• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Easton Whelpton logo

Eastwood Whelpton

Sailing Holidays and Yacht Hire UK

01493 750430
  • Holidays
    • The Fleet
    • RYA Learn to Sail Courses
    • Summer Flotilla
    • Barton Charter Yacht Regatta
    • Book Now
  • Courses
  • Experiences
    • What’s On
    • Afternoon Tea
    • Gift Vouchers
  • Groups
    • Sailing for Schools
    • Corporate Away Days
  • Fleet
  • Boatyard
    • Maintenance
    • Repairs
    • Restoration
    • Winter Storage
  • About Us
    • Meet the team
    • Coffee Morning
    • Our Blog
    • Contact Us
    • Job Vacancies

Off the water

Coffee Mornings with a Cause at Eastwood Whelpton

Charity coffee mornings are plain sailing at Norfolk Boatyard thanks to local community

We will be hosting a charity coffee morning with a difference this Christmas and we really hope you can make it!

On Thursday 5th December 2024 Eastwood Whelpton will be raising money in support of Save the Children Christmas Jumper Day. The team will be wearing their finest Christmas attire, the treats will be plentiful and the kettle will be on between 10 and 11 am. Oh and did we mention that our very own Frosty and his accordion may make an appearance and bring some extra festive cheer?

As well as raising money for this super cause, we really want this to be an occasion for our local community to come together and for us to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has supported us this year. This means our suppliers that deliver whenever a spare part is needed, customers that drop by for a cuppa at The Anchor Cafe and the regular dog walkers that give us a wave of a morning.

Since the EW crew had the seed of an idea to host local community events on a monthly basis, we have raised over £3000 for charity.

Suzy Strowger, the Office Manager at Eastwood Whelpton said:

“Community is at the heart of everything we do at Eastwood Whelpton. We are very aware that we are part of a small rural community, and that people join us month after month and give so generously is something to be celebrated.”

So, let’s see out 2024 together and in style! Where did those Rudolf antlers go ….

Cre

coffee and cake
June 2023
eastwood whelpton coffee morning treats
white mug branded with eastwood whelpton sailing holidays in front of a boatyard background
April 24 food
March 23

Sustainable, Ethical and Value for Money?

Value for money has never been more important when choosing a holiday. However, more and more, we are noticing that our customers want to spend their pennies wisely, with sustainability and consideration of the local environment in mind. 

Eastwood Whelpton is based at the heart of the Norfolk Broads National Park. This is one of our unique selling points. So, it is also our responsibility to respect this environment and keep it thriving for future generations. 

As a small business that, like many others, is facing financial challenges in the current climate, it is a constant balancing act. We know we can do more, and we don’t claim to always get things right. We do, however, place environmental ethics at the heart of our growth strategy for the future. 

Here are 5 reasons why we believe a sailing holiday with us is worth considering if you are conscious of your environmental footprint:

  1. Getting the wind in your sails! Being reliant on the weather to power your journey means minimal impact on the environment. You will quickly get to know the local microclimate well and soon realise that afternoon sea breeze is your friend!
  2. Supporting heritage boat building. Eastwood Whelpton is one of a handful of traditional boatyards left on the Norfolk Broads that remains a working yard, with a fleet of vintage yachts. 
  3. Our passion for supporting other local businesses. We try our hardest to source products and supplies locally where this is possible. We are proud that our catering is supplied by Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden and our food hampers are from the White Horse local community shop.
  4. Our commitment to supporting charities we believe in. The whole team at Eastwood Whelpton is invested in the charities we support. Community coffee mornings run monthly to raise funds and the team has just completed the Macmillan Might Hike raising nearly £2000! 
  5. You can leave your car at home! We offer a shuttle service from our local train station making it possible to have an entirely car-free holiday. Have an electric car? Then we will happily charge it for you whilst you are on the water. 

What do you value most when it comes to downtime and ethical responsibility?

mother and ducks

Field view
field

Explore The Fleet

Book Online

Contact Us

Meet The Team

Our Blog

WhatsApp Image 2023 01 23 at 13.43.43 3

Dogs make for the best companions here at Eastwood Whelpton!

Don’t forget your furry friend next time you visit us at Eastwood Whelpton!

You might want your beloved pet to join you for a week on the water, a motor down the river, or a stroll around the many local nature trails. Whatever your doggie friend needs, we want to make sure they have a pawsome time!  

We understand that your pet is part of the family and we make sure that they enjoy the holiday too, so you can relax knowing your four-legged friend is safe and taken care of.

Up to 2 dogs can enjoy time on the water in any of our cabin yachts and we can provide doggy life jackets in all sizes – just let us know the name and breed of your dog when you book.

Picture2

There are plenty of dog friendly pubs and cafes scattered all around the Norfolk Broads, making it easy to find places to moor up and stop for a leisurely lunch. We are always happy to make recommendations as you plan your route – just get in touch! Our Boatyard can be found at the heart of the Norfolk Broads National Park, so you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to walking, with deserted beaches, woodland trails and riverside ambles all on hand, so that you can explore the scenery together.   

