[Collins New Naturalist 89] • The Broads

Broadland is set mostly in Norfolk and partly in Suffolk. The peat deposits in Broadland were dug in many places mainly during the 9th to 13th centuries. The pits eventually filled with water, giving us the Broads, 190 km of navigable water unimpeded by dams or locks. Before World War II, Broadland was the epitome of richness of water plants and their associated animals, and was of international importance as a diverse wetland. Sadly, much of the richness has now gone, and the significance of Broadland lies more now in its significance in environmental restoration. The problems faced by the Broads are being experienced world-wide, and devising ways in which the Broads may be managed to restore the previous richness has produced a strategy of value throughout the world. This book discusses the history of the Broads, the waters in the past and the waters now, the people who come into contact with and influence these waterways, and what the future holds for this small but important area.