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Electricity pylons west of Whitlingham Country Park

The path around Whitlingham Great Broad can be seen in the foreground and the roof of the Outdoor Education Centre rises above the high grass at left.

Whitlingham Country Park, located at Trowse just south of the city of Norwich, was created through the process of gravel extraction which began in 1990 with the creation of the Little Broad > Link. In 1995 work began on the Great Broad. An average of 220,000 tonnes of material per year were removed, with the gravel being used for building projects in the city such as the Castle Mall, The Forum and the new Chapelfield shopping centre. The path leading around Whitlingham Great Broad is one of a number of circular walks which turn off the Wherryman's Way - a 35-mile long distance footpath following the route of the Broads trading wherries between Norwich and Great Yarmouth. The circular walk starts at the car park by the visitor centre, a historic flint barn that has been converted into a visitor information centre including a café and toilet facilities > Link. The ruins of Trowse Newton Hall > Link a medieval manor house, adjoin the car park in the north. From here the path leads west past Whitlingham Little Broad, passing the Outdoor Education Centre > Link which is situated at the western-most edge of Whitlingham Great Broad. The Outdoor Education Centre offers a full range of water-based activities which include sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, rafting and canoeing with training being available for novices. The park also operates week-long activity water courses. Turning easterly, the path which has a compacted surface suitable for wheelchairs follows the northern shoreline of the Broad, running parallel with the New Cut and the railway line on its other side > Link. Leading past a conservation site with a bird hide > Link the path continues in easterly direction before turning southerly and then westerly, again following the shoreline of the Broad. It merges with the Wherryman's Way which follows Whitlingham Lane > Link - a narrow lane running between Country Park and Broad. Following the path in westerly direction leads back to visitor centre and car park.