Don’t forget to say hello to Barley, our resident boatyard dog before you leave and you could even treat your companion to a Marshfield Farm dog ice cream!

Picture3

Explore The Fleet

Book Online

Contact Us

Meet The Team

Our Blog

St Benet’s Abbey

  • Location: River Bure

Today, St Benet’s Abbey is a site of 1000-year old ruins. This church was once the centrepiece of a monastery, which was the only one in England to not be closed by Henry VIII during his reign in the Tudor times. The ruins are now a statement landmark of the Broads.

Did you know: You can moor at St Benet’s Abbey for free overnight, but bear in mind that historic ruins may be spookier when dark outside …

Find out more about St Benet’s Abbey

Explore The Fleet

Book Online

Contact Us

Meet The Team

Our Blog

Broads Sailing Made Easy – Tim Whelpton

  • Extract from Broads Sailing Made Easy

‘If you have made up your mind that you are going to be a really good sailor then there is no reason why you should not be one. You do not need to have a father who sailed many times round the world in square rigged ships or have spent a childhood with boats and salt behind your ears. It just so happened I did.

I had heard of sailing on the Norfolk Broads. I thought how flat, how dull. How wrong I was! If the Broads themselves had been made specifically for small boats, and people like us who want to sail them, I for one could not have bettered their design.

Sailing on the rivers teaches you very quickly to handle your boat accurately, and as they wind through Broadland the apparently changing wind keeps you on your toes. For your very first sail I would advise you to try one of the actual Broads – there’s much more room to manoeuvre and a soft reed bank if all doesn’t go to plan.

Sailing, and perhaps racing yachts is something that once started is near impossible to stop. Like all real sports there is always something more to learn.’

Tim Whelpton 1965

Copies of ‘Broads Sailing Made Easy’ by Tim Whelpton can be purchased from the Boatyard Office. A copy of this excellent little book can be also found onboard each of our yachts in the Skippers Pack for you to read during your stay with us – and hopefully pick up a few top tips from Tim.

Explore The Fleet

Book Online

Contact Us

Meet The Team

Our Blog

A brief history of the Norfolk Sailing Holiday

The Norfolk and Suffolk waterways have been for centuries been used for travelling and transporting goods, but by the early 19th century, ‘Broadland Sport’ or ‘Water Frolics’ (now known as Regatta’s!) became more popular. At that time in Norfolk, land was mainly owned by the aristocracy and tenants farmed the land. Villages spring up near the great houses and the rivers became a playground for the wealthy inhabitants and their friends. Sailing as a sport, racing and the pleasure craft industry was born.

By the 1830s ‘water frolic’ events were found throughout the Broadland area and there was a desire to develop faster and better sailing crafts. The ‘lateneer’ yachts (based on a Mediterranean design) was soon superseded by the Broads ‘cutter’ yachts – with a large ‘Gaff’ sail, long bowsprit and just one large foresail rather than the usual two. By the middle of the century boating had extended to the professional middle classes and the first sailing club was born in the area in 1859 – The Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club.

With the coming of the railways by the 1880’s Norfolk had begun to be a holiday destination particularly for the Victorian middle classes. Converted larger ‘Wherry’ trading vessels were also popular as pleasure craft providing onboard accommodation (including a piano onboard!) for family groups for their summer holiday. A small number of these beautiful large Wherries continue to be maintained and seen sailing on the water today. John Loynes, a local Master Carpenter, was one of the first to see the opportunity to build and hire smaller cabin yachts that would become more accessible and affordable to a wider audience and so the tradition of the Norfolk Hire Fleets began.

For more history – do take some time to visit ‘The Museum of the Broads’ based at Stalham. We are very proud to have been part of Broadland History over the last 60 years and the legacy of Broadland heroes like John Loynes, Percy Hunter, Tim Whelpton, can still be seen on the water today in our smaller but excellently turned out Sailing Hire Fleet, which now numbers around 60 yachts in total from 5 remaining Sailing Hire Yards.

Explore The Fleet

Book Online

Contact Us

Meet The Team

Our Blog

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to Next Page »

Footer

Eastwood Whelpton Limited

Upton Yacht Station
Boat Dyke Road, Upton
Norfolk, England, NR13 6BL

Contact us

+44(0)1493 750430
info@eastwood-whelpton.co.uk

Hire Conditions
Privacy Policy
Leader Funding
Caravans & Motorhomes

Environmental Protection Policy

Latest News and Offers

Sign up for our newsletter

 Facebook   Instagram
trip advisor 2020
Norfolk Broads school of sailing logo 01 black trans footer 2
rya training 1
the broads 1
british marine 1
broads hire boat federation 1

Eastwood Whelpton Ltd © 2025   Company Registration No: 00613987
Photography – Richard Johnstone-Bryden & Luke Nunns