Belaugh

Belaugh is a small, quiet, and unspoiled Broadland village. It is fairly unique for Norfolk in that it is located on a hill, which forms one edge of the Bure valley. There is a pretty staithe, a boatyard, a church and a few houses and that is about it. Because there are few facilities and most boats need to navigate Wroxham bridge to travel here, Belaugh remains a lovely peaceful place, even in high summer. A path from the village, leads across the fields towards Coltishall (about a mile and half) and is a pleasant walk. We suggest that you leave your car in Upper Belaugh, as there is virtually no parking in Lower Belaugh (only 2-3 spaces at the staithe).

Belaugh is accessible via the road between Hoveton and Coltishall or from the river. It contains no pubs, bars or shops. The main civic features are the church of St Peter, Belaugh and the Old School, which also belongs to the church and is used for parish council meetings and for celebrating the harvest festival. The local broad is Belaugh Broad. Most of the land around Belaugh – about 850 acres (344 ha) – is owned by the Trafford family, who are Lords of the Manor.

The Domesday Book of 1086 contains one of the earliest recorded mentions of the village, at the time known as Belaga. Other records from around the time name it as Belihagh, Belaw, Bilhagh or Bilough, names based on combinations of Norse, Danish and Anglo-Saxon words that collectively mean ‘a dwelling place by the water’.