Favourite Moorings?

[DAVIDH]

Well, mostly people have gone for the idyllic countryside moorings, which I also love, but I'm going to choose an "in town" mooring we came across. We were cruising up to the bridge at Wroxham to see if we could moor outside the Wroxham Hotel. On the way up I noticed there was just one space left, on the quay at Barnes Brinkcraft, and almost sailing past it, had to do a sudden stop and reverse to get in. This is the mooring I thought so good, I didn't want to leave the next morning. It was mid June, and so many boats, hire and private, were cruising past, looking for space. It was a boat spotters delight! We were facing the bridge too, so had a great view of the Shenanigans there. Never got back to it unfortunately. That's us in the little Silver Symphony. 

[Gracie]

Noooooo MM how can you not like The Bridge Inn? One of the best pubs on the system for me, well most of the Broads pubs are to me anyway, Jay's not too keen on the pubs though 

I loved Stracey Arms moorings when I was a little girl too, with the little shop and animals. I remember one time we were all sleeping before being woken with a bump, my Brother fell out of bed waking us all up, when we jumped out of bed to see what was wrong we were all stumbling like we had one too many, Dad had the ropes too tight and of course when the river levels dropped we were hanging off the quay  Embarrassed doesn't even cover it

Apart from Great Yarmouth I don't think there's moorings anywhere on the Broads I don't like. It's all beautiful

Jay and Grace x

 

[NorfolkNog]

Yep, ditto must agree to disagree with MM on that one. I would rate the Bridge as one of the best on the system. Not sure what the problem with the moorings is - we were there on Monday and no problem whatsoever. Mind you I wouldn't fancy being there on a Sunday lunchtime in August 

[ranworthbreeze]

My favorite locations on the Southern Broads are, Brammerton Common, Surlingham, Rockland St Mary and Beccles. On the Northern Broads, Stokesby, Ranworth, Womak Staithe and moored outside the Wroxham Hotel.

Regards

Alan

[ChrisB]

14 minutes ago, ranworthbreeze said:

My favorite locations on the Southern Broads are, Brammerton Common, Surlingham, Rockland St Mary and Beccles. On the Northern Broads, Stokesby, Ranworth, Womak Staithe and moored outside the Wroxham Hotel.

Regards

Alan

Wow, you are a braver man than me Alan, I have seen a few bangs outside Hotel Wroxham as folk try to moor up for the pilot. Apart from that you do see life there!

[ranworthbreeze]

3 minutes ago, ChrisB said:

Wow, you are a braver man than me Alan, I have seen a few bangs outside Hotel Wroxham as folk try to moor up for the pilot. Apart from that you do see life there!

Hello Chris, when we were moored on the Northern Broads, we would often more outside the hotel being as there is hardly any mooring in Wroxham if you can not get under the bridge. We would also moor on the moorings for the Petersfield Hotel in Horning before it closed down.

Personally the only time I was hit by a boat at Brammerton, luckily I was aboard at the time and Richardson's paid for the repairs during our winter service period.

Regards

Alan

 

[Lulu]

Having had another think, any side on moorings are pretty much all I want. I feel a bit claustrophobic stern on moored and just a forward facing view. Also any stern on mooring means we can’t get the hound on and off. 

 

[vanessan]

5 minutes ago, Lulu said:

Having had another think, any side on moorings are pretty much all I want. I feel a bit claustrophobic stern on moored and just a forward facing view. Also any stern on mooring means we can’t get the hound on and off. 

 

Hit the nail on the head! My feelings exactly. When I look out of the galley window I like to see a riverbank of some kind not someone working in their galley or something worse. 🤭

[Cal]

We never mind if we are moored side or stern on, but then we are used to rafting up in coastal harbours and ports so are used to having close neighbours.

[grendel]

this is white slea, its just boat shaped, and you can see how much space is left with Judith moored there (34 feet) maybe room for a dayboat too? or a small yacht. 

the mast visible behind is on deep go dyke moorings

[ChrisB]

I recon we aut to charge them Kent Men to look at our proper skies! Them's rare nowadays and should'nt be free to one an all.

[ChrisB]

AND whats more if them gets to see the Northern Litups, Aurora borealarses like these at Salthouse from t'heath, over village towards Sheringham shoal, they should cough up triple and put it over the bar of The Dun Cow for me and my mates when we bin fowling, come off marsh and hit nowt.

