The Bure Valley

The River Bure cuts its way through the Norfolk countryside from the Broads to the fertile agriculural fields of North Norfolk.The part of the river that has captured my imagination is the stretch between Horstead and Aylsham. It is not navigable by the holiday cruisers so it has a tranquility missing from many parts of the more commercial areas of the Broads.An act of parliament in 1773 allowed this stretch of the Bure to be made navigable. The 5 mills along the river had to be bypassed, so 5 locks were constucted. The new commercial waterway
was completed in October 1779. Finally, cargo for Aylsham
could be moved all the way to the town by wherry rather
than by horse and cart from Coltishall or Cromer. In the
infamous 1912 floods the locks were damaged and repairs
were considered too expensive, so in 1928 the waterway
was officially abandoned.Of the 5 locks,4 remain and some
are now fitted with sluices to replace the lock gates.
The public footpath runs alongside the river for a few miles,
winding through the cattle grazed water meadows that make
up the flood plain of the Bure. Landmarks along the way are
Burgh next Aylsham Church by the water, Burgh Mill , Oxnead mill, Lammas Church by the riverside, Buxton Mill pond and race, Horstead bridge and the remaining locks. Another thing of note is the abundance of wildlife in these backwaters, bird, mammal and plant life flourish in a landscape largely left behind by modern life. If you visit the area binoculars would be a good idea.
A great way to see this area is to take a ride on the Bure Valley Railway, which will take you into the heart of the beautiful Bure area of the county.

If you cannot visit the area or just wish to have a picture of the beautiful Bure Valley, my hand printed pictures are available , so you can take a little bit of the Norfolk countryside into your home.
Please click the link below to see a quick slideshow!

The lock

at Burgh
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image to
enlarge