Berney Arms

[JennyMorgan]

Does anyone actually know what is happening there? I had intended to visit Berney but for various reasons my summer's boating never really got under way this year so haven't headed North. Add to that a pub would have been a draw whilst, to be honest, a cafe that was probably not open in the evening and with no provenance was hardly going to be a big attraction. Anyway, can't really judge, as I haven't yet been there, but some of the comments on the web have been less than complimentary. In the past it's always been a good day trip from Oulton Broad or the obvious stop-off when going North but so far this year we haven't gone any further than St Olaves, Berney being an unknown quantity.  

[vanessan]

According to FB the cafe venture was unsuccessful for various reasons. Certainly nothing going on there now, it's as dead as a dodo. 

[JennyMorgan]

The last entry that I could find on FB was July.  Something about mooring fees written with attitude. 

[ranworthbreeze]

It looks as if opening has been hit & miss since July. Be aware however that there is a gentleman around to charge you for mooring there.

 

[JennyMorgan]

Well, if I'm moored up and waiting for the tide then said gentleman can go whistle! Mind you, if the pub is closed then the Fisherman's Arms over at Burgh Castle would be the less of the two evils!

That aside it does read as if some well intended people have missed the boat at Berney. Right attitude and product and just maybe it could have worked. 

[Mark]

2 hours ago, ranworthbreeze said:

It looks as if opening has been hit & miss since July. Be aware however that there is a gentleman around to charge you for mooring there.

 

Alan, do you know  if this individual is  attempting to collect along the length of the total 3 sets of moorings or just outside the cafe area? There were "reports" elsewhere that someone was trying to fleece people  moored at the BA section as well as at  the other section by the wind pump.   

[JennyMorgan]

Mark, the buzz along the rhond suggests that he has been trying it on. I have also had a pretty revealing p.m. on this topic and that too confirmed those reports. Seemingly not a nice man to do business with, or so it seems.

[Guest ExMemberKingFisher]

25 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Well, if I'm moored up and waiting for the tide then said gentleman can go whistle! Mind you, if the pub is closed then the Fisherman's Arms over at Burgh Castle would be the less of the two evils!

That aside it does read as if some well intended people have missed the boat at Berney. Right attitude and product and just maybe it could have worked. 

Don't forget, at least half of The Burgh Castle moorings are still closed, as in long term closed.

[JennyMorgan]

The moorings at the Fishermans Arms were open a week or two back. Not many of them but I don't take up much room so fingers crossed should I go there this year.

[Hylander]

When there was talk of the moorings closing at Burgh Castle I wrote to the BA.     This was their response.

 

Thank you for your email regarding Burgh Castle moorings. The Broads Authority currently holds a five year agreement with the landowner for these moorings, which ends on 1 January 2018.

We will be looking to enter into a further agreement with the landowner but obviously we are not able confirm the outcome yet.

Thank you for your enquiry.

 

[Guest ExMemberKingFisher]

Just now, Hylander said:

When there was talk of the moorings closing at Burgh Castle I wrote to the BA.     This was their response.

 

Thank you for your email regarding Burgh Castle moorings. The Broads Authority currently holds a five year agreement with the landowner for these moorings, which ends on 1 January 2018.

We will be looking to enter into a further agreement with the landowner but obviously we are not able confirm the outcome yet.

Thank you for your enquiry.

 

Half the mooring is closed due to failed metal piling which is the responsibility of the EA, not the BA to replace which is why it could be a long term closure. The rest is subject to regular inspections and liable to closure at any time should it be deemed unsafe.

Re The Fisherman's I do wish they would sort our some proper posts or loops or anything decent to tie off to. Last stop two weeks ago and we ended up with one decent post and a concrete bollard buried so deep and at such an angle the rope was in constant danger of slipping off. Also a slightly strange sign stating that due to them expecting it to be busy over the bank holiday weekend, they wouldn't be doing food!!!! I could understand them not reserving tables, or even a wait for food, but to stop serving food for the weekend in expectation of a busy weekend seems like a very strange business model. Even bulk easy catering like an outside BBQ would have made sense, in place of the normal menu.

