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An artist and possibly another photographer are portrayed in this scene captured at Womack Water by Payne Jennings. Suffling noted; “Womack is so small that it can scarcely be dignified by the name of a Broad, but what there is of it is pretty; the old tower of Ludham Church trying to catch a glimpse of its tall head in the water by peeping over the tree tops, adds to the beauty of the little pool. To reach Womack Pool the yachtsman must keep a bright look out on the left side of Thurne River for Womack Dyke. It has a very narrow opening and may be easily missed. Leave the yacht and entering the dingy, take a pull of three-quarters of a mile, and behold little Womack Pool with its old boat-builder’s yard and reedy nooks – a bijou Broad.” The boatbuilder mentioned would probably have been Robert Harrison.

The Pleasure Boat Inn at Hickling with two trading wherries moored at the staithe. The photograph was obviously taken a little while before the publication of Sun Pictures as Suffling told us;“The Pleasure Boats Inn,’ kept by host Beales, who has numerous sailing and rowing boats at his disposal for letting to visitors. Finding the number of persons anxious to secure his rooms increasing rapidly, he has had additions made to the house, which is now double the size of that shown in the photograph. As there is no other inn adjoining the Broad, he has virtually a monopoly of the visitors, but they are quite safe in his hands, for he treats them very fairly.”

This photograph was titled “Home from the Broads” and depicted a yachting party returning to Great Yarmouth at the end of their holiday. The town Hall and the previous Haven Bridge can be seen in the background. As an encouragement to would be holidaymakers, Suffling told us; “If anyone is in want of a thorough change, a bright bracing atmosphere, an economical holiday with plenty of items of interest in it, a holiday free from fatigue and house-hunting, let him ‘Try the Broads’.”

Another view of Great Yarmouth - two trading wherries head out from Haven Bridge on the River Yare towards Breydon Water. The wherry in the foreground is heavily loaded with timber and has presumably just been quanted through the bridge.

Coldham Hall Inn on the River Yare. The licensee in the 1880s was Edward Brown who was also listed as being a corn merchant and fishing boat proprietor as well as running the foot ferry which operated at this point on the Yare for many years. Suffling’s notes from Sun Pictures stated;“This prettily-situated Inn has good accommodation at all times for visitors and experience teaches that not only can ample refreshment be obtained here but also ample sport, as many of the brethren of the rod can testify. The river is deep and broad and is noted for its large bream and roach. ‘Pegged down’ matches are sometimes held hereabouts, and at weighing-in time good takes are often recorded.”

A trading wherry pictured leaving Coldham Hall. Suffling continued;“It may be noted that there is undisputed right to the public of shooting on all the Norfolk and Suffolk rivers, and during the winter months some excellent bags of mallard, teal, grebe, water-hen, coot, golden plover, wild duck, etc., are made. In the summer when the quiet nooks are haunted by visitors more than by birds, guns will be better left at home, as bagging a tourist would be a sad ending to a happy holiday.”

The riverside at Brundall pictured in the 1880s. Suffling’s description of Brundall was;“It is a wonder this small hamlet is not used more than it is by fishermen and yachtsmen, as the station is only about 100 yards from the river bank. Yachts may be moored here, and boats for fishing or sailing hired. As the station is only eight miles from Norwich, a run of a few minutes suffices for visitors to reach this capital angling station. H. Flowers, ‘Yare Inn,’ is the principal boat owner.”  This area is now occupied by Brooms, the Yare Hotel can be seen just to the right of the tree on the right. Suffling mentioned the Yare Inn - William Whites 1883 directory of Norfolk stated that H.Flowers was the proprietor of the Yare Boating and Angling Station which was listed as having a “refreshment room”. In fact The Yare Inn was only an off licence at this time, a full licence being granted in 1892 when James Henry Fawcett became the licensee. Fawcett was listed in the 1891 edition George Christopher Davies “Handbook to the Rivers and Broads of Norfolk & Suffolk” as having Yachts, Wherries and Boats for hire and “yachts etc. housed”. The boat builder George Mollett also had his yard at Brundall around this time (c1890) at the bottom of Staithe Lane and it was here that he built the famous racing yachts “Castanet” and “Gossip”.  Henry Augustus Little was recorded as having a boatyard at Brundall in Kelly’s 1896 directory - he went on to form the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company with Frank Harding Chambers in 1898 and the company had further yards at Wroxham and Potter Heigham. The Brundall yard was sold to C.J. Broom in 1905.

More of John Payne Jennings photographs

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Payne Jennings titled this photograph “Salmon’s Dyke” at Stalham and the view shows the old staithe tower mill. Kelly’s 1892 directory listed the widow Sarah Burton as miller, coal merchant and carrier by water, presumably meaning that she owned at least one wherry. The ground floor section of the mill still stands in a yard off Mill Street in Stalham. Of Stalham, George Christopher Davies wrote; “ Here there are two good inns, the “Swan,” and the “Maid’s Head,” and there are plenty of good boats  for hire at the waterside.”