The picture above shows How Hill house. It was built 100 years ago as a holiday home for the family of Edward Boardman, an architect from Norwich. It stands in formal gardens and has an excellent view over Turf Fen and the River Ant.

The house is now a study center and you can go there for various courses. It is not normally open to the public except on special occasions and fund raising events. The house also has a water garden which is open on special occasions. You can become a friend of How Hill and thus get special access.

The estate which surrounds the house belongs to the Broads Authority and is open all the year round to the public at no charge. There are excellent walks in the area and the lawn below the house is ideal for picnics. More information about walks is on our walks page.

The photograph above shows the view from the lawn just below the house. It is one of the best views in Broadland.. In the photograph below, you can see the moorings at How Hill staithe which have recently upgraded. How Hill staithe is a public staithe with plenty of free mooring. To the north, the riverside path takes you to two preserved windmills of the skeleton type. After this, the path is a dead end when it reaches the marsh and the former dyke leading into Crome's Broad. The riverside path to the south connects to various walks and to special habitats created for bitterns and other water birds.

Next to the staithe and not far from the house is Toad Hole cottage. The cottage is preserved as a museum and shows the life of a marshman living and working in this area. Well worth a visit. There is also a nature trail which starts from the museum. There is a small charge for this. It is a good trail and in early summer you may well see the rare swallowtail butterfly, the largest in Britain. The museum and nature trail are closed in winter, but the estate is open all year round.

There is a car park close to the house, so access to the site is easy by both car and boat.