[Cheesey]

Moored at burgh castle moorings last night and I can tell you the whole situation is quite sad especially as low tide is late. It was full and at half six people was still looking to moor. Most chanced st olaves, a bit tight on the hour or so of daylight. Nice if BA posted notices to hire yards about closed sections

[ranworthbreeze]

4 minutes ago, Cheesey said:

Moored at burgh castle moorings last night and I can tell you the whole situation is quite sad especially as low tide is late. It was full and at half six people was still looking to moor. Most chanced st olaves, a bit tight on the hour or so of daylight. Nice if BA posted notices to hire yards about closed sections

Hello cheesey,

To be fair to the B.A. any of the hire yards can and may even be on the notification lists. 

We usually post messages as soon as we can regards to the B.A. notifications.

Regards

Alan

[Cheesey]

Thanks to this forum I knew all was not right at what I consider a stop over point before crossing.

 

[NorfolkNog]

8 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

Mark, the buzz along the rhond suggests that he has been trying it on. I have also had a pretty revealing p.m. on this topic and that too confirmed those reports. Seemingly not a nice man to do business with, or so it seems.

If it's the same one who has/had various interests along the Yare (among others) I would not be surprised in the least. 

[ExUserGone]

The guy in the cafe/pub at easter isn't the owner of the property but I believe he has known the owner for a long time going by the brief chat I had at easter when I stopped there.

It's such a shame the auction got stopped when it was up freehold as it will never do any good while it's still in the present owners hands.

I stopped at his other pub along the yare last weekend and had a pretty hideous pint of guiness of which I left half and carried on to the new inn at rockland for a decent pint, there was a distinct smell about the place (not a nasty smell but distinct none the less) so won't be back any time soon.

Way past time he walked away and let these pubs stand half a chance, don't know why he clings on to them as they must be costing money just to own.

[Chelsea14Ian]

I think it is so sad about Berney arms Like Peter saw on fb about moooring fees and the cafe .I think the only way is for the free hold to be sold and a fresh start. Let's hope that happens soon.

[vanessan]

We moored at Berney Mill on Monday evening, it was very quiet with only a couple of other boats on the BA moorings. About 6pm a Richardson's boat moored on the cafe moorings, they left again within about a half hour and headed upstream in a bit of a rush. We can only speculate why this was. (I did see signs of life at the cafe building.)

[marshman]

That guy, if it is the same one, has had these pubs for a long time and I guess he is hoping that he will make money if they can close and get pp to turn them into houses.

Well that won't happen at Berney because ot the access issues and the BA is very wary of this now, given the long running saga at Langley, which was all so long ago ,I think I have forgotten the details. ( I am very old now!! ) So effectively he is stuck with them and as time goes on, IMHO they become worth less, rather than more!

Dredging right back into the very depths of my mind, to places no one really wants to go, is not the company based overseas as well?? Or probably just a shell company?

[webntweb]

Passed Berney moorings last Thursday and the two BA? mooring notices (nearer to the mill than to the pub) had an X shape over them formed out of red and white tape.

[Cheesey]

Yes I saw that and it didn't look official. That leaves only the two boat spot further down.

Is this BA's tape or something less than proper?

[Chelsea14Ian]

I noticed  the signs last Monday.I guess the tape were put up by ba contractors.

[vanessan]

I would say that the mill moorings are not officially open yet as BA moorings, no doubt the tape will be removed in due course. Those mill moorings have been available for use for a long while now, nobody bats an eyelid if boats are there. I thought I read somewhere that some of the land there is RSPB land but I have no idea which area. 

The signs very clearly state that they are BANP moorings - Berney Mill. 

[Chelsea14Ian]

As I understand it in the past all the moorings belonged to the pub.Apart from the now small area that has been BA 24 hour free moorings.They were brought by BA at Auction some years back.I was interested  in buying them myself. Clearly BA now have added more moorings  close to the Mill.Back to the pub there moorings were always free to moor.This chap has turned up over the summer charging people. I will contact BA tomorrow to see if I can gain some info.The RSPB have a large reserve on Barney, but as far as I understand no moorings. 

[Chelsea14Ian]

Berney should read