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Go Slow in the Brecks & Fens
Tour Code: GBR297A relaxed 7-day tour to East Anglia's brecks and fens in search of birds, plants, insects and other wildlife.
£1,995 (land only)
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
During this week-long break we will discover some of East Anglia's best kept secrets and less known sites for wildlife. As you travel into central East Anglia, you enter a unique area known as the Brecks (or Breckland) and the look and the feel of the landscape changes dramatically with wide vistas, vast skies and sandy fields divided by rows of twisted pines. The local landscape has a distinctive quality and wildlife abounds - almost a third of species are considered rare in the UK. For some, the Brecks is their last refuge. Thetford Forest is the largest lowland planted forest in the UK, which we will be criss-crossing on our way to other sites, stopping when we spot something, but we will also take time to visit Lynford Arboretum where Crossbills and Firecrests can be found. You cannot ignore the characteristic areas of lowland heath that form a mosaic with the farmland across much of the area and it is here that some of the real treasures of the Brecks can be found. Among the sites that we will be visiting are Cavenham and Cranwich Heaths, Lackford Lakes and Lakenham Fen as we look for a whole host of birds, mammals, insects and plants.
- Visiting the unique and ancient Brecks and nearby fens
- Look for Crane, Bittern and Marsh Harrier at Lakenheath Fen
- Encounter Red Deer, Crossbills and Woodlark in Thetford Forest
- Options to listen for Nightjars at dusk
- Enjoy orchids and invertebrates in the beautiful valley fens
- Discover ‘pingos’, an ice-age relic, and the dazzling dragonflies that live there
- Search for Stone Curlews at Cavenham Heath
Grading
Grade A. Easy day walks taken at a slow pace. There may be options for some slightly longer walks for those who wish and some optional evening excursions.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Accommodation:
We will be staying in a comfortable local hotel. Where possible, this will be at the lovely All Saints Hotel in Fornham, or at a hotel of similar standard.
- Food:
All meals are included in the tour cost, from the evening meal on day 1 to lunch on day 7.
Dates & Prices
2025
Tour Leader: Mike Crewe
Born and raised in Oxford, Mike has lived most of his life in East Anglia, with a short stint in West Sussex and a spell in the USA. He has been a birdwatcher ‘since birth’ (so he says!) and initially took up a career in horticulture, which kick-started an interest in plants. Over time, Mike has evolved into an all-round naturalist with interests in all branches of natural history, working a short time for the British Trust for Ornithology and as an environmental consultant before taking up wildlife tour guiding in 1996. Indeed, he first led walks for local wildlife trusts and bird groups as long ago as 1982 and has continued as a professional guide since the late 1990s, except for six years in the USA, where he worked as Program Director for the famous Cape May Bird Observatory in New Jersey.
Now settled back on the Norfolk coast, he lives with his wife, who is also a professional birdwatching guide. He has served as a committee member on the Suffolk Birds Records Committee, edited various natural history newsletters and bird reports and recently authored two identification guides on the flora of Breckland. Most recently, he has taken on a role as Assistant Editor for British Birds magazine and serves as the Norfolk tutor for the national ‘Identiplant’ training scheme. Somehow, he also manages to find time to maintain two identification websites on the flora of East Anglia and the wildlife of Cape May County, New Jersey!
2026
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Our programme of Go Slow wildlife holidays allows guests to enjoy the natural world at a more leisurely pace than on one of our conventional wildlife holidays. There will be more time to relax, more time to potter, excursions will be optional and we hope you will return, not only having enjoyed a fascinating mix of birds, plants and other wildlife, but also feeling refreshed and relaxed!
Our Go Slow tours range from week-long holidays that offer warm spring sunshine and gentle natural history excursions in Portugal, the Camargue and Mallorca, to tours which take on a more cultural air each afternoon, such as Go Slow … in Istria in Autumn and Go Slow … in Southern Spain. Our Go Slow holidays in the Swiss Alps and Cyprus both combine the best of the region’s botany and birdlife, or, if you would like to travel a little further afield, why not join us for a leisurely-paced exploration of India’s Tiger Country, Kenya’s Masai Mara, or South Africa’s Western Cape?
What can I expect on a typical Naturetrek Go Slow holiday?
On each Go Slow holiday we aim to offer as many of the following as possible:
- A single-centre holiday
- Direct flights with sociable timings
- Comfortable hotel of high quality (with swimming pool if possible), serving meals of a high standard
- Leisurely paced walks on gentle terrain
- Expert leaders, as ever, with more time for interpretation & explanation
- A maximum of 6 hours in the field each day (9.30am-3.30pm with picnic lunch or two 3-hour excursions)
- Morning and afternoon toilet/comfort stops
- Minimal long drives
- Back in time for afternoon tea
- All excursions optional
- All-inclusive cost (except bar drinks & laundry)
- Time to relax, read, paint, potter, swim or enjoy anything else that you might wish to do!
Our specialist recommends...
Andy Tucker - Operations Manager
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
Enquire
Tour Reports
Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
