Fleet Dyke

Fleet Dyke is a shallow Norfolk lake that sits just east of Great Yarmouth, offering exactly the sort of low-key water-watching opportunity that makes the Broads special. It's not dramatic - no grand vistas or towering cliffs - but rather a quiet stretch of water where you can actually spot things if you're patient enough to stop and look. Birdwatchers will find it worthwhile. The reed beds attract everything from marsh harriers to bitterns, and in winter the place fills with visiting wildfowl. You don't need more than an hour here unless you're seriously into your binoculars, but it's the kind of spot that rewards a proper wander rather than a rushed drive-by. The setting is quintessentially Broadland - flat, watery, a bit windswept - which appeals to some people enormously and leaves others cold. Access is straightforward from Great Yarmouth, making it a manageable stop if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks like Clippesby Hall or Norfolk Broads Country Park. There's no entrance fee that we're aware of, and it's free to visit, though facilities are minimal. Go on a reasonably calm day if you can - it's infinitely more pleasant than when the wind gets up and whips across the water. It won't occupy a whole day, but combined with a walk around one of the larger parks nearby, it makes for a satisfying morning or afternoon if you're holiday-based locally.