the tackle shops, but +anglers will do well to provide them for themselves if possible. + +Boats are charged for at the rate of from 1s. to 2s. a-day, but are +rather rough concerns, except at Oulton. + +Ground-bait, consisting chiefly of meal and clay, is largely used, but a +place is rarely baited beforehand. As there is ample choice of stations, +always moor so that the wind is at your back, and you will thus have +smooth water in front of you. + +Small roach as bait for pike, are procurable at most of the waterside +inns, at 1s. to 1s. 6d. a score, but to get the best sport obtain fish +from other waters, particularly dace and gudgeon. + +Pike are, of course, the chief fish in Norfolk, and are plentiful +everywhere. In the rivers they do not run very large, a ten-pound fish +being considered a good one, but in a few years' time, with the freedom +from netting the rivers now enjoy, we may expect some very large ones to +be caught in the rivers. In private waters there are veritable monsters, +but the stranger is not likely to make acquaintance with them. + +Live-baiting and spinning with a spoon, or artificial bait trailed behind +a boat, are the usual modes of fishing for pike in Norfolk. Trolling +with a dead gorge, and spinning with a dead bait by casting, as in the +Thames, are comparatively rarely practised, although I believe that in +some portions of the rivers these methods would "pay." I have seen +fly-fishing for pike practised with success here, and I firmly believe +that on some of the shallower Broads it would be very deadly. + + [Picture: Ormesby Broad--Landing stage] + +Perch are only locally common wherever there is a suitable bottom for +them, as at Irstead Shoals and Hickling, and in some portions of the Bure +and Waveney, but they run to a large size, and are sometimes caught +between three and four pounds in weight. + +Bream are most common of all, and may be caught by hundreds and the stone +weight. They run up to five and six pounds in weight, and a take by two +rods in a day of 150, averaging half-a-pound apiece, is not a rare event. + +Roach are very numerous and large, many running close to two pounds in +weight. + +Rudd are beautiful game fish, common in some of the Broads, particularly +Ormesby, and give rare sport if you get among a shoal of them. + +Eels are, of course, present in any number, and "babbing" for them, with +a bunch of worms threaded on to worsted, is not a bad way of passing a +warm night. + +Tench are common, but are not often caught with a rod and line. They are +taken in bow nets, and run very large. In hot weather, in June, they may +be taken by the hand as they bask in the shallow water among the weeds. +Some fishermen are very skilful in this particular mode of catching them. + +Carp are caught sometimes, but not often, although there are plenty of +them. + +Dace and gudgeon are not so frequently caught in the navigable waters as +other fish. + +Chub and barbel are unknown in the Broad District. + +The bream are so excessively abundant that they spoil the fishing for +other fish, notably for perch, and I think it would be an excellent thing +if the different preservation societies would set apart a few days each +year for systematic netting to thin the bream, replacing the other fish, +and selling those retained. What is the good to anglers of catching +thousands of small bream? Are not a score over a pound weight each +better than ten-score fingerlings? Judicious thinning out, under proper +supervision, would have a most beneficial effect on the size of the fish +generally. + +There are several preservation societies, of which the Yare Preservation +Society is the chief. Mr. C. J. Greene, of London Street, Norwich, +Fishing Tackle Maker, is the honorary secretary. The objects of these +societies are to abolish netting and poaching, and protect the river for +fair angling. The subscriptions are nominal (5s.), and yet they are +supported entirely by local efforts. As a rule, none of the anglers from +London and other distant parts, who come down to Norfolk and have the +best of sport, contribute anything to the societies which are +instrumental in furnishing them with sport. This is exceedingly shabby +of visitors here, and I trust that those who have been induced to visit +the Broads through my writings will at least make the small return to +Norfolk anglers of assisting them in their efforts to make these waters +the best public fishing places in the kingdom. + +There are a few professional fishermen to be hired by the angler. +"Professor" Day, of Richmond Hill, Norwich, is one of the best, and knows +every inch of water, and there are some good men at Oulton. + +Strangers frequently complain that they cannot meet with the excellent +sport which falls to the lot of the local anglers, and I remember Mr. +Cholmondeley Pennel being immensely dispirited at his non-success on our +waters. I lately interviewed a local gentleman who is well known as a +successful fisherman, and I append my questions and his remarks thereon, +which will afford some valuable information. + + + +ROACH. + + +_1. Where found at different periods of the year_? + +Throughout the summer the entire length of our local streams