Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The paddling route
Put in from the pay car park by Wroxham bridge and paddle downstream past the boatyards of Hoveton, then out between reedbeds and wet woodland. The river runs past the entrances to Wroxham Broad and Hoveton Great Broad, round the long bend past Salhouse Broad, and on to Horning. Take out at the slipway by the staithe, next to the Swan Inn.
It is 7.8 km one way; allow about 1¾ hours in a canoe or kayak and 2¼ on a paddleboard. The grade is Easy: the water is flat and slow, but the Broads are gently tidal, so the river can run a little either way, and from Easter to October it carries a steady stream of hire cruisers. Keep to the right, stay close to the bank and turn into their wash.
All canoes, kayaks and paddleboards on the Broads need a toll, either annual or a short-visit toll for 7 or 14 days; Paddle UK members are covered without one. After heavy rain the Bure rises and runs harder: check the Hoveton Broad gauge before you go. Hoveton and Wroxham station is 500 m from the start. Wear a buoyancy aid and check the conditions before you set off.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap waterways (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Through the heart of the northern Broads, past Wroxham, Hoveton Great and Salhouse broads
- Gently tidal: the water rises and falls a little, with little current
- Busy with hire cruisers from Easter to October
- Horning staithe beside the Swan Inn
On the water
- Put in: Car park · parking charged 52.71120, 1.40702
- Take out: Slipway 52.70565, 1.46160
- No locks or weirs on the way.
- River level: Hoveton Broad (River Bure). Check it before you go, and don't paddle when it is high.
- Rules and licences: Broads Authority. Check whether you need a licence before you go: on many inland waters in England and Wales you do, and Paddle UK membership includes one for many of them.
- Suits canoes, kayaks, paddleboards.
Getting there
Start: Wroxham Bridge. 52.71120, 1.40702
By train: Hoveton and Wroxham station is 0.5 km from the start.
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Hoveton and Wroxham: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Water levels, flow and the weather decide the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; wear a buoyancy aid, check the river levels and the forecast, keep well clear of weirs and powered boats, and don't go out in flood.