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Beeston Beck (Norfolk)
Encyclopedia
Beeston Beck is a minor watercourse in the north of the County Of Norfolk
.
rises in series of spring
s that feed into it at the northern end of Sheringham
Wood. These springs are at the base of a valley below Pretty Corner and from this point the land becomes low lying. In the valley is Beeston Regis
Common
and the smaller Sheringham Common. These commons, being spring-fed wetland
s, are classed a lowland valley fen
s and are part of the North Norfolk
Special Area of Conservation (SAC), they are also Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in their own right. The important plant communities that exist have chalk and acid-loving plants growing within centimetres of each other. The beck runs across the common southwards. The Beck also marks the border between the parishes of Sheringham
on the west bank and Beeston Regis
on the East bank. The beck then runs along the western edge of the common alongside Brook Lane and at the end crosses under the A149 coast road
. The beck now runs through the south eastern suburb of Sheringham known locally as the Back Common. The beck flows alongside Curtis Lane and under the Bittern Line
, Sheringham to Cromer railway line. Just on the otherside of the railway bridge it is joined by a tributary from the east, which runs from the direction of Church Lane and Beeston Regis Priory. The Beck now turns westwards and cuts across the bottom edge of allotments and then turns eastward around the back of Beeston Road. At this point Beeston Beck once was the supply for a watermill.
began operating in c.1750 and was used in the processing of corn
. By c.1865 the mill had been converted into a paper mill
. The location of the Watermill was in Beeston Road which until 1901 had been called Paper Mill Road. The mills power came from an overshot waterwheel. Beeston beck is only a small slow running beck and in order to power an overshot waterwheel there would have had to have been a good headwater. A Dam and a millpond would have provided this power but all traces of this engineering works have disappeared over the passing of time. It is believed that the mill pond
may well have been located on the site of what is now housing and local allotment
gardens. A Blue plaque
has been placed on the wall of a cottage in Beeston road at the location of the paper mill. The plaque was placed there by Sheringham & District Preservation Society.
The beck now runs along the rear of these cottages before entering a culvert which runs under Beeston Road and Beach Road and appears at an outflow in the wall of the sea defences on the beach. From there on it runs across the beach and into the North Sea
.
In June 2007 a group was formed in Sheringham for the care and preservation of Beeston Beck and its Tributary Sheringham Back Loke. The “Sheringham Loke Group”, as they call themselves, as their first project organized a Litter pick and stream safari
. With Help from UK RiverCare and donations of equipment from Anglian Water
the group managed to remove a variety of rubbish and flotsam which has accumulated over the years. Finds included broken skateboard
, mobile phone
, a snapped fishing rod
, a variety of smashed pottery, several boots and shoes, scaffold poles and a further 10 black bags of rubbish. After the clean up operation, the group then undertook a survey of the wildlife in the watercourse. They were able to identify Freshwater shrimps (Gammarus), Mayfly
larvae (Ephemeroptera), Caddisfly
(Trichoptera) Larvae and Various species of worm
s and Leeches. They also discovered Stickleback
fish (Gasterostreus aculeatus) and several species of frog
s.
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
.
Source
This small short BeckStream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
rises in series of spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
s that feed into it at the northern end of Sheringham
Sheringham
Sheringham is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, west of Cromer.The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District Council, is Mare Ditat Pinusque Decorat, Latin for "The sea enriches and the pine adorns"....
Wood. These springs are at the base of a valley below Pretty Corner and from this point the land becomes low lying. In the valley is Beeston Regis
Beeston Regis
Beeston Regis is a village and civil parish in the North Norfolk district of Norfolk, England. It is about a mile east of Sheringham, Norfolk and near the coast. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,091...
Common
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
and the smaller Sheringham Common. These commons, being spring-fed wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s, are classed a lowland valley fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s and are part of the North Norfolk
North Norfolk
North Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, United Kingdom. Its council is based in Cromer. The council headquarters can be found approximately out of the town of Cromer on the Holt Road.-History:...
Special Area of Conservation (SAC), they are also Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in their own right. The important plant communities that exist have chalk and acid-loving plants growing within centimetres of each other. The beck runs across the common southwards. The Beck also marks the border between the parishes of Sheringham
Sheringham
Sheringham is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, west of Cromer.The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District Council, is Mare Ditat Pinusque Decorat, Latin for "The sea enriches and the pine adorns"....
on the west bank and Beeston Regis
Beeston Regis
Beeston Regis is a village and civil parish in the North Norfolk district of Norfolk, England. It is about a mile east of Sheringham, Norfolk and near the coast. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,091...
on the East bank. The beck then runs along the western edge of the common alongside Brook Lane and at the end crosses under the A149 coast road
A149 road
The A149 is a major route in Norfolk, linking Kings Lynn to Great Yarmouth. It runs via the coast rather than on a more direct route such as the A47. The eastern section runs through The Broads.-Kings Lynn to Wells next the Sea:...