where the +water is fresh and not salt or brackish; the finest fish and greatest +number between Cantley and Coldham Hall, on the Yare; large numbers also +in the dyke leading from Oulton Broad. In winter they appear generally +to retire to the deep waters, and are sometimes found in good quantity +about Thorpe Broad, and may be angled for with success in deep spots on +the Bure and other waters. + +_2. Best periods to fish for them_? + +July to October, but good catches may often be had in November, and +during the winter and early spring months by any expert angler who +doesn't mind the cold. + +_3. What time of day at different seasons_? + +As a rule, but few fish are caught during the middle of the day; this is +especially the case in bright warm weather. On dull, "close" days, +however, they will often bite freely throughout the day. The morning up +to about 11.30, and from 3 to 6 or 7 p.m. are undoubtedly the best times +to fish during summer, and in winter almost any time up to sunset. + +_4. What depth of water_? + +As a rule, the best fish are found during summer in the deepest water, +and should not be angled for on the Yare at a less depth than nine or ten +feet. On the Bure the deepest spots that can be found. In March or +April shallower waters should be tried. + +_5. How affected by the tide_? + +Variously. Sometimes an angler gets all his fish on the up tide, and at +other times on the ebb. I, however, suspect that certain local +formations of the river bed, have much to do with this. + +_6. What ground-bait_? + +The best I have ever used is composed of bran, bread, and boiled wheat, +in fair proportions, made up into firm balls about the size of an orange. +One of these thrown in occasionally, and now and then a few grains of +boiled wheat will generally suffice to keep a good quantity of fish about +your boat. + +_7. Are places ever baited beforehand_? + +Not often for roach. Believe this is done occasionally by some, but have +never practised it myself. + +_8. What baits are most successful_? + +During summer the most successful baits are well-boiled wheat and paste, +red or white, in such clear waters as the Waveney and the upper reaches +of Bure, etc. White paste is best on the Yare, the red always kills the +best fish. In autumn, gentles, and later on brandlings and gentles, or +better still, small red worms, "blood." There are many other baits used +with good success occasionally, but these are by far the most reliable. + +_9. What kind of rod_? + +For tight-line fishing in the deep waters of the Yare, the rod should be +light, stiff, and from 15 to 18 feet in length. For running tackle a +shorter rod will do, and for this I prefer one of hickory. Should +recommend cane for the longer kind. + +_10. Number of hook_? + +When the fish are of fair size, I use No. 9, at other times Nos. 10 or +12. Those known amongst anglers as "Crystal," are excellent for roach +fishing. + +_11. Is running tackle advisable_? + +Running tackle is decidedly preferable for such deep, strong waters as +those between Coldham Hall and Reedham. For the slower waters of the +Bure and the upper reaches of the Yare, I do not consider that running +tackle has any advantages worth naming. + +_12. Do you use gut or hair, and what kind of line_? + +For deep-water fishing I always attach nine feet of gut to my line; six +feet moderately stout and three feet fine drawn. Line, a fine _braided_ +silk. A light, well-shotted line of this kind has many advantages, +especially on a windy day. + +_13. What kind of float_? + +Quill at all times. For deep swift waters, a large pelican or swan +quill, for slower and shallower waters a much smaller one. + +_14. Is line heavily shotted_? + +For deep waters I use a float carrying upwards of 20 medium-sized shot. +These are placed on a space of about a foot, the bottom one not nearer +than about three feet from the hook, with just one shot on the gut +attached to hook. This arrangement ensures the bait being carried +swiftly to the bottom and kept steady, very important items in roach +fishing. + +_15. Is float best attached by lower end only_? + +Yes, this plan which has been in practice with the "Norwich School" for +many years past is decidedly the best, and admits of much more neatness +and accuracy in striking a fish than when the float is attached by upper +end as well as lower. + +_16. Do you strike at first dip_? + +When good fish are on the feed, the float is first affected by a slight +tremulous movement, and almost immediately settles down, generally in a +slanting direction; the moment to strike is just as the settling down +commences. This, however, requires a large amount of practice and some +keen observation before an angler becomes expert. Sudden perky bites +indicate small fish, and these are often the most difficult to catch. + +_17. Are the fish much affected by change of wind, rain, thick water, +etc., and is there any rule on this head_? + +Have always found a S.W. to N.W. wind the most favourable, especially +when the water is "grey" or thick, and have had capital sport with a +moderate east wind, but never when it has blown strongly from that +quarter, and the old maxim + + "When the wind blows from