Oulton Broad refers to both the lake and the suburb of

Lowestoft Lowestoft ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk (district), East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . As the List of extreme points of the United Kingdom, most easterly UK se ...

in the

English county The counties of England are areas used for different purposes, which include administrative, geographical, cultural and political demarcation. The term "county" is defined in several ways and can apply to similar or the same areas used by each ...

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include ...

. The suburb is located west of the centre of Lowestoft. It became a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...

in 2017. It had an estimated population of 10,338 at the

2011 United Kingdom census A census of the population of the United Kingdom is taken every ten years. The 2011 census was held in all countries of the UK on 27 March 2011. It was the first UK census which could be completed online via the Internet. The Office for Nationa ...

Oulton Broad

Oulton Broad is an expanse of water and marsh which forms part of the network of man-made bodies of water known as

The Broads The Broads (known for marketing purposes as The Broads National Park) is a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. Although the terms "Norfolk Broads" and "Suffolk Broads" are correctly use ...

. It is believed to be the remnant of medieval

peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and ...

cutting. To the east it is linked by Mutford

Lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

to the saltwater

Lake Lothing Lake Lothing is a saltwater lake located in Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk. The lake, which is believed to be the remnant of medieval peat cutting,

which passes through the centre of

and opens into the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian ...

. To the west it is linked by

Oulton Dyke Oulton Dyke is a freshwater stretch of water in the Norfolk Broads, located in Suffolk within the United Kingdom. The dyke connects Oulton Broad near Lowestoft to the River Waveney by means of a confluence near the village of Burgh St Peter. Ou ...

to the

River Waveney The River Waveney is a river which forms the boundary between Suffolk and Norfolk, England, for much of its length within The Broads. The "ey" part of the name means "river" thus the name is tautological. Course The source of the River Wavene ...

. The Broad is the most southern area of open water in the Broads system, and is a busy tourist and sporting centre. It is used for a variety of watersports, including powerboat racing, and as the base for boat hire. Facilities include a yacht station and moorings as well as a 'village' of holiday

chalet A chalet (pronounced in British English; in American English usually ), also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, typical of the Alpine region in Europe. It is made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof and wide, well-suppo ...

s. Nicholas Everitt Park has an extensive water frontage. It is one of the few broads with residential areas adjacent, with houses to the north and flats to the east. The north side of the Broad is one of the most expensive residential areas in Lowestoft, with large detached houses having lake frontage. While the eastern and north shores of the Broad are built up, the west and south-west are quiet and natural. This part of the lake can be reached on foot by walking through Nicholas Everitt Park and then by public footpaths and field across White Cast Marshes, an important nature conservation area.

Oulton Broad village

Oulton Broad first became a civil parish in 1904, having previously been split between Oulton, to the north, and

Carlton Colville Carlton Colville is a civil parish and suburb of Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk. It is south-west of the centre of the town, in the East Suffolk (district), East Suffolk district. The area lies along the A146 road, A146 Lowestoft to ...

to the south. It lost its parish status in 1919, at which point it was absorbed into Lowestoft.Oulton
Suffolk Heritage Explorer,

Suffolk County Council Suffolk County Council is the administrative authority for the county of Suffolk, England. It is run by 75 elected county councillors representing 63 divisions. It is a member of the East of England Local Government Association. History Est ...

. Retrieved 6 March 2021. Following the expansion of Lowestoft in the late 1950s, both Oulton Broad and its neighbouring parishes were joined with the town. The parish extends either side of Lake Lothing and the Broad, with Bridge Road as its main shopping street. Oulton Broad is served by two railway stations, Oulton Broad North on the Lowestoft–Norwich line, and Oulton Broad South on the Lowestoft–Ipswich line.

Nicholas Everitt Park

Nicholas Everitt Park is on waterfront on the south side of Oulton Broad. Lowestoft Museum in the park was opened by

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

. It houses one of the world's largest collections of

Lowestoft porcelain The Lowestoft Porcelain Factory was a soft-paste porcelain factory on Crown Street (then Bell Lane) in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, which was active from 1757 to 1802. It mostly produced "useful wares" such as pots, teapots, and jugs, with sh ...

. The Waveney and Oulton Broad Yacht Club is also located in Nicholas Everitt Park.

Notable people

After marrying in 1840 the writer, traveller, and walker

George Borrow George Henry Borrow (5 July 1803 – 26 July 1881) was an English writer of novels and of travel based on personal experiences in Europe. His travels gave him a close affinity with the Romani people of Europe, who figure strongly in his work. Hi ...

moved to his wife's estate in Oulton Broad. In between travels he wrote several books there. During the 1850s he moved away, but returned to Oulton Broad in 1874 where he stayed until his death in 1881. A hotel in the area was named after him, and now houses Hayden Chemists Head Office. Lieutenant-General Sir

Edwin Alderson Lieutenant General Sir Edwin Alfred Hervey Alderson, KCB (8 April 1859 – 14 December 1927) was a senior British Army officer who served in several campaigns of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. From 1915 to 1916 during the F ...

, a keen yachtsman and canoeist, lived in his last years on a

houseboat A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a home. Most houseboats are not motorized as they are usually moored or kept stationary at a fixed point, and often tethered to land to provide utilities. Ho ...

moored at Oulton Broad, called "Fox", up until the month before his death in 1927. He and his wife entertained, especially during the yachting season, and he encouraged the

Royal Canoe Sailing Club Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

to hold competitions on the Broad.

Notes

References

External links

{{East Suffolk Civil parishes in Suffolk Lowestoft Waveney District Suffolk Broads