Jump to content

Norfolk Broads River levels.


Guest

Featured Posts

There has been much chatter about river levels on the Broads over the last few days. River levels are well up due to a combination of rain and tides. Localised flooding has been commonplace.

 

Boats have been stuck the wrong side of low bridges like Wroxham and even in some cases Ludham.

 

Richardsons staff were pictured yesterday in Wroxham squeezing a stranded boat under Wroxham bridge. (Not my pic.) So they could get back to Stalham.

 

Normally one of these bath tub boat types would have no issue getting under Wroxham at the correct state of the tide.

 

 

Screenshot_20200929-151348_Facebook.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We were broads moorers/boaters/dwellers for 17 years.  It's mainly down to atmospheic and weather conditions.  All of the navigable broads system is tidal,  low pressure allows the sea level to rise so up come the rivers,  northerly wind piles up the north sea against the netherlands, Belgium and Kent/Essex so the sea level comes up and the rivers respond.  The recent rainfall is also a factor but usually the least of the three.  Extremes of these factors caused those awful 1950s floods.

 

We've seen 50 litre drums loaded onto boats to fill with water for ballast,  crowds of people on boats, anything to try and get them through.  When Belaugh boats were in operation and couldn't gety their boats through Wroxham Bridge they would turn round their boats at Royall's in Hoveton (but then they were family.

 

I once took Grebe through Potter Bridge with 6 ft on the gauge - that was tight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

50 minutes ago, AllanD said:

One other low bridge is at Potter Heigham. On occasions, if the need to get a boat under it the plan was to go to pub beside and offer a free pint to anyone who would go onto the boat until they got through it. 

 

We've never been lucky enough to get under Potter, even when we have hired a boat that supposedly was low enough, the river conditions have never been right.

 

We always check with the pilot though just in case and when we tell him the boat name the answer is always the same. A polite 'sorry mate, no chance".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Norfolk has had it very bad over the last week or so, including extreme winds which at one point led to BA rangers having to stop hire boats crossing Breydon.

 

Quite why one would attempt to cross in such extreme weather is a bit beyond me. (Though apparently some were worried about not getting back to their yards in the North after spending the latter part of their holiday on the Southern Broads).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, The Happy Nomad said:

Norfolk has had it very bad over the last week or so, including extreme winds which at one point led to BA rangers having to stop hire boats crossing Breydon.

 

Quite why one would attempt to cross in such extreme weather is a bit beyond me. (Though apparently some were worried about not getting back to their yards in the North after spending the latter part of their holiday on the Southern Broads).

Because they have hired a boat on the safe inland waterways know as the Norfolk Broads, The Boucher's dont mention 6Kt tide races and an inland sea. Breydon is often closed to hire boats. It just no one tells people booking canal holidays that locks can be dangerous and boats sink from time to time

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Because they have hired a boat on the safe inland waterways know as the Norfolk Broads, The Boucher's dont mention 6Kt tide races and an inland sea. Breydon is often closed to hire boats. It just no one tells people booking canal holidays that locks can be dangerous and boats sink from time to time

Crossing Breydon is one of the highlights of a broads holiday for sure but yes it needs planning for and an awareness of the risks.

 

Lots of hire boaters wont even attempt it apparently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, The Happy Nomad said:

Crossing Breydon is one of the highlights of a broads holiday for sure but yes it needs planning for and an awareness of the risks.

 

Lots of hire boaters wont even attempt it apparently.

There doesn't seem so many stuck on the mud these days although the past month has had its share, Time was crossing the bridge you often saw someone there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, ditchcrawler said:

There doesn't seem so many stuck on the mud these days although the past month has had its share, Time was crossing the bridge you often saw someone there.

There was one the other day. Engine failure I think. The crew were pulled off by helicopter and in the process their dog escaped and bolted across the flats.

 

Since recovered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

There was one the other day. Engine failure I think. The crew were pulled off by helicopter and in the process their dog escaped and bolted across the flats.

 

Since recovered.

Yes I posted about that, Seemed a bit OTT but they thought the boat was going to fall over

Edited by ditchcrawler
Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, gazza said:

Since when did the Little Ouse become known as the Brandon Ouse?

Since earlier today, to distinguish it from the Yorkshire Ouse or the Sussex Ouse etc etc.

I probably should have called it Brandon Creek (as canalplan does). I walked the section up to Thetford today, where there are now some well developed restoration plans.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

Since earlier today, to distinguish it from the Yorkshire Ouse or the Sussex Ouse etc etc.

I probably should have called it Brandon Creek (as canalplan does). I walked the section up to Thetford today, where there are now some well developed restoration plans.

And so the seed of mistruths are set...... You’ve been knocking around fenland long enough to use it’s correct name - don’t dumb it down for the sake of the ditch dwellers on here ?

 

Canalplan is not the oracle either!

 

 

Edited by gazza
Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, gazza said:

And so the seed of mistruths are set...... You’ve been knocking around fenland long enough to use it’s correct name - don’t dumb it down for the sake of the ditch dwellers on here ?

 

Canalplan is not the oracle either!

 

 

Bradshaws 1904 describes it as "Brandon River, alias Little Ouse River".

 

By the way, the channel from Outwell to low corner is the Old river Nene,  not Well Creek.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.