Natural England - Hickling Broad NNR
Hickling Broad NNR
Although most NNRs are managed by Natural England, 88 are wholly or partly managed by other bodies approved by Council, under Section 35 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
County: Norfolk
Main habitats: Peatland, Open Water
Area: 586 Ha
Site map: Nature on the Map.
Hickling Broad NNR is owned and managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.
To download a leaflet describing this reserve, click here 
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The reserve is immediately adjacent another NNR, Martham Broad.
Hickling Broad is one of the largest expanses of open water in East Anglia. The broad is thought to have been formed by peat and clay digging and is only 1.5m deep. The reserve comprises open water, fen, reedbed and marsh habitats. These support a wide range of Broadland wildlife, including butterflies such as the swallowtail, and the Norfolk hawker dragonfly. Important aquatic plants found at Hickling include holly-leaved naiad and three species of rare stoneworts (freshwater seaweeds).
Location and access
The reserve is 20 km north west of Great Yarmouth and 12 km north of Acle, one km north west of the A149. Hickling Heath village is immediately adjacent the north bank of the broad.
By car, access to the site is via minor roads from the A149. There is a car park in Hickling Heath and at Stubb Mill, 0.5 km to the east.
The nearest train stations are in Great Yarmouth and Acle, both served by One Railway. Bus services along the A149 are provided by First Group.
Martham is close to Route 30 (Norfolk Coast Cycle Way) of the Sustrans National Cycle Network, and a major trail, the Weavers Way, skirts the southern shore of the broad.
Facilities
There are toilet and refreshment facilities at a visitor centre at Stubb Mill on the broad's northern shore. Other facilities include a hide, a one km nature trail, a boardwalk and a water trail. The latter takes two hours and must be pre-booked. Leaflets are available for visitor information.
Both the visitor centre and boardwalk offer disabled access.