Up until the early 1980’s open shooting was enjoyed over this 52 acre expanse of fresh tidal water – the water may be fresh but typically when you’re wildfowling the mud certainly isn’t. All you needed was a gun and a boat and you could enjoy unlimited wildfowling throughout the season. It has been known that on a 1st of September there could be in excess of 30 Boats hidden away in the secluded reeds awaiting the unsuspecting wildfowl. Shooting was free and unregulated due to the fact nobody has successfully claimed ownership of this body of water, which lies between Claxton Marshes, Surlingham’s Ted Ellis Trust and the river Yare. Initially excavated for its peat it was recorded at over 100 acres in size, which has slowly been reduced by the encroaching reed beds.

For many years in September the Broad would be full of young Mallard; in October the sky would be brown with parties of Gadwall; in November the Wigeon arrived in thousands; and the “Tufty” could be found in numbers religiously throughout the Season even though still today the Broad remains unfed, the fowl relying on natural food sources. If you are lucky enough to be on there when there’s a South Easterly the sickly sweet aroma from Cantley Sugar Beet factory is enough to slip you into a daydream – that’s when you’ll hear a loud zip being closed too quickly, and you’re returned to reality with the knowledge the Tufties are already sitting in your decoys! This “free for all” shooting experience became under threat as Rockland Village Council, in conjunction with the Broads Authority started proceedings to apply for ownership of the Broad. The fear amongst the regular fowlers was that with the Broads ownership in the hands of a Public body, shooting would be prohibited and this unique experience lost forever. The Broad itself lies in the Yare Valley, which is an Environmentally Sensitive Area. The Broad is surrounded by Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Areas and is also classified as a National Park. The RSPB also have several reserves in the area owning around 11 miles of Yare marshes, as well as now owning adjoining land to the Broad. The fact that the Broad is situated in such an area was a huge threat to the possibility of retaining shooting on the Broad without a body lobbying to maintain this heritage.