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Wherryman’s Way Walking Holiday

I believe this walk is truly one of the most beautiful ways to discover the Broads without taking a boat.  I can’t think of any stretch of this walk that I didn’t enjoy.  It’s incredibly scenic and as you walk alongside the River Yare for as far as practicably possible (which you do for most of the way), you'll begin to realise why Norfolk is described as having such huge skies and flat landscape, much of which is breathtakingly picturesque.   

The chugging of the boats on the river, the lack of other people (particularly off season), the wilderness, reed beds, marshland, drainage mills and windmills, the riverside pubs and small villages make this an easy yet incredibly interesting, varied and very enjoyable walk.

Explore Norfolk UK is the first walking holiday business in the UK to offer this particular trail.

River Yare on the Wherryman's WayRiver Yare on the Wherryman's Way

The Wherryman’s Way is approximately 39 miles long.   This particular walk takes its name from the large Wherry Boats that used to sail back and forth from Norwich and Great Yarmouth with all their wares.  Nowadays, however, these boats are rarely seen and the river is used for recreational boats and sailing boats which you’ll definitely catch sight of along the way.  A little wave here and there as you walk alongside the River Yare seems to keep the captains of the boats happy!

You can read more on the history on the Norfolk Broads here.

Beautiful landscape along the Wherryman's Way

 This walk gives you an excellent opportunity to see a part of Norfolk that only some see by boat.  Here is a chance to experience the broads from a completely different perspective.    You can read a brief summary of what to expect here.

Some of this walk you just cannot get to other than on foot.   You are taken inland at various points of the walk along pretty lanes, into the countryside and past lovely round tower churches and thatched roof churches.    

And then you spend time in the reed beds and in amongst wildlife, possibly watching Marsh Harriers overhead or the cattle and sheep grazing by the riverside.    It really is an incredibly varied walk.

One of the many windmills along the River Yare

Explore Norfolk UK can offer 3 Wherryman’s Way Walking Holiday options. 

Wherryman's Way Walking Holiday Options

Here are the 3 options for walking The Wherryman’s Way. 

Bear in mind the 4 Day Walk requires 4 taxi rides and staying in the same accommodation for 3 nights, due to scarcity of places to stay. 

  • The Wherryman's Way starts at the riverside in Norwich and finishes at the railway station in Great Yarmouth and meanders all the way along the attractive River Yare on the Norfolk Broads.

    Trail length: 39 miles/62.7 km
    Ease of walk: easy
    Open from: any time of year*

    This Broads walk will show you just how beautiful this part of Norfolk really is. Seeing the Broads on foot is by far the best way to get a low level view of the marshlands, meadows, drainage mills and nature, as well as the riverside pubs!

    Prices:
    WW01 - 2 days walking – from £400 per person (based on 2 sharing)
    WW02 - 3 days walking – from £500 per person (based on 2 sharing)
    WW03 - 4 days walking – from £590 per person (based on 2 sharing)

    *Due to the scarcity of accommodation during stretches of the Wherryman's Way, you may need to be flexible with dates.

  • Our prices for the Wherryman's Way walks are based on two people sharing a room. If you are travelling on your own as a solo traveller, or if you are walking in a group but would like a single room, then the additional single supplement of £40 per person per night applies.

    Trail Code: WW01
    Trail length: 39 miles
    Trail duration:2 days walking, 3 night’s accommodation
    Miles: Day 1 - 24 miles/38 km, Day 2 - 15 miles/24 km
    Prices from: £400 per person based on 2 sharing

    Book Here

    Suggested Itinerary for the 2 Day walk

    Arrival
    Arrive and stay at your accommodation in Norwich

    Day 1
    Walk from Norwich to Loddon (24 miles/38 km)
    This stretch of the Wherryman's Way starts on the riverside in Norwich and takes you out of Norwich and alongside the pretty Whitlingham Broad, into countryside and back again to join the River Yare. There is a little bit of road walking along the quiet lanes and eventually you'll reach Chedgrave and Loddon, a very pretty village situated on the River Yare. Lots of variety today.

    Day 2
    Walk from Loddon to Great Yarmouth (15 miles/24 km)
    Lots of broads walking today amongst reedbeds, catching a chain link ferry across the River Yare, arriving at the pretty riverside of Reedham and on through marsh meadow, passing windmills and drainage mills and more reedbeds to reach your destination of Great Yarmouth.

