How the Broads Work
Tolls. Every boat on the Broads needs a toll. Visitors can buy a short-visit toll for up to 28 days in a toll year. For 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2027, an 8 m motor cruiser costs £65.35 for 1–7 days or £130.70 for 8–14 days, and a 10 m cruiser £88.15 / £176.30; an 8 m sailing boat is £39.80 for a week. Buy at yacht stations or from the tolls team on 01603 756080. Harbour dues at Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft are separate.
Speed limits are 3, 4, 5 or 6 mph over the ground, signed on the banks. Wash matters as much as the number. Rangers enforce both.
Bridges, not depth, decide most routes. Clearances are published at average high water and fall as the tide rises — read the gauge boards. Potter Heigham Old Bridge (1.94 m) and Wroxham Bridge (2.18 m) have pilots. Reedham, Somerleyton and Oulton Broad swing bridges open on VHF Channel 12 or by phone, and Breydon Bridge lifts are booked with Peel Ports. Boats going with the current have priority.
Mooring. Broads Authority yacht stations at Great Yarmouth and Norwich (£8 day / £18 overnight) and staffed quays at Reedham and Ranworth (£6 / £12) are staffed in season, and mooring there is prohibited when they close in winter. Free BA 24-hour moorings — Acle Bridge, How Hill, Horning Marshes, Potter Heigham and many more — fill the gaps. Pubs often let customers moor.
Tides, Breydon Water & the Sea Gates
The rivers are tidal well inland. The Broads Authority publishes a tide table for Gorleston (Yarmouth Bar) and average high-water differences: about +1 h at Great Yarmouth Yacht Station, +2 h 30 at Reedham, +3 h 30 at Acle, +4 h at Horning, Potter Heigham, Brundall, Beccles and Oulton Broad, +4 h 30 at Norwich and Wroxham and +5 h at Stalham.
The Yare, the lower Bure and the Waveney carry the strongest streams. Breydon Water is the crux: a wide, shallow estuary that dries outside the marked channel. Cross it around slack water, usually leaving Yarmouth Yacht Station just after low water to carry the flood up the Yare or Waveney, or arriving at Yarmouth near slack. Breydon Bridge (4.41 m at the span) lifts are booked with Peel Ports on 01493 651275 or VHF 12; weekend lifts must be booked by 16:00 Friday.
From the sea, you enter at Great Yarmouth (Peel Ports) or at Lowestoft through Mutford Lock into Oulton Broad (VHF 73 / 01502 531778; £17 a day; 08:00–18:00 April–October, mornings only in winter). This guide copies no tide heights. Not for navigation.
Best Cruising Routes
Suggested shapes for a week afloat. Allow for the tide on the southern rivers.
- Northern loop (3–4 days): Wroxham → Horning → Ranworth → the Ant to How Hill and Stalham → back down to the Thurne for Potter Heigham and Ludham → Acle. No tidal crossing, plenty of free moorings.
- Upper Thurne (boats that clear 1.94 m only): Potter Heigham Old Bridge with the pilot → Hickling Broad and Horsey Mere.
- Southern rivers (4–5 days): Great Yarmouth → Breydon Water on the tide → Reedham → Brundall → Norwich, then back via the New Cut to the Waveney for Beccles and Oulton Broad.
- The full week: north to south via Acle and Great Yarmouth, timing Breydon for slack water both ways.
When to Go
The main season runs from Easter to the end of October, when yacht stations are staffed, pilots run and tea rooms open. May, June and September are the sweet spot: long days and fewer hire boats.
July and August bring regattas (Wroxham Week in late July, Oulton Week in late August), music cruises and the busiest moorings — arrive early. Friday and Saturday are hire changeover days.
In winter, yacht stations close and mooring there is prohibited, Mutford Lock opens mornings only, and many pub and boatyard hours shrink. It is quiet and beautiful but needs more planning.
In This Area
Stop guides on this hub, from the northern rivers south:
Old Sea Dogs View
Start north if it’s your first time — no tidal crossing and the prettiest staithes. Save Breydon Water and the southern rivers for when you have the tide tables sorted.
Information checked against official sources
Checked on 30 October 2026 against the sources below. Operational details change — confirm with the Broads Authority, yacht station or yard before arrival.
- Broads Authority — Yacht stations
- Broads Authority — Moorings
- Broads Authority — Short visit toll
- Broads Authority — Other tolls (Mutford Lock, harbour dues)
- Broads Authority — Bridge heights and openings
- Broads Authority — Byelaws and speed limits
- Broads Authority — Tide information
- Broads Authority — Contact us / Broads Control
- Norfolk Broads Direct — Places to explore
- Oulton Broad Yacht Station
- Phoenix Fleet (Potter Heigham bridge pilot)
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a toll to cruise the Broads?
Yes. Visitors can buy a short-visit toll for up to 28 days in a toll year — for 2026/27 an 8 m motor cruiser is £65.35 for 1–7 days. Contact the Broads Authority tolls team on 01603 756080.
What is the speed limit on the Broads?
3 to 6 mph over the ground depending on the stretch, signed on the banks.
How do I cross Breydon Water?
Around slack water, using the Broads Authority tide table for Gorleston and its inland differences. Keep to the marked channel — Breydon dries outside the posts.
What is the lowest bridge on the Broads?
Potter Heigham Old Bridge, at 1.94 m at average high water. Phoenix Fleet runs a pilot service on 01692 670460.