the east + The fish bite the least, + When the wind's from the west + The fish bite the best," + +contains a great truth in small compass. Fish may undoubtedly be taken +in clear water and in good quantity, but running tackle and fine, and +extreme caution are necessary. + +_18. Do you find that movement in the boat, noise, or loud talking +frightens the fish_? + +Loud talking or laughter in the boat does not appear to intimidate the +fish, but knocking or any disturbance which communicates a vibration to +the water is decidedly objectionable, especially in shallower streams, +and often causes a great interruption to the fishing. Have found a pair +of lawn-tennis shoes or slippers very good to wear in a boat when +fishing, for this reason. + +_19. Name some of the best catches you have made or know of_. + +I do not chronicle my catches, so can give no dates; but have had some +fine catches within the past five or six years, principally on the Yare. +On one occasion, at Buckenham, with a friend, six stone {160} between +2.30 and 7 p.m.; another time upwards of five stone in about the same +space of time, and numerous catches of from two to four stone in an +afternoon's fishing; also more than a bushel by measure one afternoon +with a friend fishing in the dyke leading to Oulton Broad. This was in +the first week of September, 1879. + +_20. What is the reason of the non-success of strange anglers which is +so noticeable_? + +Ignorance of the general requirements of tackle suitable for fishing in +our waters, and also of the _modus operandi_, one of the chief reasons +being a want of knowledge of the right depth at which to fish, which +could easily be known by simply "plumbing" the depth. By way of +instance, I have on several occasions found strangers fishing on the Yare +in 12 or 14 feet of water, with their baits only about four or five feet +below the surface, and at the same time wondering that anglers close by +should be catching plenty of fish when they could get none. Baits, too, +are doubtless used which, although very good for some streams or waters, +are of very little use with us. + +N.B.--"When the wind blows strong and the waves roll high," it is often +very difficult to fish or even to detect a bite. This is very +tantalising, and not infrequently happens through a shift in the wind +when you are in a capital "swim." The remedy for this is to put on a +nice light ledger, with about three hooks, and with which excellent sport +may sometimes be had when it would be impossible to fish in any other +way. + +In float fishing for roach, the bait should be just touching the bottom. +A good plan adopted by some is to fish with two hooks, the bottom one +dragging on the bottom, and the upper one about three or four inches +clear of the bottom. This is an advantage in fast streams, as it retards +the onward motion of the float, the bait is more easily taken, and the +swims are not passed so rapidly. + + + +BREAM. + + +_1. Where found at different periods of the year_? + +During summer, on the Yare, principally between Langley Dyke and Reedham; +in winter often found in good quantity in the vicinity of Thorpe Broad +and about Carrow and Trowse Hythe. On the Bure they appear to congregate +in the deep waters of the Broads in winter, and make their appearance +about the end of May and through the summer on the river. + +_2. Best periods to fish for them_? + +July and August. + +_3. What time of day at different seasons_? + +Good catches of bream are often had in early morning. I have, on the +other hand, had capital sport by moonlight. + +For further notes, see answer to same question on "Roach." + +_4. What depth of water_? + +The deepest waters and quietest eddies are, as a rule, the best; but I +have caught large quantities of fine bream at Wroxham, on the Bure, in +not more than four feet and a half of water. + +_5. How affected by the tide_? + +Generally speaking, the most fish are taken from about half an hour +before high water to half an hour after. For further notes, see "Roach." + +_6. What ground-bait_? + +Boiled maize, boiled barley grains, barley meal made up into balls, +chopped worms, boiled rice. This latter and grains I have found very +killing on the Bure. + +_7. Are places ever baited beforehand_? + +Mostly overnight, where there is a fair opportunity of doing so. This +mode is very telling on Broads and other still waters. + +_8. What baits are most successful_? + +For large fish at Cantley, Reedham, Somerleyton, and other deep swift +waters, ledger fishing, with the tail end of a lobworm on the hook, is a +capital bait. Generally speaking, however, I have found "brandlings" the +most killing, and have found a brandling with a gentle placed on the +point of the hook will sometimes be taken readily when no other bait +would be touched. Red paste is often very killing on the Bure. + +_9. What kind of rod_? + +Strong and stiff cane or hickory, 15 to 18 feet long, with a good stout +top joint, on the Yare. Shorter will do on the Bure. + +_10. Number of hook_? + +The finest catch I ever had was with No. 12 hooks. This was, however, in +comparatively shallow water. Should say that No. 7 or 8 would be very +good sizes for bream fishing