Planning Cluster · Moorings
Where to moor on the Norfolk Broads
From free 24-hour public moorings to quiet wild spots, here's how and where to tie up for an hour, a lunch stop, or a night.
Mooring on the Broads is simple, but a little local knowledge saves a lot of circling. There are three broad types of mooring: free public moorings (often 24-hour), staithes and village quays, and commercial moorings at pubs, marinas and yards.
Free 24-hour moorings
Many of the best-loved spots, such as Ranworth, Salhouse and St Benet's, offer free moorings, but they fill quickly in season. Aim to tie up by mid-afternoon if you want a good overnight berth, especially over summer weekends.
Tying up safely
- Approach into any tide or wind so you keep steerage and control.
- Use bow and stern lines, plus a spring line if there's any flow.
- On tidal stretches, leave slack for the rise and fall, so don't moor up tight.
- Mind your gangplank and keep the towpath clear for walkers.
On the tidal rivers, where you moor and how you tie up depends on the state of the tide, so it's worth checking before you stop for the night. Planning a route between moorings? Our route ideas string the best spots together.
Find moorings as you go
Navigator Lite maps the public moorings, staithes and slipways across the Broads on one screen, so you can see your next safe stop without circling.
Norfolk Broads moorings, river by river
The mooring spots boaters actually use, grouped by river. We describe what each place is like rather than quoting berth numbers or charges, because those are set locally and posted on the sign when you arrive.
River Bure
The busiest cruising river, and the one most hire boats start on. Moorings closest to Wroxham and Horning fill earliest in the day.
Wroxham & Hoveton
Village quay & commercial
Right at the head of navigation and beside the shops, so it's convenient and correspondingly busy. Much of the frontage belongs to yards and shops rather than the public, so read the signs before you tie up.
Salhouse Broad
Broad-side moorings
Stern-on moorings along a wooded shore, one of the prettiest overnight stops on the northern rivers. Popular with families; arrive early on a summer afternoon.
Ranworth Staithe
Public staithe
Reached across Malthouse Broad, with the church tower walk and a village a short stroll away. One of the first spots to fill in season.
Horning
Village staithe & pub moorings
Short public frontage in the village plus patron moorings at the riverside pubs. A good lunch stop, harder as an overnight berth in high season.
St Benet's Abbey
Rural riverside
Open, quiet mooring beside the abbey ruins with big skies and no facilities. Exposed to wind, and the Bure runs tidal here, so allow for the rise and fall.
Acle Bridge
Bridge-side moorings
The natural staging post before the run down to Great Yarmouth. Boats gather here waiting for a suitable tide, which is exactly why it's worth arriving early.
River Ant
Narrower, quieter and shallower, with Ludham Bridge as the gate. The rural stretches are the best wild-feeling moorings on the system.
Ludham Bridge
Public moorings
Moorings on both sides of the bridge, useful for waiting out the tide or dropping the screen before you pass. Shops and a café are a short walk.
How Hill
Rural riverside
Long stretch of bank moorings below the house and gardens, with marsh walks from the boat. Quiet, and one of the classic Ant overnight stops.
Barton Broad approaches
Rural riverside
Bank moorings along the reaches either side of the broad. Watch for shallows and unseen obstacles close to the bank when you come alongside.
Stalham & Sutton Staithe
Staithe & commercial
The head of navigation on the Ant, with the museum, supermarket and hire yards close by. A sheltered spot in weather.
River Thurne
Short, shallow and windmill-lined, leading to the northern broads. Potter Heigham bridge decides how far up you can go.
Thurne Mouth
Rural riverside
Where the Thurne meets the Bure, with mill views and open marsh. Tidal and breezy; moor with slack in the lines.
Potter Heigham
Public & commercial moorings
Moorings below the old bridge, which is where most hire boats stop. Passing the bridge is a pilot's decision, not a guess — see our bridge guidance.
Womack Water & Ludham
Dyke & staithe
A sheltered dyke off the Thurne leading to Ludham village, popular for a quiet night out of the wind.
Hickling & Horsey
Broad-side moorings
Beyond Potter Heigham bridge, so mainly reachable by smaller craft. Shallow, buoyed channels — stay between the marks.
River Yare
Wide, tidal and open, with proper marina facilities around Brundall and long rural reaches downstream.
Brundall
Marina & commercial
Cluster of yards and marinas with full facilities, and the main southern hire base. Visitor berths are yard-run, so call ahead in season.
Surlingham & Rockland
Staithe & broad
Quiet staithes off the main river with pubs within walking distance. Approaches are shallow at the edges.
Reedham
Village quay & pub moorings
Riverside village on a strong tidal stretch beside the swing bridge. Come alongside into the flow and tie up with plenty of slack.
Berney Arms
Remote riverside
Isolated moorings on the marshes near the mill, on the approach to Breydon Water. No road access and no facilities.
River Waveney
The quietest of the main rivers, with Beccles and Oulton Broad at its head and long empty reaches below.
Beccles Yacht Station
Yacht station
Staffed moorings with facilities and a town at the top of the hill. The friendliest introduction to mooring on the southern rivers.
Oulton Broad
Broad & yacht station
Open water with yacht station moorings, shops and rail links. Sheltered but busy with sailing activity.
Somerleyton & St Olaves
Staithe & pub moorings
Small riverside stops with pubs alongside, useful for breaking the run up from Breydon.
Geldeston
Head of navigation
The far end of the Waveney above Beccles, non-tidal and genuinely peaceful, with the lock inn a walk away.
River Chet
A narrow, winding dead-end river off the Yare, worth the detour for the quiet.
Loddon & Chedgrave
Staithe & commercial
Head of navigation with a village, shops and boatyards. Turning space is limited at the top, so take your time.
Hardley Mill
Rural riverside
Bank moorings near the restored mill at the mouth of the Chet, open and quiet.