Broadland Country Park

This beautiful 140 acre mosaic of heath, woodland and marshy grassland, nestled between Horsford and Felthorpe is perfect for walkers, horse riders and cyclists to explore and enjoy.

Circular routes

There are two circular routes around the country park:

• pink route (0.8miles/1.3km, 20 to 30 minutes) - the shorter of the two with a hard surface and no mud, this route features a mix of broadleaf and conifer woodland
• purple route (1.6m/2.6km, 40 to 60 minutes)  - this longer route guides you through large areas of sweet chestnut trees with views across the heath and can be uneven under foot in places and muddy after rain

We ask that for their own safety and to help maintain the natural environment visitors stick to the waymarked paths. Should you wish to report any issues of concern, please contact us at broadlandcountrypark@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk

Come and try volunteering at Broadland Country Park  - we always welcome new volunteers

Our regular volunteering sessions run from 10am - 1pm every Wednesday and Saturday morning. We all meet in the main car park. 

The work normally involves undertaking some practical tasks like managing scrub and cutting back vegetation using small hand tools. We will provide you with a full safety briefing before we start.

Please bring your own snacks, drinks and gardening gloves and bear in mind there are no toilet facilities on site. Please dress for the weather forecast and wear sturdy footwear.

If you would like an informal chat or would like to find out more, please email to get in touch: broadlandcountrypark@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk

What to look out for during your visit

You are likely to see resident woodland birds like mistle thrush, great and blue tits and great spotted woodpecker on site year round.

In the spring you can find bluebells and primroses and in the summer butterflies and dragonflies can be seen along the woodland fringes.

When autumn arrives and light levels drop, the site turns purple as the heather starts to flower and sweet chestnut trees ripen. There are likely to be small flocks of crossbill, siskin, lesser redpoll and goldcrest present in the pines.

In the winter, bare silver birch trees create a striking contrast in the landscape.

During your visit you might also be lucky enough to see common lizards, slow worms, grass snakes or adders - four of the UK's six indigenous reptile species.

There is no overnight camping allowed on site. Please respect and protect nature by taking your litter home and cleaning up after dogs and keeping them under close control.

History

In the 18th Century, heathland extended from Whinny Hills to the North Norfolk Coast, but as grazing regimes ceased, many of the plants unique to these heathlands were lost to the growth of unmanaged birch and gorse scrub. 

Our teams are working hard to restore areas of this important heathland habitat. During your visit you may see volunteer groups working on site, as well as grazing cattle to help control the areas of scrub.

Heathland

Heathlands form a landscape that is rarer than tropical rainforest is home to some of our rarest and most exciting wildlife in the UK.

Heaths are at their most interesting, and colourful, the in Spring and Summer. A visit to Broadland Country Park on Summer evenings might give you the chance to see and hear nightjars. During the day, you will be able to see common lizards basking in sunny spots.

Getting to Broadland Country Park

First Bus route 36 and Sanders routes 43A, 45A, serve Horsford and Broadland Country Park.

There are many cycling and walking routes nearby that link into Broadland Country Park.

Limited free parking is available just off the Haveringland Road, as marked on the map of the park. For satellite navigation systems, the nearest postcode is NR10 4DF. Grid reference TG 18235 17564.

Partners

Broadland Country Park was acquired by Broadland District Council with support from the Greater Norwich Growth Board.

We are also working in partnership with the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists Society to undertake a programme of ecological and biological research in the area over the next three years. This will allow us to establish what important wildlife we have where and provide the scientific basis for future management, restoration and conservation work. Specialists and experts will be visiting the area to undertake surveys, which will also be shared with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service.

Habitat guide

As part of their third year Science Communication module at the UEA, two students were tasked with producing a common species guide and recording pack for all of the habitats in Norfolk. In the future these resources will be used to facilitate an inter-parish recording programme, run by Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service (NBIS), to encourage more people to take up Biodiversity recording in Norfolk.

Learn about some of the common species that might be found at Broadland Country Park.

If you would like to see the full recording pack for all of Norfolk’s habitats, provide feedback for the students and learn more about the upcoming inter-parish recording program, complete the 'Feedback for NBIS parish recording scheme' form. 

Want to get involved?

We are already working with several groups of local conservation volunteers and the Norwich Fringe Project who regularly visit site to undertake practical management, but are always interested to hear from local people who might want to get involved to help us manage and maintain this beautiful place.

We would like to set up a 'Friends of Broadland Country Park' group who can get more actively involved in voluntary activities at the park, this could range from practical habitat management like scrub bashing, litter picking, livestock checking and running guided events.