generally. + +_11. Is running tackle advisable_? + +See "Roach." + +_12. Do you use gut or hair, and what kind of line_? + +See "Roach." + +_13. What kind of float_? + +See "Roach." + +_14. Is line heavily shotted_? + +In a similar way to that recommended for roach, but having the bulk of +shot placed nearer the hook, it being necessary that the bait should +"drag" the bottom. + +_15. Is float best attached by lower end only_? + +As the bream bites more slowly and certain than the roach, this is quite +immaterial. I prefer float attached top and bottom. + +_16. Do you strike at first dip_? + +A bream bite affects the float with a slight bobbing motion for a few +seconds, he then runs off with it, and slides it down slantingly; strike +as he runs off with the bait or the float is about to disappear, and you +are sure of him. + +_17_. _Are the fish much affected by change of wind, rain, thick water, +etc., and is there any rule on this head_? + +Bream are rarely taken in any quantity when the waters are very clear. +See "Roach." + +_18_. _Is legering successfully practised for large bream, and what is +the best modus operandi_? + +In such rapid waters as those at Reedham, Somerleyton, etc.--no other +mode of fishing for bream can be practised with any success worth +naming--ledgers for attaching to line may be purchased at any tackle shop +at 1s. each, and the _modus operandi_ is very simple, and by no means +scientific. The rod requires to be very strong and of fair length, and +three or four rods may be used from one boat at the same time. + +_19. Do you find that movement in the boat, noise, or loud talking +frightens the fish?_ + +Bream are very sensitive to noise, especially knocking in the boat, which +invariably sends them off for an indefinite period, and should therefore +be most carefully avoided. + +_20. Name some of the best catches you have made or known of_. + +About ten years ago, had, in company with a friend, a catch of 17 stone +in one day on Wroxham Broad, and with only one rod each. Have heard of +many catches from time to time of from 4 to 10 or 12 stone, but am unable +now to give names or dates. + +_21. What is the reason of the non-success of strange anglers which is +so noticeable_? + +See "Roach." + +N.B. In fishing for bream, the bait should always drag on the bottom. + + + + +YACHTING. + + +It will have been gathered from the foregoing pages that the Rivers and +Broads of Norfolk and Suffolk present exceptional facilities for +small-boat sailing and smooth-water yachting, better, perhaps, than any +other part of England. There are two yachting clubs, the Norfolk and +Suffolk Yacht Club and the Yare Sailing Club, the latter a very +flourishing institution, furnishing four or five regattas in the year for +small 4-ton yachts and open boats. + +There are numbers of suitable yachts for hire, but, owing to the frequent +changes of ownership, it is not practicable to give a list of those who +have boats for hire, which would be of any use. Enquiry at the inns at +Oulton, and advertisements in the Yarmouth and Norwich papers will +generally elicit suitable answers. Bullen, of Oulton, is a likely man to +have a yacht to let. Open sailing-boats with awnings to sleep under, and +small cabin yachts of four to ten tons, can be obtained of Loynes, +Wroxham; and comfortable craft they are. The awnings of the small boats +are waterproof, and most ingeniously constructed, and the boats can be +rowed or sailed anywhere. Loynes may be trusted to provide everything +that is necessary for comfort, and his yachts and boats are largely +patronized. They are all rigged Una fashion, with one sail, and are very +easily managed. Canoes and rowing boats are in plenty at the riverside, +at Norwich, Yarmouth, and Oulton. + +As before stated, the goods traffic on the river is carried on by means +of sailing craft of from 20 to 70 tons burthen, called wherries. These +are long, shallow, graceful vessels, with an enormous mast, supporting +one enormous sail. The sail is spread by a long gaff, but there is no +boom. There is only one halyard, and the sail is hoisted by means of a +winch at the foot of the mast. There is no rigging to the mast except +the forestay, which is mainly of use for lowering the mast, the latter +being balanced on the tabernacle by a ton and a half of lead on its heel, +so that it is raised as easily as it is lowered. These wherries sail +very fast, very close to the wind, and are often managed by one man. +Yachts built on the wherry plan are very comfortable craft, and easily +managed. + +Wherries are frequently hired by private parties, the hatches are raised +a plank or two higher to give greater head-room, the clean-swept hold is +divided into several rooms, and a capital floating house is extemporized. + +There is now quite a fleet of permanently-fitted pleasure wherries on the +rivers, which have ample accommodation for a party or family, and are to +be hired at from 8 to 15 guineas a week. + +A good way of seeing the rivers, if you have no boat, is to give a +wherryman a small sum to take you with him when he makes a passage. +There are always numbers of wherries leaving Norwich and Yarmouth, and if +you hail the one you