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Three rivers - the Yare, Waveney and Bure - meander across the flatlands to the east of Norwich, converging on Breydon Water before flowing into the sea at Great Yarmouth. In places these rivers swell into wide expanses of water known as "broads", which for years were thought to be natural lakes. In fact they're the result of extensive peat cutting, several centuries of accumulated diggings made in a region where wood was scarce and peat a valuable source of energy. The pits flooded when sea levels rose in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries to create the Norfolk Broads , now one of the most important wetlands in Europe - a haven for many birds, such as kingfishers, grebes and warblers - and the county's major tourist attraction. The Broads' delicate ecological balance suffered badly during the 1970s and 1980s. The careless use of fertilizers poisoned the water with phosphates and nitrates, encouraging the spread of algae; the decline in reed cutting - previously in great demand for thatching - made the broads partly unnavigable; and the enormous increase in pleasure-boat traffic began to erode the banks. National Park status was, however, accorded to the area in 1988, and efforts are now under way to clear the waters and protect the ecosystem. Co-ordinating the clean up is the Broads Authority (tel 01603/610734, ), which maintains a series of information centres throughout the region - as well as a Broads Information Line (tel 01603/782281). At any of these locations, you can pick up a free copy of the Broadcaster , a useful newspaper guide to the Broads as a whole. The region is crossed by several train lines, with connections from Norwich to Wroxham, Acle and Reedham, as well as Berney Arms, near Breydon Water, one of the few places in England that can be reached by rail but not road. However, the best - really the only - way to see the Broads themselves is by boat , and you could happily spend a week or so exploring the 125 miles of lock-free navigable waterways, visiting the various churches, pubs and windmills en route. Among many boat rental companies, two of the more established are Blakes Holiday Boating (tel 01603/739400, ) and Broads Tours Ltd (tel 01603/782207, ), both of whom operate out of Wroxham. Prices for cruisers start at around GBP700 a week for four people in peak season, but less expensive, short-term rentals are widely available too. Houseboats are much cheaper than cruisers, but they are, of course, static. Trying to explore the Broads by car is - as you might imagine - pretty much a waste of time, but cyclists and walkers have a much better time, taking advantage of the region's network of footpaths and cycling trails. There are eight Broads Authority bike rental points dotted round the Broads (GBP8/day; tel 01603/782281). Walkers might consider the 56-mile Weavers' Way, a long-distance footpath that winds through the best parts of the Broads on its way from Cromer to Great Yarmouth, though there are many shorter options too. The easiest boating centre to reach from Norwich is WROXHAM , seven miles to the northeast and accessible by train, bus and car. Wroxham is itself short on charm, but it has a useful information centre , on Station Road (Easter-Oct daily 9am-1pm & 2-5pm; tel 01603/782281), and plenty of places where you can stock up with food before heading out on a cruise. Some eight miles east of Wroxham, POTTER HEIGHAM is the nominal capital of the Broads, taking its name from the pottery which once stood here on the River Thurne and from the Saxon lord of Heacham who founded the first settlement. Again, there's not much to keep your attention, though you can watch boaters struggling with the village's fourteenth-century bridge, regarded as one of the most difficult passages in the Broads. All the major boat rental companies have outlets here and there's also an information centre (Easter-Oct daily 9am-1pm & 2-5pm; tel 01692/670779). The only public transport to Potter Heigham is by bus from Great Yarmouth. Tiny RANWORTH , around twelve miles east of Norwich via the B1140, is a quieter spot altogether. There's no point in coming here if you're after a boat, but the village does have its own information office (Easter-Oct daily 9am-1pm & 2-5pm; tel 01603/270453), with stacks of stuff on local walking and wildlife. Ranworth also possesses a good-looking church , which is graced by a much-admired fifteenth-century rood screen, and from here it's just a couple of miles downstream along the River Bure to the isolated ruins of St Benet's Abbey - but note you can't get here by car.
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