Explore a little known area of natural beauty perfect for weekend adventurers, waterside picnics, birdwatching, photography and spotting autumn wildlife.

Explore Norfolk’s only Wherry canal on the water, paddling Canadian style canoes, on solid stand-up paddle boards (SUPs), in double kayaks or solo in a single kayak from Dilham Hall Canoe Hire (life jackets included). This lovely canal is only nine miles long, so no need to rush, just go with the very slow flow. The old waterway may be short, but it’s rich in wildlife which comes out to play more boldly as summer fades. You may even see otters or the cobalt blue flash of a kingfisher.

100 Bedford navvies started digging the canal in 1825 and it was opened in1826, running from Antingham, north west of North Walsham, to Wayford Bridge, west of Stalham. The main traffic was the handsome Norfolk Wherry Boats, taking cargo to and from the mills and communities along its length. The arrival of the railways marked the end of this slow, low impact way of transporting goods and the last Wherry, ‘Ella’, sailed in 1934. The canal fell into decay, choked and crumbling until being restored by volunteers from the East Anglian Waterways Association. Those magnificent old vessels have gone, yet this is a beautifully peaceful spot to canoe or paddle board, following the historical ripples of the old Norfolk Wherries. If you grow to love it, how about joining a working party to help the ongoing restoration?