    Book Your 2 Day Walk Here

  • Our prices for the Wherryman's Way walks are based on two people sharing a room. If you are travelling on your own as a solo traveller, or if you are walking in a group but would like a single room, then the additional single supplement of £40 per person per night applies.

    Trail Code: WW02
    Trail length: 39 miles/62.7 km
    Trail duration:3 days walking, 4 night’s accommodation
    Miles: Day 1 - 11 miles/17.7 km, Day 2 - 12.8 miles/20.5 km, Day 3 - 15 miles/24 km
    Prices from: £500 per person (based on 2 sharing)

    Book Here

    Suggested Itinerary for the 3 Day walk


    Arrival
    Arrive and stay at your accommodation in Norwich

    Day 1
    Walk from Norwich to Rockland St Mary (11 miles/17.7 km)
    This stretch of the Wherryman's Way starts on the riverside in Norwich and takes you out of Norwich and along Whitlingham Broad, into countryside and back again to the riverside. Continue along the river bank until you reach the pretty round tower of Surlingham Church and, weather and ground permitting, walk amongst the RSPB site. Transfer to pub in Loddon

    Day 2
    Walk from Rockland St Mary to Loddon (12.8 miles/20.5 km)
    Transfer back to Rockland St Mary. This stretch alternates between being besides the river and into the countryside. A little bit of it is on the quiet lanes of the Norfolk Broads, but mostly you'll be besides the river and in amongst the reedbeds of the Broads.

    Day 3
    Walk from Loddon to Great Yarmouth (15 miles/24km)
    More wonderful broads walking. You'll be using a chain link ferry to take you across the river to reach the opposite side, and will continue all the way along the river until you reach Great Yarmouth. You'll hardly see a soul.

    Book Your 3 Day Walk Here

  • Our prices for the Wherryman's Way walks are based on two people sharing a room. If you are travelling on your own as a solo traveller, or if you are walking in a group but would like a single room, then the additional single supplement of £40 per person per night applies.

    Trail Code: WW03
    Trail length: 39 miles/62.7 km
    Trail duration: 4 days walking, 5 night’s accommodation
    Miles: Day 1 - 11 miles/17.7 km, Day 2 - 12.8 miles/20.5 km, Day 3 - 5.4 miles/8.6 km, Day 4 - 9.5 miles/15.2 km
    Prices from: £590 per person (based on 2 sharing)

    Book Here

    Suggested Itinerary for the 4 Day walk


    Arrival
    Arrive and stay at your accommodation in Norwich

    Day 1
    Walk from Norwich to Rockland St Mary (11 miles/17.7 km)
    This stretch of the Wherryman's Way starts on the riverside in Norwich and takes you out of Norwich and along Whitlingham Broad, into countryside and back again to the riverside. Continue along the river bank until you reach the pretty round tower of Surlingham Church and, weather and ground permitting, walk amongst the RSPB site. Transfer to pub in Loddon.

    Day 2
    Walk from Rockland St Mary to Loddon (12.8 miles/20.5 km)
    Transfer to Rockland St Mary. This stretch alternates between being besides the river and into the countryside. A little bit of it is on the quiet lanes of the Norfolk Broads, but mostly you'll be besides the river and in amongst the reedbeds of the Broads.

    Day 3
    Walk from Loddon to Reedham (5.5 miles/8.6 km)
    This will be a short walk today but passes a very attractive thatched church at Heckingham. You will be catching a chain link ferry over to the other side of the river and walk into the pretty riverside village of Reedham and spend some time just watching the world go by! You may like to have lunch here and then take a taxi back to Loddon. Hevingham Gardens are close by, should you wish to visit this in the afternoon (open on set days) or you could spend your day enjoying the pretty staithe and river at Loddon.

    Day 4
    Walk from Reedham to Great Yarmouth (9.5 miles/15.2 km)
    Transfer back to Reedham. The walk from here to Gt Yarmouth is all on the river bank. Lovely and remote with plenty of time to admire the windmills and drainage mills, the boats chugging by and the livestock on the grazing meadows, until you reach the bustling town of Gt Yarmouth.

