A National trust owned UK site of special scientific interest, (SSSI) and Special protection area (SPA),Horsey mere is a  great example of a (reasonably) natural wetland, characteristic of the locale, which supports an enormous variety of rare birds, plant and invertebrates, not to mention mammals.
An important site for the rarities including Crested Buckler fern, an array of Stoneworts (a freshwater seaweed) as well as being a breeding site for nationally rare species of bird such as Bittern and Marsh Harrier, this is a first-rate opportunity to discover how special the Norfolk broads really are! So park up at the mill, or paddle/sail/motor (electric motor that is) into the cut, tuck into the mandatory ice cream and make a good start.

Well it looks like a broad, smells like a broad, it’s as cold as a broad, and if you’ve got the appropriate water filter it even tastes like a broad. But, it isn’t ! Horsey 'mere' an artificial lake, as the Dutch would put it. Okay, all the broads are man made, but the difference is that Horsey is surrounded by a bank and was engineered to store water from an ambitious drainage project to reclaim the surrounding land for agriculture. To tell the truth, you wouldn’t know it, looks like Heigham sound (see canoeing pages) at the other end of meadow dyke. Telltale signs are the wider dykes and more numerous wind pumps. It just looks a bit more ‘large scale engineering project from the past’ than the other broads. A touch more uniformity about the place, that’s all.
It’s not really a place to see the open water but the walk takes you around the edge through a reedbed , along dykes and grazing marsh and eventually back through the village, you'll find it’s a real pleasure. National Trust ownership ensures that it’s well managed, varied and interesting area, so have no qualms, just  get out and enjoy the walk. Bring binoculars ,if you have them, because there’s plenty of wildlife to try and identify.

Step along the cut, notice that the surrounding marsh is substantially lower than the water level in the mere? Well, years of drainage have unfortunately taken their toll!
Enough of that negativity sonny boy ! Sorry.
Turn along edge of the dyke beside the reedbed, Reed Bunting and Stonechat are a common sight, summer brings myriad warblers, Sedge, Reed, Willow, Chiff Chaff (no trouble with that song), Grasshopper, Garden, and Blackcap  to name but a few. Small flocks of Long Tailed Tit  broadcast their presence in the woodland as you saunter along. Keep an eye out over the reeds towards the water though; winter brings large number of geese, swans, and other wildfowl to the mere. The sight and sound of vast skeins of  ‘anser’ geese is always awe inspiring on a cold bright day.

Got to the grazing marsh yet ? Scan this into the distance, carefully, there is a chance at any time of year that you may come across a common Crane (I’ve seen a couple here). Of course they ‘ain’t that common’, there’s a few in this area and that’s your lot for resident common Cranes in Western Europe ! It’s worth a bit of eye strain, isn’t it ? 
Amble, negotiating any cows & bullocks across the marsh. I love the way a herd will follow you about. Before I was used to this I would get nervous & quicken pace, so would they, so would I, so would………, then I’m running at full pelt, scope flailing, heading for the stile with bullocks galloping, and I’m convinced, laughing  in chase ! Buggers.
When you’re in the reed again watch out for Bearded tits flitting about, the bearded tit (reedling) has fared rather better than other special rarities of the area, and there is now a reasonable prospect of a sighting. The male has that amazing black beard. They usually hang around a bit more than the warblers so you can usually nab a reasonable view. Through the reed ? Wander along the Ocre filled dyke, land drainage has caused this naturally occurring substance to leach out of the peat rich soil, I saw a Kingshisher plying his trade along here once, I doubt he caught anything mind, the water is totally opaque. Rub your finger against the orange brown residue at the bottom of the reeds, it smells just like rust.

Harriers give spectacular aerial  displays on windy sunny days in spring, it’s difficult to believe they’re that aerobatic when the usual sight is the occasional beat while wheeling over the reeds at 10 metres ! Late afternoon or early morning is your best time for a Barn Owl, but they do quarter in the day when feeding young so look out for that weird hover. Get to the old mill, and turn right across the grazing marsh, there’s plenty lapwing, golden plover and snipe in the winter but listen for that beautiful skylark song. Watch him rise up singing, sometimes they’re only just off the ground, and are disarmingly difficult to see. Over the dyke, and you’re into the village, so stride back to Horsey cut and I’ll take across to Winterton dunes for another great time later on.

Getting there :Take the A149, north, out of Gt.Yarmouth to Caister, and take B1159  which goes all around the coast to Cromer,  Horsey wind pump is two or three miles past Winterton, through Somerton ,(look out for the wind farm).

Amenities :  Car Park, moorings, toilets, shop & tearoom, nature trail.

Wilds of Norfolk was set up because of our unquenchable enthusiasm for the Norfolk Broads,  our small part of the natural world. We thought we'd like to try and give something back by helping other people enjoy the countryside and it's wildlife as well as do our own little bit to promote an interest in the natural world and it's conservation , not only for the wildlife but for the sheer exuberance of the precious life we're lucky enough to get the chance to live.

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