U3A Trip to Stalham Norfolk

Today we had another U3A Bury St Edmunds coach trip, this time to Stalham in Norfolk to visit the Firehouse Museum and Museum of the Broads.

This was what the invite included.

"Stalham Firehouse Museum was built in the grounds of St. Mary’s Parish Church in 1833 in response to concerns about property and perceived inadequacies of the fire insurance companies.  It housed a Tilley pump which gave them good service until 1902 when a horse-drawn pump (just like the one in the firehouse now) was acquired.  In the 1920s the first motorised fire appliance came to Stalham but it was too big and the little firehouse was redundant.  Where Newlands newsagents now stands became the new firehouse until the modern fire station was built in the 1960s and a modern fire engine installed.  Therefore there has been a continuous fire brigade in Stalham since 1833." 

"The Museum of the Broads is a must for all who want to understand the unique landscape of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads and explore its stories.   There are interesting boats, including one that dropped from the sky to rescue air crews in World War II, the last coypu on the Broads, a 1960s police motorcycle, fascinating characters, marshmen, birds, Arthur Ransom’s pike, wherries and tiny Iceni tribespeople fighting Roman soldiers.  Discover how the Broads were made and how they are now a haven for tourists and wildlife.  There are nearly 6000 items in the collection. As part of our visit we will also be taken on a 30 minute boat trip with commentary".

Here are a few of my photos.

The Firehouse Museum is very small so we were asked to stagger our visits.

Rather than sit in a café we went on a short circular walk. At the community shop we met Doodling Dino, from the Norwich T.Rex trails of 2021 and 2022.

We were surprised to find an Orthodox church.

We had a bit of countryside too...

...before passing the Museum of the Broads where we would be later.

Then it was our turn to visit the Firehouse Museum.

This is an original horse drawn pump engine.

We had time to walk along the High Street and visit St. Mary's Church. 

The town hall.

We stopped at the butchers and got a bacon baguette to share.

We admired their array of barbecue treats.

The church.

As Simon Knott tells us... "The great treasure of Stalham church is its remarkably good font, right at the end of the 15th Century. The openness of the church makes a feature of it, as does the yellow lighting forming a backdrop beneath the tower. It stands high on its pedestal, stately and majestic on its plinth. It almost seems to glow in the dimness. Six of the panels depict a pair of apostles, all apparently similar at first sight, but each holding a symbol and each with their own unique faces. Of the other two panels, the most easterly depicts a rare Holy Trinity scene, with God the father seated and holding the crucified Christ. The dove of the Holy Spirit appears to rest on God's beard behind Christ's head. The most westerly panel depicts a well-preserved Baptism of Christ, with an onlooking angel." 

Back past the firehouse to the coach and a short trip to the Museum of the Broads.

We assembled for a fascinating introductory talk from George Cooper.

You told us about the social history of the broads and signposted some of the items we would find in touring the museum. You can read some of the stories in the Virtual Museum.

We did a tour of the exhibits before having our lunch.

I liked this bar. I asked if there was any beer attached to the hand-pumps, but George refused to say.

I liked the model wind pump too.

There are lots of boats to see.

The airborne lifeboat. Survivors who were rescued became members of the Goldfish Club.

The original engine of Falcon.

Nutty Slack II, the water bicycle.

A police velocette, aka a "Noddy bike".

We had lunch in the shade while we waited for the electric launch Marsh Harrier to return - we were on the next boat trip. The museum website says this about Marsh Harrier.

"We welcomed Marsh Harrier to our fleet in August 2019. Marsh Harrier is an Edwardian style launch, designed by Broads boat designer, Andrew Wolstenholme and built by the International Boat Building Training College at Oulton Broad.

She has a roof and so is weather proof!  Marsh Harrier is also wheelchair accessible – if you use a mobility scooter, you will have to be able to transfer into our wheelchair.  Please ask at Reception when you arrive.

Marsh Harrier is an electric boat and her batteries are charged by electricity produced by the Museum’s own solar panels. "

We had a 50 minute trip down to the River Ant and then along it a short way to Hunsett Drainage Mill and back via  a bit of Sutton Broad.

We saw kingfishers 5 times on the trip, although I think we saw this one twice (on the way out and again on the way back).

There are several private boatyards here....

...and there were plenty of other boats on the water.

This is the nest of the kingfisher we saw.

There are a lot of reeds here that can't readily be harvested.

We passed Hunsett Mill and its marshman's cottage.

As the website says... "Hunsett Mill is a remote water pumping mill, situated beside the river and upstream from Sutton Broad The house was a residence for the keeper of the mill until 1900, when the advent of electricity rendered wind-powered pumps obsolete. Since the end of its working life, the house has been used as a private residence, but has remained as an important piece of local heritage, standing adjacent to the well- known historic grade 2 listed Hunsett Mill. 

Since the whole area around constitutes protected conservation land, the aesthetic and sustainable value of the property is and has been of the utmost importance. This is why the owners have recently completed a full restoration of the listed windmill and a renovation and extension to the millkeeper's cottage. "

The restored building featured on the Channel 4's Grand Designs House of the Year and Extraordinary Escapes. George told us it is available for rent for up to £3000 a week in high-season and sleeps 9.

We turned round shortly upstream of the mill. Coming back what was that we could see?

Yes. Another kingfisher!

I liked the signposts.

We came across some paddle-boarders. George told us that even they have to adhere to the rule to give way to sailing vessels.

We turned right here to visit the end of Sutton Broad.

Here we found a swan's nest with several cygnets.

George was an entertaining and informative commentator. As well as working at the museum he is also a volunteer with the Broads Authority.

Coming back to the Museum.

We had time for another short circular walk.

St. Mary's tower is short. As Simon Knott tells us. "It is a product of the late medieval period, so late in fact that it was never finished, a bequest to complete it in 1533 coming too late before the Reformation put an end to such things."

We came back along the High Street. This is old Bank.

We stopped off at The Swan for 1/2 pint each of Adnams Wonderwall. Very refreshing.

The firehouse was now closed when we passed it for a final time....

...reversing our steps from our earlier walk to return to the Museum of The Broads.

We saw plenty of dragonflies today. Here is one we saw close up as we waited for the final boat trip to return.

You can see more of my photos here on Flickr. Thank-you Pat for organising another great trip and to Adam our amiable driver.