Norfolk Broads Location

During the pandemic, I visited Nick Crane, the TV presenter, who was isolating in Norfolk. I thought I’d have a ride around and find a similar looking location to the LNER Norfolk Broads print by Frank Mason. I say ‘similar looking’ because I and others have never been able to trace the exact location of the 1947 print. We assumed the windmill shown in the picture had either been demolished since then, or that the image was a hybrid of different archetypal Broads scenes to give an overall impression – hence the very vague title.

I scanned the map at home and saw that the nearest mill to my destination was Thurne Mill, so I had a quick look at Google Earth on my PC at home. The view of the mill from the road didn’t look promising as a possible location but as it wasn’t too far away from where I was going so I drove there and walked from the road along the public footpath along the river. The weather was glorious. The closer I got the more it began to dawn on me that this was the location of the print. I was amazed and jubilant! Even the renovated windmill sails were facing the same direction as in the print and a sailing boat was passing by. Two ladies were painting the scene from nearby where Frank Mason sat many years beforehand! One more carriage print location ticked off and photographed.

Buy a reproduction print of this scene