Broads Village ready to welcome visitors at the Royal Norfolk Show 2023

The Broads Authority has been busy behind the scenes, preparing to welcome thousands of visitors to the Broads Village, at the Royal Norfolk Show (28 - 29 June) with new games, activities and giveaways with partner organisations, to inspire learning and fun in the Broads.

The Broads Village is an award-winning corner of the Norfolk Show that has become a regular favourite of families, school children and teachers. With loads of hands-on activities for kids, from pond dipping for watery critters, to badge making, to learning all about historic marsh-man’s tools.

The Village showcases the Broads centred on a picturesque landscaped lake where children, parents and group leaders can complete an activity trail to earn Broads National Park goodies.

There are opportunities throughout the show to:

• Get close up to critters and water insects in pond dipping activities and learn all about the unique ecology of the Broads.
• Play a game with animals like the woolly mammoth to guess which species has lived in the Broads.
• Make a badge featuring unique Broads designs.
• Complete quizzes for Broads goodies, pencils, badges and stickers.
• Learn life-saving skills with the Broads Authority Rangers and have a go at throwing a safety-line.
• Discover incredible artefacts as the pop-up Museum of the Broads brings the heritage of the waterways alive.
• Find your sea legs at the sailing craft display and see a recreation of the 900-year-old Chet Boat.
• Explore traditional boatbuilding techniques with the historic Hunter’s Fleet and the International Boatbuilding Training College.
• Discover the history of drainage mills, take a virtual reality tour up Hardley Mill and try not to fall off the edge.

Senior Compliance and Safety Ranger Jon Hopes, said of the show,

“We are all so excited to be back in the Broads Village and we’ve got a host of activities and exhibitors to appeal to all everyone, whatever their experience of the Broads.

“Working with partners such as the RNLI, Broads Authority Rangers will be highlighting the importance of water safety.”

“The Broads is an icon of the history of Norfolk and also of its future,” says Lucy Burchnall, Broads Authority Head Ranger.

“So, it’s fitting to devote an area of the Royal Norfolk Show to celebrate all that there is to discover on our doorstep.”

“The Village brings together a collection of stand holders and a host of activities that will amuse, educate and inspire young and old to visit, discover and care for our unique national park,” Lucy says.

Curated by the Broads Authority, the Broads Village has a whole host of fantastic partners including: Woodland Trust, Plantlife, RNLI, Museum of the Broads, Nancy Oldfield Trust, Hunter's Yard, Norfolk Wherry Trust, the Broads Society, Whitlingham Adventure, Water Mills and Marshes: Broads Landscape Partnership, International Boatbuilding Training College and Norfolk Watersports.

Also at the show is Andrea Kelly, Broads Authority Environment and Policy Advisor, talking about the Broads Peat Partnership project, which is investigating how crops grown in wetlands (known as paludiculture) can be grown and help adapt changing climates.

You can find the Broads Village next to the Countryside Ring on the official Norfolk Show Map,  and the Innovation Hub is area number 3.

Thursday 22 June 2023