Surlingham
Surlingham lies approximately 6 miles
south east of
Norwich. The village is located in a
loop of the River Yare between Bramerton
and Rockland St. Mary.
The writer and naturalist Ted Ellis
(full name Edward Augustine Ellis) lived in a cottage
at Wheatfen Broad near Surlingham with
his wife Phyllis for 40 years. He set up
his own nature reserve on the 130 acre
site comprising woodland, fen and
marshland.
Ted
Ellis
Ted's Cottage at Wheatfen Broad
From 1928-1956 he was the Keeper of
Natural History at the Norwich Castle
Museum but at the age of 47 he resigned
to concentrate on his work as a
naturalist. For many years he wrote nature
articles for the Eastern Daily Press
and he was also a successful
TV broadcaster. He had an extensive
knowledge of the wildlife and
eco-systems of the Norfolk Broads and
eventually became know as 'the people's
naturalist'.
Wheatfen Nature Reserve Ellis was particularly inspired the
Yarmouth-born naturalist Arthur
Patterson (see
Breydon
Water) - who was also an EDP
nature diarist (writing under the
pseudonym John Knowlittle). Patterson
came from humble beginnings - the son of
a shoemaker - but his work as a
naturalist was recognised
internationally and, as a result, he was
made a member of the Linnean Society of
London. Here is a passage from a memoir
written by Ellis about Patterson:
|
Supported
by Norfolk Tourism