fancy, you will be readily taken on board. Thus you +might sail from Norwich to Yarmouth one day, up to Wroxham the next, back +to Yarmouth and up to Beccles, at an expenditure of half-a-crown a day +and refreshments. I am sure that visitors to either Yarmouth or +Lowestoft will do well to avail themselves of this suggestion. + +The navigation is controlled by Acts of Parliament, but pleasure yachts +are exempt from tolls, except, of course, at locks and Haddiscoe lift +bridge. + +The rule of the road is very strictly adhered to by the wherries and +local yachts, and necessarily so; but it is a point of honour not to +harass business wherries if it can be avoided, as these are sailed for a +livelihood, while yachtsmen sail for pleasure. Therefore, if there is a +doubt, give the wherry the benefit of it. + +It is also a point of prudence not to cross a wherry's bows too closely, +as they would soon smash up a yacht. If you are civil to a wherryman he +will be most civil to you, and don't slang him if he doesn't at once give +way for you to pass him. + +The following racing regulations of the Yacht Clubs simply epitomise the +custom and practice on the rivers, and must be adhered to: + +"That if two yachts be standing for the shore of any river or broad, and +the yacht to leeward be likely to run aground or foul any bottom or bank, +or not be able to stay without the windward yacht running foul of her, +the windward yacht must be put about upon being hailed by the member of +the Club who may be in charge of the leeward yacht; the yacht to leeward +must also go about at the same time as the yacht she hails. + +"That in sailing to windward the yacht on the port tack must give way to +the yacht on the starboard tack, and in case of collision, the owner of +the vessel on the port tack shall be liable to pay all damages that may +occur, and forfeit all claim to the prize. + +"That any yacht bearing away or altering her course to windward or +leeward, provided there is no obstruction to prevent her keeping her +course, thereby compelling another vessel to go out of her course, shall +forfeit all claim to the prize. In running before the wind, the side the +leading vessel carries her main boom is to be considered the lee side. + +"A yacht overhauling another may pass to windward or leeward; and when +near the shore or shallow water, or when rounding any mark, flag, or +buoy, _if the bowsprit of the yacht astern overlap any portion of the +hull of the yacht ahead_, the latter must immediately give way and allow +the former to pass between her and such shore, shallow water, mark, flag, +or buoy; and should any yacht not give way or compel another to touch the +ground, or to foul any mark, flag, or buoy, the yacht so compelling her +shall forfeit all claim to the prize, her owner shall pay all damage that +may occur, and the yacht so compelled to touch such mark, flag, or buoy +shall not in this case suffer any penalty for such contact. + +"It is an established rule, and should be most strictly attended to by +all yachtsmen, that where two vessels have to cross each other on +opposite tacks, the one on the starboard tack must invariably keep her +wind, and the one on the port tack must keep away and pass to leeward, or +tack short when the smallest doubt exists of her not being able to +weather the other. All expenses of damage incurred by vessels on +opposite tacks running on board each other, fall upon the one on the port +tack; but where the one on the starboard tack has kept away with the +intention of passing to leeward, and they have come in contact, the +expenses of damage fall upon her on the starboard tack, because by her +keeping away she may have prevented the other passing to leeward. When a +vessel on the starboard tack sees another attempting to weather her, when +it does not seem possible, rather than keep away, she should put her helm +down, for the less way vessels have when they come in contact, the less +damage they will sustain. Should both vessels put their helms up and run +on board each other, the most fatal consequences may arise, and therefore +nothing should induce the vessel on the starboard tack to keep away. All +vessels going free must give way to those on a wind." + + + + +SHOOTING AND SKATING. + + +This district is well worth a visit in the winter time, for the wild-fowl +shooting on the tidal portions of the rivers is free (of course you must +not trespass on the marshes for shooting purposes, as the shooting along +them is strictly preserved). The usual plan is to row along the river +while your dogs work through the reeds on the bank inside the river wall, +or embankment, which generally runs parallel with the rivers on each +side. Flight shooting is also successfully pursued, but of course you +must obtain information as to the best spots in the line of flight. +Oulton Broad is free, but is much shot over. Breydon Water is a capital +fowling-ground in hard winters. It is the "happy hunting ground" of +Yarmouth gunners. An easily managed sailing-boat of light draught is +useful for this kind of work. + +Winter time on the Broads is very enjoyable. Being so shallow, the +Broads are soon frozen, and the skating is then simply