Film boat hire on the River Bure
The Bure is the main river of the northern Broads. From Coltishall it winds past the boatyards of Wroxham, the thatched riverside houses of Horning and the ruins of St Benet's Abbey, then out across the open marshes by Acle to Great Yarmouth. Reed beds, drainage mills and wide skies make it one of England's best-known river landscapes.
The river is slow and calm, and narrow in places, so a small, quiet camera boat suits it best. An electric boat keeps the noise down for sound recording and for wildlife, and a larger cruiser can serve as a floating base for the crew.
Permission. The Broads Authority is the navigation authority. We plan filming on the water with it, and agree bank positions with the boatyards and landowners.
Traffic. In summer the river fills with hire cruisers, many of them steered by holidaymakers, and speed limits are posted reach by reach. Busy spots like Wroxham and Horning are best filmed early in the day or out of season.
Bridges and tide. Wroxham's old bridge is low, so the camera boat is chosen to pass under it, or the shoot is split above and below it. The tide runs harder the closer you get to Great Yarmouth, so longer runs downriver are timed with it.
Drones. The Bure is clear of restricted airspace from Wroxham down to Great Yarmouth. At the top of the river by Coltishall, Norwich Airport's zone and the prison zone around HMP Bure are 2 to 3 km away, so positions there are checked. The marshes are protected for their birds, so flights keep away from nesting areas.
Filming somewhere else? See all our film boat hire locations, or tell us where and we will find the right boat.
The Broads Authority is the navigation authority. We plan filming on the water with it, and agree bank positions with the boatyards and landowners.
Wroxham's old bridge is low, so the camera boat is chosen to pass under it, or the shoot is split above and below it.
The Bure is clear of restricted airspace from Wroxham down to Great Yarmouth, and positions near Coltishall are checked. The marshes are protected for their birds, so flights keep away from nesting areas.
