|
From
Roman seaside resort to motor cruisers
A totally man-made environment, the Broads have evolved over
the last 2,000 years. During Roman times, much of the area
of the Broads was under the sea. You can see evidence of this
by the seashells lying in the soil in fields and marshes among
the Broads.
In the dark ages, peat deposits were being
dug from the area and used for fuel. This was a common practise
of the Danes, who ruled the area at the time.
 |
|
|
A
wherry tied up at Whitlingham, from the Norwich School
of Art.
|
|
By the time the Normans invaded, the area
was an established centre for farming and wool, with the abundant
peat used as fuel.
During mediaeval times, the peat pits began
to flood and the Broads began to form. Eventually the peat
diggings were abandoned to the flooding. This created a state
of the art transport system for commerce, industry thrived
and Norwich was the second largest city in the 16th century.
In the 18th century drainage windmills
were introduced to the area to drain the fens. The drained
marshes were ideal for grazing cattle, and the industries
of fishing, wildfowling and reedcutting flourished in the
fens.
The wherry dominated the scene in the 19th
century, several hundred sailing the waterways in their heyday.
This black-sailed vessel was designed to navigate the shallow,
narrow channels of the Broads, and shipped goods to and from
the coast. A new channel was dug to join the Yare and Waveney,
encouraging further trade.
Tourism emerged in the 19th century, as
railways were built and carried visitors from the cities.
Wherry's became the choice accommodation for holidaygoers,
and pleasure wherries began to replace those built for trade.
At the start of the 20th century marshmen
worked on the land, maintaining the dykes and water levels,
grazing cattle and making a living from the abundant resources
of reed, hay, fish and wildfowl.
After the second world war, the land and
activities in the Broads drastically changed. Marshmen had
all but died out, leaving the fens neglected and in decline.
Tractors replaced horses, ploughing up tracts of marsh and
fen for more intensive agriculture. Chemical fertilisers were
poured on the land and found their way to the water. With
increased car ownership, visitors flocked to the Broads to
holiday on motor cruisers, which had largely replaced the
wherries.
About
the Broads
Map
Who
runs the Broads?
A
refuge for wildlife and holidaymakers
|