[CambridgeCabby]

Gayes staithe in the side dyke is my favourite closely followed by (and I guess it’s no surprise to most who know me) Ranworth , especially the “taxirank” spot 

If we are on the Southern Broads then Lodden and Oulton broad are my preferred stop-overs 

[YnysMon]

I’m not keen on stern mooring either. We haven’t done it much, as we didn’t have the best experience on one of our first Broads holidays. Womack Staithe in May. The people who squeezed in next to us went off to the pub, returned after dark and promptly fired up their engine. Grr.

Love wild moorings up the Ant. Irstead is special too.

[Broadsword]

Cockshoot Dyke, Barton Turf... Also love Womack Water for watching the barn owls...

[SwanR]

Anywhere where you can hear owls is amazing ... I never hear them at home. 

And hearing the cuckoos is another special moment for me.

[jeffbroadslover]

My favourite mooring on the broads is always the next one I am going to

Jeff

[Ray]

22 minutes ago, SwanR said:

Anywhere where you can hear owls is amazing ... I never hear them at home. 

And hearing the cuckoos is another special moment for me.

Took these of an owl hunting last February, moored at wild moorings on the starboard side of the Bure, (heading downstream) after St Benets but before Thurne mouth. Magical evening and so warm we were sat out in shirtsleeves.

[Bluebell]

12 minutes ago, SwanR said:

Anywhere where you can hear owls is amazing ... I never hear them at home. 

And hearing the cuckoos is another special moment for me.

Aah yes, that just reminded me of a favourite spot that I don’t think has been mentioned yet - Cockshoot Dyke. Have heard cuckoos and owls there - amazing. It certainly is not a quiet spot during the day, but sometimes it’s good to “boat watch” and the fishing can be good at the far end near the closed off broad

[SwanR]

The first time you moor at Cockshoot Dyke and wander down to view the Broad from the hide at the end of the path is magical. We had no idea of what we would see when we opened the hatch. You can't have that moment twice but it's still a place we love to moor when it's quiet.

Here's that moment for me ... June 2013. :)

 

[DAVIDH]

Absolutely agree about Cockshoot Dyke, and the walk down to the Broad. I was there on a hot June day and the view through the hatch onto the Broad, was enchanting.  I photographed these two beasties, perched quite close to the window. 

[Mouldy]

9 hours ago, Broadsword said:

Cockshoot Dyke, Barton Turf... Also love Womack Water for watching the barn owls...

I forgot about Cockshoot, too.  Stopped there and had a wander when we were up north in November.  

[Chelsea14Ian]

We do stop at Wroxham, mainly to do some washing on our two week holiday. Always a bit nervous being there.At times it's busy always some idiots who've had to much to drink,then going all over the place in a boot,have been hit a few times.

[chrisdobson45]

Coltishall, on the horse shoe by what used to be the Anchor PH. Many happy summer's afternoons spent there.

Our holidays had (almost) the same itinerary, year on year; we hired from Brister Craft so Brundall >> Reedham >> Acle >> Coltishall >> Stalham >> Oulton Broad >> Beccles >> Brundall. Always had a formal dinner at the Waveney House Hotel, Beccles, many precious family afternoons spent there, laughing at my non too athletic mother climbing onto the wall off the boat to get ashore.

Stalham was also a favourite, we used to moor at the boatyard opposite what now is the Museum of the Broads, room for three / four boats, lovely for watching boats head up to the staithe and then turn around again for lack of space.

When we returned to the Broads after 30 years we followed much of the old itinerary, somethings hadn't changed very much and vivid memories of my departed father gave me great comfort. He loved Norfolk, especially the Broads, having spent holidays sailing the Waveney as a boy in the late 1940's.

This was taken in 1977, Reedham, in what was Pearson Marine's boatyard

[LizG]

I've come to the conclusion after reading most of the posts, I can't answer this one!  My father always had favourite moorings back in the 60s, depending on whether we were north or south but most of these were wild or long gone to private craft.  Hardley and Brundall dykes being examples............

In my modern life, I suppose the heads of the rivers (apart from the Wensum although the trip up to New Mills is one of my favourite trips), Geldeston, Coltishall and Dilham but heyho too many nice places to choose from.  As Grendel says White Slea and Deep Go (whatever) do tick a lot of boxes especially if the Swallowtails are flying........

Liz