The old-fashioned way: Exploring the Norfolk Broads by wherry boat

You can just imagine the parties that were held here,” said Andrew Scull as I gazed around in wonder at the saloon of the Ardea, its teak-panelled walls so highly varnished that I could almost see my reflection. A small piano sat invitingly in the corner, and a wall-mounted brass ship’s bell was just crying out to be used.

The Ardea dates back to 1927 and was the last of Norfolk’s pleasure wherries to be built. I could just picture elegant women in flapper dresses pouting and posing in this very spot, perhaps spending the night here as I was about to. Oh, the stories that the Ardea could tell.

Andrew is her owner, and also chairman of the Wherry Yacht Charter Charitable Trust (WYCCT). He filled me in on the history of Norfolk’s historic sailing crafts, designed to navigate the network of shallow rivers and lakes that make up the 300sq km area known as the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads.

Wherries date back to the early 17th century, when they were used as trading craft to ferry cargo across the area. They were made redundant when the railways reached this part of the UK, but when the Victorians discovered the Broads as a leisure destination at the turn of the 20th century, some wherries were converted into pleasure craft; others were purpose-built for the task. The Ardea was the last of the pleasure wherries to hit the water.

Today there are only eight wherries left in existence, of which five are managed by the WYCCT. They are used for day sails and charters, to pay for their restoration and upkeep, and also to spread the word on this unique historic craft.

Joined by some other guests, we drank Norfolk gin and tonic while Andrew told colourful tales of Ardea’s history. In 1947, she had been bought by Lady Flora Conway-Cutcliffe, who, according to the craft’s former skipper, hosted wild weekends on her with a host of celebrities in tow. Film star and ukulele virtuoso George Formby, who had fallen deeply in love with this part of the world and had even bought a house here, was known to be a regular.

the Albion was originally built for a firm of Bungay maltsters, and her first job was hauling coal – now she carries visitors (Alamy)

The Hathor lies moored on the River Ant by How Hill (Alamy)

In the late 1950s, after a couple more changes of ownership, the Ardea was taken to Paris to be used as a houseboat. By the mid 1960s, she had been bought by a Parisian madame and was being used by her “girls” for somewhere to rest. Shewas then owned by a Frenchman for nearly 40 years and used as a charter vessel around the canals of France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, before being brought back to Norfolk in 2005 and restored to her former glory.

It was a warm August evening, so after dinner at a local pub, we headed back to the Ardea and sat on her roof. A few swans and ducks had milled around the boat earlier in the evening, but now a bevy of swans was gliding by – I lost count after 40 or so. I then realised that they were following a kayak that had stopped further up to throw out food for them.

It was then time to lie back on the sloping roof and look to the skies. The Perseid meteor shower was already at its peak, and shooting stars were leaving trails across the heavens. With little light pollution, and the only sound that of lapping water, we each sank into a spellbound reverie.

The Hathor (Wherry Yacht Charter)

Reluctantly deciding it was time for bed, I slept well in my wood-panelled state room, which was like a museum piece with its brass fittings, original wardrobe and cupboard. A hatch at one end would have been used for passing through drinks. A slightly raised area may have been where a cot lay, or a dog bed.

After breakfast, we transferred to a yacht wherry, the White Moth. Dating back to 1915, she would have been built with racing in mind, and was the last yacht wherry to take to the water. After a chequered history of mixed fortunes – as a charter, a houseboat, being sunk and then neglected – she was restored to her former glory in the late 1980s.

We headed off along the River Bure, and skipper Dean Howard instructed two of our party to get on the winch at the bow of the boat and wind until the sail was raised. We all smiled at the sight of the large white sail standing proud as Dean tacked along the river.

Our route was lined with holiday homes and desirable houses, most with characteristic thatched roofs made from local reeds. We even passed the mansion that belonged to the late George Formby. Pleasure boats went by, some with smiling passengers waving at us or taking a photograph; one or two impatiently tried to pass us despite the 4mph limit. Then the banks on each side got wilder and more natural, and we started to see herons, butterflies, wildflowers and dragonflies rather than other boats.

