09/08/2026
🌿 Upton — has to be my favourite little corner of the Norfolk Broads 🌿
I absolutely adore this little village.
Tucked beside the River Bure, just near Acle, Upton feels like one of those places where life moves at a slightly gentler pace. Big skies stretch endlessly over the marshes, the river flows quietly past, and everywhere you look there seems to be something flying, fluttering, swimming or singing.
There are beautiful walks in every direction — along the river towards Acle, across to South Walsham, and the wonderful circular routes around Upton Marshes and through the fens. It’s the sort of landscape where you can set off for a quick walk and three hours later still be stopping to watch a marsh harrier, listen for a sedge warbler or follow a butterfly dancing through the grasses. The wetlands around here are part of the extraordinary landscape of the Broads, shaped over centuries by water management, grazing and drainage. And it’s that mixture of river, fen, marsh and open farmland that makes Upton such a haven for wildlife. 🦋🪶🌾
There’s history everywhere too. The medieval St Margaret’s Church sits at the heart of the village, a Grade I listed building with parts dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries.
Down at the d**e, boating has been woven into Upton’s story for generations. Eastwood Whelpton has been part of that thread since 1958- renowned for sailing holidays and traditional Broads yacht renovations they provide an impressive contribution to sailing on these waterways. There’s something rather special about watching those beautiful boats leave Upton D**e and head out onto the Bure, following waterways that have been sailed for generations.
Then there’s the heart of the village The White Horse, Upton A proper community pub, full of life, music, themed evenings, delicious pub grub and that wonderful feeling that you’re somewhere people genuinely care about. It has been a community pub since 2012 and even picked up Broadland Pub of the Year in 2025.
And there’s the excellent little community shop quietly doing its bit too — essentials, treats, useful things and those lovely little extras you didn’t know you needed until you saw them.
Then, of course, there’s our own little corner by the water…
☕ The Anchor Café is open every day throughout the summer holidays, 9am–3pm.
Come for a coffee, an ice cream or a slice of cake. Come for the walks. Come to watch the boats. Come and see how many birds you can spot.
Or simply come and stand beneath those enormous Norfolk skies for a while.
I’m Upton’s biggest fan.
And honestly… I can’t sing its praises any louder. 💚
