Broadland Highlights

Make an adventure a day in Broadland, with a selection of the HODs events, and perhaps visit the wonderful marshland and woodlands, taking the opportunity to learn all about it’s fascinating heritage and so much more. 

With miles of waterways set in countryside and through villages such as Wroxham, there’s an abundance of events focused on the water, with wherry boats the Hathor Pleasure Wherry, the Norfolk Wherry Maud and the Wherry Albion all inviting you to step aboard during Heritage Open Days. See Wherry events here.

Take up the opportunity to visit the elegant Blickling Estate, for their Blickling Estate: Now and Then event in the farmyard for HODs this year. Blickling Estate has been lovingly looked after for over four hundred years by many generations of owners, tenants and workers. To celebrate the release of the 1921 census, you can discover the life of tenant at the time, American horticulturalist Zelia Hoffman, and some of the estate workers who cared for Blickling in the 1920s. You'll get to meet characters from Blickling's past and present in the Farmyard throughout the day, making for a really fun and fascinating day! You can drop-in on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September between 11am and 4pm.

Have you heard about the former Norfolk County Asylum in Thorpe St Andrew?

New event for HODs this year, you can book onto a special guided walk of the former asylum. Your guide will cover the time from 1861, when Dr Hills was appointed as the Superintendent of the Thorpe Asylum, through to the Great War when the Asylum was turned into a War Hospital. Much of the former Norfolk County Asylum at Thorpe St Andrew has been converted to housing but retains many of its original features. Built on two separate sites, divided by the Yarmouth Road, with the north side is now derelict, the walk will take in both parts of the site. Participants will get to explore the history of the asylum and hear a number of case studies. Booking is essential for this 45-minute tour on Friday 15 September.

Girlguiding Norfolk are inviting you to discover their County Archive Resource Centre’s with their Cotton Reels, camps and curating event! Did you know that Girlguiding Norfolk's Archive Resource Centre is unique to the UK? It's the only purpose-built Girlguiding Archive/Museum where they bring the guiding history of the past 110 years alive, to be enjoyed by all ages. Visit to experience camp skills, learn what Brownies did with cotton reels in the 1940s and how leaders were trained to help displaced persons in Europe and further afield at the end of WWII. You'll find out the creative ways the leaders have made these methods accessible to girls and young women, not only in Norfolk but all over the country. You can drop-in on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September between 10am and 4pm.