The Norfolk Broads by Night
Thurne Mill Norfolk Broads United Kingdom
Most know the Norfolk Broads is a place of outstanding natural beauty, to be there, is to cleanse the senses of all things that burden. Whether you like landscape views , waterside walks , wildlife , boats or my favourite the Windpumps, it is one of the most amazing places in the UK and one of the best kept National Parks. But would you go there at night , in the pitch darkness with no light pollution to shoot pictures of the stars. We did and this blog is posted to share the expereince.
Of course the Norfolk Broads National Park is an exceptional place to take your motorhome, camper, caravan or tent for the more hardy among you, at any time . There are a number of options to pitch up , both the main clubs are well represented , both at big site and CL level, and there are a number of pub-stops and private sites in the area. It does get busy in the summer especially with hire boat traffic , which leaves us in that paradox state of thinking the situation is crazy, while at the same time remembering that we too were once young.
But before we get into that - If the Norfolk Broads are new to you, here are the fun facts.
The Broads is a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. The lakes, known as broads, were formed by the flooding of peat workings. The Broads, and some surrounding land, were constituted as a special area with a level of protection similar to a national park by the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988. The Broads Authority, a special statutory authority responsible for managing the area, became operational in 1989.
The area is 303 square kilometres (117 sq mi), most of which is in Norfolk, with over 200 kilometres (120 mi) of navigable waterways. There are seven rivers and 63 broads, mostly less than 4 metres (13 ft) deep. Thirteen broads are generally open to navigation, with a further three having navigable channels. The Broads has similar status to the national parks in England and Wales; the Broads Authority has powers and duties akin to the National Parks, but is also the third-largest inland navigation authority.
How Hill Nature Reserve.
But back to the story , the skies were super clear, it’s February 2022 and I knew the previous night a friend had photographed the Aurora , in Norfolk !!! . Duncan is an exceptional photographer however and his work is definitely worth checking out. So together with a distinguished group of photographers for which I was definitely the weakest link, we set out across the national park at How Hill Nature Reserve to gaze and photograph the stars. I am proud to be part of the community of photographers called Through the Lens which is run by Duncan and Dibbs who are both the leaders and mentors in this group. Their workshops are exceptional and I have found them value for money and my camera work has definitely improved. Here is the link to the Workshops . (They did not induce me in any way to say that ! 😁.
The first shots were of Boardmans Mill , a Grade II listed building at the side of the River Ant. It was built in 1897 and is one of only three Trestle mills left on the Broads. The two images above were shot on the night , the blow image I took a few weeks earlier and have included in to show what the Mill looks like in day light.
The black image below was the second shot taken of the boat house with Boardman’s Mill just evident in the background.
The third spot was shooting the other way and resulted in a number of shots which ended up being my favourite.
I have always enjoyed shooting Turf Fen Mill, it’s always seemed to be ideally located whenever I have visited in relation to the light. It’s a drainage mill, built around 1875 by millwright William Rust, with original machinery intact. It is 31 feet high and has the unusual feature of two scoopwheels. Only accessible by boat. The star gazers among you will clearly make out Orion’s belt.
Turf Fen Mill - in daylight
Here are the remaining two images which were shot across the River Ant. Some long exposure work which might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
So when you come to the Broads or Norfolk in general don’t forget to look up , especially at night , but at any time generally the big Norfolk Skies don’t disappoint.