. The beck now runs through the south eastern suburb of Sheringham known locally as the Back Common. The beck flows alongside Curtis Lane and under the Bittern Line
Bittern Line
The Bittern Line is a railway line from Norwich to Cromer then Sheringham in Norfolk, England. It is one of the most scenic in the East of England traversing the Norfolk Broads on its route to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the North Norfolk Coast. The line is part of the Network Rail...
, Sheringham to Cromer railway line. Just on the otherside of the railway bridge it is joined by a tributary from the east, which runs from the direction of Church Lane and Beeston Regis Priory. The Beck now turns westwards and cuts across the bottom edge of allotments and then turns eastward around the back of Beeston Road. At this point Beeston Beck once was the supply for a watermill.
Sheringham Watermill
Sheringham watermillWatermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
began operating in c.1750 and was used in the processing of corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
. By c.1865 the mill had been converted into a paper mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
. The location of the Watermill was in Beeston Road which until 1901 had been called Paper Mill Road. The mills power came from an overshot waterwheel. Beeston beck is only a small slow running beck and in order to power an overshot waterwheel there would have had to have been a good headwater. A Dam and a millpond would have provided this power but all traces of this engineering works have disappeared over the passing of time. It is believed that the mill pond
Mill pond
A mill pond is any body of water used as a reservoir for a water-powered mill. Mill ponds were often created through the construction of a mill dam across a waterway. In many places, the common proper name Mill Pond name has remained even though the mill has long since gone...
may well have been located on the site of what is now housing and local allotment
Allotment (gardening)
An allotment garden, often called simply an allotment, is a plot of land made available for individual, non-professional gardening. Such plots are formed by subdividing a piece of land into a few or up to several hundreds of land parcels that are assigned to individuals or families...
gardens. A Blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
has been placed on the wall of a cottage in Beeston road at the location of the paper mill. The plaque was placed there by Sheringham & District Preservation Society.
The beck now runs along the rear of these cottages before entering a culvert which runs under Beeston Road and Beach Road and appears at an outflow in the wall of the sea defences on the beach. From there on it runs across the beach and into the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
.
The Sheringham Loke Group
Safari
A safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...
. With Help from UK RiverCare and donations of equipment from Anglian Water
Anglian Water
Anglian Water is a privatised water company that operates in the East of England. Named for East Anglia, apart from Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire it also covers Lincolnshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, a small part of north Nottinghamshire and Greater London...
the group managed to remove a variety of rubbish and flotsam which has accumulated over the years. Finds included broken skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
, mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
, a snapped fishing rod
Fishing rod
A fishing rod or a fishing pole is a tool used to catch fish, usually in conjunction with the pastime of angling, and can also be used in competition casting. . A length of fishing line is attached to a long, flexible rod or pole: one end terminates in a hook for catching the fish...
, a variety of smashed pottery, several boots and shoes, scaffold poles and a further 10 black bags of rubbish. After the clean up operation, the group then undertook a survey of the wildlife in the watercourse. They were able to identify Freshwater shrimps (Gammarus), Mayfly
Mayfly
Mayflies are insects which belong to the Order Ephemeroptera . They have been placed into an ancient group of insects termed the Palaeoptera, which also contains dragonflies and damselflies...
larvae (Ephemeroptera), Caddisfly
Trichoptera
The caddisflies are an order, Trichoptera, of insects with approximately 12,000 described species. Also called sedge-flies or rail-flies, they are small moth-like insects having two pairs of hairy membranous wings...
(Trichoptera) Larvae and Various species of worm
Worm
The term worm refers to an obsolete taxon used by Carolus Linnaeus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck for all non-arthropod invertebrate animals, and stems from the Old English word wyrm. Currently it is used to describe many different distantly-related animals that typically have a long cylindrical...
s and Leeches. They also discovered Stickleback
Stickleback
The Gasterosteidae are a family of fish including the sticklebacks. FishBase currently recognises sixteen species in the family, grouped in five genera. However several of the species have a number of recognised subspecies, and the taxonomy of the family is thought to be in need of revision...
fish (Gasterostreus aculeatus) and several species of frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s.