Swans gliding past (Wherry Yacht Charter)

Interior of the Hathor (Wherry Yacht Charter)

Sailing on the Hathor (Wherry Yacht Charter)

We turned onto Wroxham Broad, a lively wind blowing across its vast expanse. While people refer to the whole area as the Broads, a broad is the name given to the shallow lakes that pepper the area. It was finally proved in the 1960s that these were man-made rather than naturally occuring, and that they began as pits that had been dug for peat to provide fuel during medieval times.

In one area, dozens of children were having dinghy sailing lessons. In the distance, we could see another wherry, the privately-owned Solace. I found myself nodding to her. Dean manoeuvred the White Moth around the broad, using the wind to give us a taste of her speed under sail, and I marvelled at his handling of her as he stood braced against the tiller and seemed to be part of the wherry itself.

We headed to one side of the Broad and stopped for lunch in a secluded spot. As we munched on sandwiches, I kept watching the water between a fallen tree and the bank, curious at the ripples. A shape arced into view and I grabbed my binoculars. It was an otter, presumably fishing, and we all traced its progress for a while as the fish in its path jumped out of the water in an effort to get away.

The lost art of quanting (Wherry Yacht Charter)

We headed back to base but my weekend of wherries wasn’t yet over as I drove a few miles to How Hill, site of an educational trust and where another very special pleasure wherry was based for the summer. Dating back to 1905, the Hathor, named after the Egyptian goddess of love and beauty, was commissioned by the Colman family (of mustard fame). I hadn’t read up on her before my visit and, on boarding, I was startled by her dazzling interior, her sycamore-panelled walls embellished with Egyptian hieroglyphs formed by the use of inlaid teak.

The Hathor had been built in memory of Alan Colman, son of Jeremiah Colman, an MP and owner of the family company. In 1897, suffering from tuberculosis, he went to Egypt in an attempt to improve his health. The family chartered a dahabiyah, a traditional sailing barge, for a Nile cruise from Cairo to Luxor.

Alan sadly passed away a few days afterwards but his sisters, knowing how much he had loved the dahabiyah journey, commissioned the Hathor a few years later. Its interior was designed by prominent architect Edward Boardman, who married into the Colman family and lived in How Hill House, its Egyptian-themed symbols and fittings copied from originals on display in the British museum.

That night, I dreamt of young Alan Colman and his Nile cruise. And then the dream morphed into a sparkling party aboard the Ardea. I don’t think I was in a flapper dress, but I will certainly make more of an effort to look the part next time I have the privilege of staying on her.

(Shutterstock)

You’ll hear one long before you ever see it. The bittern (or “butterbump” as it’s known in Norfolk) has a sonic-boom of a mating call, which can be heard up to 2km away (March–June).

(Shutterstock)

This tiny, shy deer was brought to the UK in the 19th century. Today it is faring better in the British wilds than back in its native Asia. It hides among the tall plants and is a powerful swimmer when required.

(Shutterstock)

The pale-yellow and black swallowtail is one of the UK’s most exotic butterflies, yet it’s increasingly rare since the 19th century. Look out for them flitting around the milkweed blooms.

(Shutterstock)

Otters were in danger of disappearing from the Broads in the 1970s. Habitat loss threatened their very existence. Now they’re thriving and can be spotted on riverbanks across the area.

You can see how streamlined the White Moth is when compared with the larger Ardea (Wherry Yacht Charter)

Wherry Yacht Charteroffers a programme of day sailings and also private charters. The season for both is May to September but trips depend on skipper and crew availability. Up to ten passengers can be taken on day sailings. The wherries are offered on a self-catering basis and facilities include a fully equipped galley with hob, oven and fridge, a toilet, washbasins and a shower (White Moth only). Each saloon provides both daytime living space and four berths, and features a yacht piano. For overnight charters you need to provide your own bedding.

The Hathor is in residence at How Hill for the summer (June to September), with staffed viewings from 10am to 5pm whenever volunteers are available and if she is not in use for sailing. Please contact the Trust to confirm availability if you are making a special trip. Viewings are always free, but donations are more than appreciated.