Before heading out onto the waterways of the Broads, it's worth pausing in Beccles, a compact market town on the River Waveney that has quietly earned the title 'Gateway to the Broads National Park'. The park itself covers 116 square miles across the Norfolk-Suffolk border, and Beccles sits at its southern edge, ringed by marshland and backed by a handsome mix of Georgian and Flemish buildings.

The river made the town. The Waveney, which runs 59 miles and forms the border between the two counties, carried malt, coal and corn through Beccles as far back as the Middle Ages. Today the water is pleasure rather than commerce: Beccles Quay hires out paddleboards and even floating glamping pods, and moorings can be booked online if you arrive by boat. In summer, the Big Dog Ferry runs a three-mile trip from Beccles Lido — which keeps three outdoor pools open year-round — to The Locks Inn, a community-owned pub with a 4.5-star Google rating and a beer garden right on the water.

The quay is also the starting point for the Beccles Marsh Trail, three colour-coded loops across the fen. The Blue Walk is an easy mile along the riverfront taking about 40 minutes. The Red Walk, roughly an hour and 45 minutes, passes two lakes and pushes further into the wetlands. The Green Walk is the serious option: four miles and about two and a half hours, mostly following the riverbank. All three cross Beccles Fen, grazing land granted to the townspeople by Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century. The dykes that drain the marsh are at their best in spring and summer, when they fill with plants and wildlife.

Back in town, the market tradition is very much alive. The Sunday Market in Exchange Square runs year-round with crafts, second-hand finds, street food and live music, while the centuries-old Friday Market on New Market Square sells produce, clothing and homewares. Twice a month on Saturdays, the Farmers Market — around 30 vendors, held at the airfield outside town — is a solid stop for self-caterers stocking up on local food.

Beccles has deliberately avoided chain stores, so shopping means independents: Beccles Toy Box for kids' games and LEGO, Oliver & J Jewellers for bespoke ethically-sourced pieces, Auburn Boutique for fashion, and Sweeties for the inevitable sweets haul.

Food-wise, two names come up repeatedly. The Three Horseshoes is a family-run pub with an Asian-influenced menu — Thai red duck dumpling curry and honey walnut shrimp among the options — plus a beer garden. Ristorante Piatto has been serving Italian food in town for over 30 years and holds a 4.6-star Google rating, with reviewers praising both the kitchen and the staff.

For anyone planning a Broads trip who'd rather base themselves somewhere with restaurants, markets and walking trails on the doorstep than in a marina village, Beccles fits neatly. It's easy to reach by rail on the Greater Anglia line between Lowestoft and Ipswich, with Norwich — a medieval city with UNESCO status — the closest airport. And if the coast is calling after the wetlands, Lowestoft's beaches are a short hop away.