A reedlighter (also a reed lighter ) is a type of

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

used on the

Norfolk Broads Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North ...

in England. After

WWI World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

they almost became extinct, but in recent years a small number have been built to maintain traditional reed-cutting methods. The term is also used for other modern, shallow-hulled, boats used on the Broads.

Design

A beamy, shallow draft, open, clinker, double ended boat which could be rowed or quanted from either end and was mainly used on the northern waters of the Norfolk Broads, for transporting hay, 'marsh litter' (

sedge The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus '' Carex'' ...

) and

reed Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * ...

for thatching, which was cut out on the marshes and then taken back to the

staithes Staithes is a seaside village in the borough of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. Easington and Roxby Becks, two brooks that run into Staithes Beck, form the border between the Borough of Scarborough and Redcar and Cleveland. The area l ...

. Reed was carried in the winter, and sedge in the summer. The 20ft lighter, or 'load boat', could carry 600 'shoofs' (sheaves) of reed. For smaller loads and shallower dykes there were 'half load' and 'quarter load' boats while those used just for runabouts appear to have been called punts.

Use

The load boats were taken up very shallow dykes and were loaded about 6ft high and because they were double ended could be moved out without needing to turn around. After World War I the practice of cutting the marshes by hand with scythes was no longer economic. As the reed lighter had a pointed stern it was difficult to fit an outboard so they dropped out of use. Some new reedlighters, however, have been built for conservation work in the Broads.

Examples of traditional reedlighters

The Museum of the Broads holds a small, unnamed 10.5ft ¾-load reedlighter, built in c 1920. The

Norfolk Wildlife Trust The Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) is one of 46 wildlife trusts covering Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Alderney. Founded in 1926, it is the oldest of all the trusts. It has over 35,500 members and eight local groups and it ma ...

have two reedlighters at their site at

Hickling Broad Hickling Broad is a nature reserve 4 km south-east of Stalham, north-east of Norwich in Norfolk. It is managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. It is a National Nature Reserve and part of the Upper Thurne Broads and Marshes Site of Speci ...

: ''Swallowtail'' (H439, 22'5"), and ''Little Tern'' (E135, 30'5"). Prince Charles travelled on a reedlighter during a visit to Hickling in 2001. Norfolk Wildlife Trust also have a reedlighter called ''Damselfly'' (4S, 28'7") at Ranworth Broad. Both ''Swallowtail'' and ''Damselfly'' were designed by Andrew Wolstenholme of

Coltishall Coltishall is a village on the River Bure, west of Wroxham, in the English county of Norfolk. The village is located within the Norfolk Broads. History Coltishall's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for Cohhede's la ...

and built by Goodchild Marine of

Burgh Castle Burgh Castle is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the east bank of the River Waveney, some west of Great Yarmouth and within the Norfolk Broads National Park. The parish was part of Suffolk until ...

. ''Damselfly'' and ''Little Tern'' are both motorised. ''Alderman Norman II'' (1591Y, 23'6"), a replica of ''Swallowtail'', is a recent (2019) construction. She is to be used for school boat trips at How Hill by the How Hill Trust. How Hill Trust also have the older (1988) ''Alderman Norman'' (23'). Both were funded by Alderman Norman's Foundation, a charitable foundation in Norfolk. ''Helen of Ranworth'' is a motorised reedlighter which runs a ferry route between

Ranworth Ranworth is a village in Norfolk, England in The Broads, adjacent to Malthouse Broad and Ranworth Broad. It is located in the civil parish of Woodbastwick. The village's name origin is uncertain 'Edge enclosure' or perhaps, 'Randi's enclosure.' ...

Staithe and

Malthouse Broad Malthouse Broad is a broad (''i.e.'', lake) at Ranworth in the Norfolk Broads. The "Helen of Ranworth" is a traditional reedlighter, a boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, wh ...

. There is also a reedlighter called ''Reedlighter'' (25B, 20') which is privately owned. There are other non-traditional boats registered as 'reedlighters', but which perform a similar function.

Cultural references

Woodforde's Brewery at Woodbastwick in the Norfolk Broads make a pale ale called 'Reedlighter', named after the boat.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reedlighter Norfolk Broads History of Norfolk Boat types