How Hill to St. Benet’s Abbey – best walks in the Broads

From the magnificent Edwardian How Hill House and the Toad Hole Cottage visitor centre, to the serenity of the River Ant and the monastic history of St Benet’s Abbey, this route has got a bit of everything. Enjoy some of the finest scenery the Northern Broads has to offer and, at the finish, you can refuel at How Hill’s cafe.

The route begins at How Hill House, an impressive Grade-II listed building that’s home to the environmental educational charity, the How Hill Trust. Next comes Toad Hole Cottage Museum, a quaint little marshman’s dwelling that’s now a national park visitor centre. Here, you can step back into Victorian times, as much of the cottage has been left in its original state.

Next, a path meanders alongside the River Ant. Although it’s one of the shortest rivers in the Broads, at 17 miles (27 km) in length, it’s as beautiful as any and is home to several old mills. The 19th-century Turf Fen Drainage Mill, which fell out of use in the 1920s, is a particularly attractive building, having been lovingly restored by Norfolk Windmills Trust.

There are public facilities at Ludham Bridge, as well as a lovely bakery. The loop continues to the confluence of the Rivers Ant and Bure and soon arrives at the spellbinding ruins of St Benet’s Abbey. Once a powerful force during the monastic era, today its evocative remains stand testament to its former glory.

On the way back to How Hill, the route follows dykes, minor roads and footpaths, skirting the village of Ludham, which is worth a detour for its pub, cafe and pretty church.