little switzerland near wroxham

[loribear]

hi all , i saw this today on twitter, but i have never heard of it ot seen it, have any of you seen it or been there ? Lori

[Hylander]

How interesting,  hope someone can tell us more.

[littlesprite]

Ok Peter,

Where are you when needed, we need the story.

[ranworthbreeze]

I have just done a search, it would appear that the picture Lori posted was off of the Broadlands Memories website

 

http://www.broadlandmemories.co.uk/page246.html

 

The text associated with the picture is as follows:-

 

Regards

Alan

 

One of the entrance dykes to Little Switzerland on the River Bure, dating from c1910. Little Switzerland is a series of chalk marl pits, located between Wroxham and Belaugh, from which thousands of tonnes of chalk was quarried during the 19th century. The channels leading off the Bure were cut to enable small wherries and lighters to get right up to the pits to load the marl for transportation around the Broads. The marl was apparently a useful aid to turnip growing when applied to the fields, and was also transported to lime kilns and cement works in the area. Quarrying ceased around 1875 and the steep slopes created by digging out the chalk were planted with coniferous woodland. It is also recorded that a mastedon, a form of prehistoric elephant, was discovered here in the early 19th century.

[Polly]

It looks really pretty there.

[JennyMorgan]

Was a time when Oulton Broad was called 'Little England', heaven only knows why! 

[Polly]

I looked on Google Maps and found a long tree lined inlet / dyke on the port side bank about halfway between Wroxham and Belaugh, could that be it? If so can it be explored?

[MauriceMynah]

No Peter, If it's the dyke I think it is, then there's a "Private, No entry" sign there. No visible evidence of that bridge though.

[AdnamsGirl]

I tweeted the old postcard this morning as part of my virtual early 20th cruise of the Norfolk Broads on Twitter. It seems that the bridge does still exist although getting too it it may be difficult. There is more information about Little Switzerland on the BIg Sky Productions blog and Google searches will bring up more current images too.

 

http://bigskyproductions-jonno.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/there-are-no-mountains-in-norfolk.html

 

There were several entrances to the chalk pits from the River Bure. We had a look last year and they are difficult to make out as they are heavily overgrown now. I do have some photos somewhere on my PC. The thing which intrigued me was the fact that there used to be a pub which stood near to one of the entrances called the Groves End. Nothing remains of it now (I seem to remember that it was destroyed by fire) but I've been told that this was it, pictured c1910. I was trying to look into it before life went all pear shaped with mum in law! Hopefully I will be able to devote a bit more time to website matters in a few months time.

 

 

 

 

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Carol,

 

Thank you for the link and your insight regarding the Broads and its history.

 

One would assume that the Broads in the past would have been very similar to the Canals where life was made easier with the use of new dykes to areas of work or workings.

 

Regards

Alan

[Polly]

Thanks Carol that is good info. as always.

[MauriceMynah]

Re my earlier comment. For "no Peter" please read "No Pauline"...sorry about that. Trust me, I don't normally get the two of you confused!

[JennyMorgan]

Confusion is quite understandable! Both Pauline & I are friendly folk, we both sail Press boats, both have a full head of 'silver' hair and both do great 'full English'. Just that Pauline is a great deal prettier!

[Polly]

Peter has a longer beard.

[JennyMorgan]

Polly!!!!!!