FEATURE Rural life


Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s pub for all seasons


Hickling Staithe, on the road to Caister in Norfolk, is one of those places that is a pleasure to stumble upon. This is big sky country with stunning views across Hickling Broad and Marshes.


There is a small working boatyard and a sailing club for smaller boats. Despite Hickling being the largest Broad, it is quiet because the larger boats or barges cannot access it.


Its 600-hectare nature reserve is run by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) – the first and oldest wildlife trust in England. The NWT celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026.


In 2023 the NWT made a bold move in Hickling. It bought The Pleasure Boat, a run-down pub, along with its large car park, adjacent land,


buildings and moorings a few steps from its front door.


Rachel Savage (main pic), Director of Development and Partnership for the NWT, described the purchase as “the last piece in the jigsaw” around the area of the nature reserve. It also stopped developers purchasing the site for other uses.


It was a bold move because many pubs are struggling to survive. Since 2020, England and Wales have lost 2,283 pubs.


This year the number of pubs has dropped below 39,000 for the first time since records began. It’s part of a long term decline that communities hope will be turned around.


The £2.5m pub-meets-nature- reserve experiment is a first for a wildlife charity.


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