    Book Your 4 Day Walk Here

  • At Explore Norfolk UK we go the extra mile. And with our accommodation choices, this is what you’ll get. It’s very important to us that your stay is just what you expect and more. Accommodation along the Wherryman’s Way is incredibly sparse if you don’t want to walk too far from the trail. I have found excellent accommodation but it may be that you might have to have flexible dates in order to fit in with the accommodation, especially during the summer months.


    Most of the accommodation on the route is bed and breakfast, but some may be pubs/hotels as these best fit the needs for this particular walk.

  • Included:
    Bed and breakfast accommodation Baggage transfer from each night’s accommodation.
    A detailed information pack with OS maps and walking notes written up by myself, along with waterproof walking notes (as there are no official guidebooks for this path), itinerary with places of interest and places for possible lunches, as well as directions to the accommodation with the name and phone number of the owners where appropriate.
    Taxi transfer where needed on the 3 and 4 day walk
    Emergency telephone support for us in the event of a problem.


    Excluded:
    Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks.
    Travel Insurance – please make sure you have travel insurance to cover this holiday.
    Transport for any rest days. We will be happy to book you taxis should you require.
    Travel to/from Norwich and to/from Great Yarmouth.
    Rest days -any costs for rest days or extra activities undertaken.

    Extras:
    Additional nights used other than on the Wherryman's Way walk itinerary (e.g. rest days, any additional days at the beginning or end of the walk for your own personal holiday not covered by the itinerary).
    Rest days - suggest you add on approximately £60 per person per night.
    Solo walker and single walker supplements - please add on approximately £40 per night to cover the cost of single occupancy, maps for one, and baggage transfers for one

  • Detailed information on how to reach your accommodation at the start of the walk, by car, or on foot from the bus or train station in Norwich, will be included in your holiday pack.

    Getting there:

    By Road:
    Norwich is reached by road via the A11, the A47 and a myriad of other A roads. This vastly improved A11 makes the journey much easier than it used to be. However, car parking in Norwich will be a problem for long stays, so public transport is the preferred option for reaching Norwich.

    Car parking:
    None of the Norwich accommodations have car parking facilities apart from one which charges £15 per day.

    By Rail:
    To/from Norwich: Norwich has a railway station served by the Abellio Greater Anglia network. Trains run to and from London Liverpool Street and also cross country to Cambridge, Ely and Peterborough.

    By Bus:
    The National Express coaches go from London Victoria to Norwich, sometimes with one change at Stansted Airport. https://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

    By Air:
     Norwich International Airport is just outside the city of Norwich and London Stansted Airport is just under 2 hours by road.


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A summary of the Wherryman’s Way Norfolk Trail

This 39 mile walk starts from the middle of Norwich on the River Yare (or you can walk the other way from Great Yarmouth to Norwich) and follows this river all the way to Great Yarmouth.

The River Yare in Norwich

And in between these two point you’ll walk amongst the reed beds and meadows of the Broads, you’ll be taken into the Norfolk countryside along the peaceful lanes, coming across round tower churches and thatched roof churches and hidden history.

One of the many engraved benches along the Wherryman's Way
Lots of waterside pubs along the trail
The River Yare passing one of the pubs!

You will see a whole host of windmills and drainage mills, you’ll walk through a few villages and you can’t do this walk without stopping  at least once or twice at one of the many pubs along the way to sample their ales or fish and chips!  

Delicious fish and chips at the Ferry Inn, Reedham

But most of the time you’ll be completely alone in your own thoughts, admiring the landscape and being able to see for miles. 

Hardley Drainage Mill

You’ll come across staithes where many of the boats will be moored up, and depending on the time of year that you take this walk, you’ll either see lots of boats or just a few boats on the river.

Many Staithes along the River Yare

And the one thing that I love about this walk is that quite a large chunk of it can only be accessed by foot.  Much of it is deep into the reeds of the broads.

Chedgrave Memorial in the middle of the reedbed

Once out of Norwich, the whole walk is very well signposted.

And talking of Norwich, if you start from here you’ll be staying in the heart of this historic city so you may think it’s worth getting to Norwich earlier to wander around the Cathedral, Castle Museum or the streets.

Views along the River Yare
A solitary bench overlooking the river

I’d love to help, discuss and suggest how this could be a walking holiday for you to remember.  Why not look at the options above to decide which holiday is right for you?

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