It is already a distant memory.

But the days of ships trundling up the River Yare from Great Yarmouth to the Port of Norwich have now officially ended, as new restrictions for the Norfolk Broads have come into force.

Members of the Broads Authority (BA) have voted to limit the size of vessels entering the waterways to just 24m.

Eastern Daily Press: Carrow Bridge scene looking towards the castle in May 1965.Carrow Bridge scene looking towards the castle in May 1965. (Image: Newsquest)

The change formalises historical trends which have long been evident.

It has been eight years since the last vessel entering the Broads required 'pilotage' - which sees local experts go aboard to help guide large, sea-going vessels along the waterways.

The service was once a busy part of life on the rivers, as pilots helped navigate trading ships 20 miles along the Yare from the sea to Norwich.

A BA report said its pilotage scheme was now redundant and "unsustainable".

So it has now abandoned the service and introduced a maximum size for vessels.

However, the authority is keen to keep its options open, in case the tide of history turns again and seafaring ships do return in the future.

If a larger vessel did wish to visit, a risk assessment could be carried out to see if this can be arranged.

Speaking at a full member meeting, an officer said: "The service is not viable in its current form.

"But we will keep our competent harbour authority status, so if big ships do return, we can go back to providing that service."

Eastern Daily Press: Norwich port Reads Flour Mill Norwich port Reads Flour Mill (Image: Newsquest)

Broads Authority member Tim Jickells highlighted that there had been talk that barges could be used to transport building materials to the east of Norwich, where more than 3,000 new homes are due to be built in the coming years.

READ MORE: Broads Authority accuses critics of peddling 'conspiracies' amid ongoing row

Others noted that the Royal Navy may wish to travel to the port of Norwich in the future for visits. Defence officials have spoken to the Broads Authority recently about a 21m vessel sailing into the city.

An officer said big ships that want to sail on the Broads will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and that rangers may be able to provide escorts in some circumstances.