The college is situated in one of the most beautiful areas in the country on the edge of the Norfolk Broads National Park and just a few miles from the Suffolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Oulton Broad
Just a mile away from Lowestoft, Oulton Broad is the gateway to the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads. It is a bustling community built around the water and is the point where Lake Lothing meets Oulton Broad at Mutford Lock. The area is renowned for it’s water sports, it’s riverside cafes and Edwardian park.
The Waveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club is one of the regions premier sailing clubs and is the only one on the Broads to offer sailing 52 weeks of the year. Access to Oulton Broad can be obtained by walking through Nicholas Everitt Park which runs along the banks of the Broad. This is a great place to relax and unwind, do a spot of fishing or watch the power boat racing which takes place regularly in the summer.
Also located on Lake Lothing is the Excelsior Trust, a charitable organisation which provides sail training aboard a 1921 Lowestoft Smack. The IBTC has very close links with this historic vessel and the Trust and maintenance work is carried out by the commercial arm of the college.
The IBTC is located east of Mutford Lock on the edge of Lake Lothing and has its own moorings.
The Broads
The Broads National Park offers fantastic sailing and boating opportunities right on the college doorstep. Oulton Broad flows into the River Waveney which in turn links to over 125 miles of navigable lock-free waterways surrounded by beautiful countryside and picturesque towns and villages. The area is Britain’s largest protected wetland and a is a wonderful natural playground with a thriving sailing and boating scene. There are numerous boat hire facilities throughout the National Park where it is possible to rent anything from motor cruisers, to classic yachts to canoes and rowing boats. There are also numerous local boatyards and maritime industries many of which have close working relationships with the college.
The Suffolk Coast
The beautiful coastline of Suffolk is only a few miles from the college, stretching from Lowestoft all the way down to Felixstowe in the south. It is a popular holiday area with the resorts of Southwold and Aldeburgh only a short drive away.
With its 5 estuaries the coastline is also a popular sailing destination with several good coastal sailing clubs including the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk in Lowestoft.