superb. Fancy +Hickling, a lake of 400 acres, safe all over, with the ice as clear and +hard as glass, _and plenty of "elbow-room_" for ice-boats as well as +skaters. + +It would be worth while for skating parties to come down for a few days +at a time while the frosts last, instead of struggling amid the crowds +which beset London waters. + + + + +FAUNA OF THE BROADS. + + +I cannot do more than cursorily mention the abundant life which teems +amid the Broads. I would refer the reader, for a full account of the +life of the Broads thirty years ago and now, to that charming book, +worthy to be ranked with "The Complete Angler," and "The Natural History +of Selborne," "Observations on the Fauna of Norfolk, and more +particularly on the District of the Broads," by the Rev. Richard Lubbock, +M.A., a new edition of which, with suitable notes by Mr. Thomas +Southwell, has lately been issued by Messrs. Jarrold and Sons, London and +Norwich. This book, together with Stevenson's "Birds of Norfolk," are +necessary companions to the ornithologist on the Broads. For a fuller +general descriptive account of the district, I may also refer the reader +to my own larger book, "Norfolk Broads and Rivers," published by +Blackwood. + +Of course, water-fowl predominate. The heron, the great-crested grebe, +the coot and water-hen are constantly to be seen. Dabchicks abound in +places. I have seen a score together in some open water, at Surlingham, +during a frost. Kingfishers are seen occasionally; water-ouzels never in +the navigable waters. Wild ducks, widgeon, teal, and other ducks, gulls, +terns, and waders of many species, hawks, kestrels, marsh harriers, and +hen harriers are occasionally met with, particularly about Hickling. +Owls, reed wrens, reed buntings, and bearded tits (I know a colony of the +latter), and other birds occur to me as I write, but detailed lists of +the Norfolk species will be found in the "Transactions of the Norfolk and +Norwich Naturalists' Society" of past years. It is sufficient to say +that not only in the department of ornithology, but of entomology and +botany, the specialist will find abundant work. During the days and +nights I have spent in the more secluded parts of the waters, and +particularly in the very early hours after daybreak, I have watched the +habits of certain rare species, and discovered their haunts, which I +would not reveal for anything, for to do so would be to expose them to +the ravages of collectors. I am not a collector myself, nor have I the +remotest pretension to science, but I am an enthusiastic student of what +I may call the "home-life" of birds and animals. Therefore I cannot give +accurate scientific information, in the shape of lists of Broad species +without borrowing from the labours of others, and the clothing the dry +bones with flesh would require more space than a guide-book will allow. +But let a man lie in a boat, amid the reeds, for an hour of the silvery +dawn, and watch a pair of great-crested grebes, feeding their young ones +with small fish, and teaching them to dive and catch fish also, all so +close that you might at times touch the birds with a fishing-rod, and he +will partly understand what to me is the charm of Natural History. And +for the romance of it there is no place like the reed-surrounded Broad +and its marshy borders. + + + + +Footnotes. + + +{29} This bridge was the scene of a most disastrous railway collision, +in September, 1874, when two trains met, and an appalling loss of life +resulted, 25 persons being killed, and 60 or 70 injured. + +{70} [Note. This is left as first written, but it is necessary now to +say that since the death of Mr. Chamberlin, the owners of the Broad have +obtained a decision in the Superior Courts that the public have no right +to fish on Wroxham Broad, and although the navigation question has not +been raised, the owners claim the Broad to be private property. At the +same time they courteously disclaim any intention of closing the Broad to +the reasonable enjoyment of the public. Sailing on the Broad is freely +permitted, but yachts are not allowed to moor there at night, on account, +it is said, of the unavoidable refuse floating against the private +pleasure grounds of the owners. Persons also are not allowed to land. +It is to be hoped that the good behaviour of the public will remove all +idea of closing the Broad to the public, which would be nothing short of +a calamity. The regattas on this Broad which used to be such sources of +amusement, have been quite discontinued, partly on account of the +difficulty in getting the present racing craft up the North River, and +partly through the reluctance of yacht owners to ask the favour of +sailing where they formerly supposed they had a right.] + +{91} Sometimes called Wannick, or Wandyke, said to be a corruption of +Swandyke. + +{160} Stone = 14 lbs. + + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HANDBOOK TO THE RIVERS AND +BROADS OF NORFOLK & SUFFOLK*** + + +******* This file should be named 35954.txt or 35954.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/5/9/5/35954 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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