Irstead Staithe Walk

2.9 miles (4.7 km)

This 3 mile circular walk explores the Barton Broad Boardwalk from Irstead in the Norfolk Broads. The walk starts from the Irstead car park next to the River Ant and then follows the boardwalks past Barton Broad towards Neatishead.
The route features a combination of quiet, paved country lanes and custom-built wooden boardwalks designed to provide access across the fragile wetland terrain.... Barton Broad is the second largest of the Norfolk Broads, and because it is isolated from the main river channel, it offers a distinctly tranquil walking experience. The trail guides walkers through ancient, flooded woodland, known locally as alder carr, before opening out at a raised viewing platform that provides expansive views over the open water. The path is entirely level, and the boardwalk section is specially constructed to be fully accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
The swampy woodland and open water create an ideal sanctuary for a wide array of specialised Broads wildlife. The dense alder and willow trees provide nesting sites for siskins, redpolls, and tits, while great spotted woodpeckers can often be heard drumming in the canopy. Out on the broad itself, walkers can observe common terns nesting on artificial platforms, alongside tufted ducks, pochards, and great crested grebes. The area is also a known habitat for the otter, which hunts in the quiet channels, and the Norfolk hawker dragonfly, which patrols the fens during the summer months.