A popular place situated right on the Broads with a scattering of houses and a village inn.The tower of St. Helens church dominates the skyline and has served the villagers for over nine hundred years. It is well worth tackling the ladders inside the church tower to climb to the top for the wonderful views that the tower affords. The church bears the nickname the 'Cathedral of the Broads' and it is easy to understand why when from its heights on clear days you can see five Norfolk Broads. Next to the church is a Visitors Centre in a  converted old coach house, which houses a permanent photographic display of East Anglican churches.  There are also tea rooms attached.

The Staithe known at Malthouse Broad is popular with boating enthusiasts and there is overnight mooring facilities for a few boats, here you will find a seasonal information centre and licenced restaurant.

Ranworth's Nature Trail with its boardwalk, leads you through tall grasses, reeds and open water to a Broad which is closed to all crafts.  Here you will find a Norfolk Wildlife Conservation Centre, a floating thatched building right on the edge of the Broad which has information about the Broads and their history.  There are also views out through purpose built windows with binoculars and telescopes at the upper windows for bird watching. 

Whilst on the Nature Trail look out for signs of the Swallowtail butterfly as this is one of its breeding sites.  The large swallowtail butterfly can quite often be seen flitting about the broads from June until early August. You wont miss it as it has a wingspan of up to 4.5 inches. Striking brown and yellow markings and a red spot on each of its hind wings. The caterpillar of the swallowtail butterfly which is green and black stripped will only eat milk parsley, which unfortunately has all but disappeared in the UK. The plant needs wet and space to grow and it's only with careful management that these plants can survive. In the Norfolk Broads where they still harvest sedge for thatching, the milk parsley flourishes and so does the swallowtail butterfly.

There is an electric ferry boat called Helen which you can catch from the staithe round to the broad at certain times of the year, tickets are available from the information centre.   This same service also does tours of the River Bure and Malthouse Broad.

One can climb the tower of St. Helens and there is a fine view of Ranworth Broad from its top. However, the climb is steep and narrow and there are some ladders to negotiate, so please be aware before you begin your upward journey.