Cockshoot Broad Nature Reserve and Boardwalk

The boardwalk at Cockshoot Broad cuts straight out over the water, and that's when you realize why people come here. It's a proper slice of Norfolk Broads wildlife without needing a boat or any special skills - just sensible shoes and patience.

This is a nature reserve that actually lets you get close to what matters. The boardwalk takes you over the broad itself, giving you sightlines across open water where you'll spot bitterns, marsh harriers, and if you're lucky, otters. The reeds tower around you. The water below is dark and still. It's genuinely quiet in a way that suburban nature reserves aren't.

Walkers and birdwatchers will get the most from it, though families with younger kids find the boardwalk short enough not to test their patience. Bring binoculars - genuinely bring them. Spring and autumn are best for migrating birds, but summer mornings are magical if you can face the early start. Winter's bleak but atmospheric.

It's free and accessible from Great Yarmouth, making it an easy half-day from any of the caravan parks dotted around the Broads - Norfolk Broads Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite is barely two miles away. Couple it with Clippesby Hall or Hickling Campsite if you want to stay longer and explore the wider reserve network. Allow an hour for the boardwalk itself, longer if you're actually looking for birds rather than just walking through.