Fritton Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fritton Lake |
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View across Fritton Decoy The view is southwesterly towards Ashby Warren, May 2008
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 Fritton Lake
Location in Norfolk
Fritton Lake
Location in England
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| Location | Norfolk and Suffolk, England |
| Coordinates | 52°32′35″N 1°39′32″E / 52.543°N 1.659°E |
Fritton Lake or Fritton Decoy is a lake on the border of the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk close to the towns of Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth. It is located within the parishes of Fritton and St Olaves and Somerleyton, Ashby and Herringfleet. A private member's club operates on the Fritton side of the lake, owned by the Somerleyton Estate.
Past uses
The lake may be pre-medieval but was largely dug in medieval times to extract peat for burning. It came into use as a duck decoy, a site designed for the large-scale hunting of waterfowl. Artificial water channels covered with net-tunnels were constructed around the lake. Ducks would be encouraged to swim down the channels using dogs or food and would be trapped on reaching the end. At one point, 21 such channels were in operation around the lake, four remained in operation in 1918.
During World War 2, a secret training facility was located at Fritton Lake. Its purpose was to train tank crews of DD tanks – amphibious versions of British Valentine Tanks and American-made Sherman tanks. Between April 1943 and May 1944 British, American, and Canadian units came to Fritton Lake to be trained in the use of these tanks. One tank that sank during training remains in the lake. The site remained in military use into the early 1950s as part of the Specialised Armoured Development Establishment, during which further amphibious experiments and trials were undertaken. The waterline was raised in 1954 by the building up of a weir.
Current uses and amenity
Adjoining are a range of attractions:
- The Fritton Arms, a large pub with outdoor areas
- Fritton Lake Outdoor Centre
- Lakeside Riding Stables for horse and pony riding
- Fritton Lake Woodland Lodges.
- Admittance
A Pay and Display Car Park is adjacent to the Fritton Arms.
Visitors pay at an entry kiosk to use the playground and/or lakeside walks which are maintained.
A range of activities are available and charged at the Outdoor Centre, principally:
- boat and canoe hire
- rope walks and zipwires
- bike hire
- golf course.
Events
Fritton Lake Triathlon includes an open-water swim in the lake. Unseen reeds in parts of the lake mean that unsupervised swimming has been flagged by the owners as dangerous and forbidden.
