River Stiffkey
Encyclopedia
The River Stiffkey is a chalk stream
running through an area of north Norfolk
, England
from its source near Swanton Novers to flow out into the North Sea
on the north Norfolk coast near the town of Stiffkey
. The river has been dredged historically, presumably for agricultural purposes, and has a self-sustaining population of brown trout
.
The river's source is a small wooded lake just north of the village of Swanton Novers, after which the river passes close to Fulmodeston
, then north to pass through the village of Great Snoring
, which is noted in the Domesday book
as having a watermill
. From Great Snoring it runs south past Thorpland Hall, then north-west through East Barsham, North Barsham and Houghton St Giles to the town of Little Walsingham.
The Priory
in Little Walsingham was built with stone from Northamptonshire
which had been towed up the River Stiffkey in flat-bottomed barges. The priory had a watermill on the river but this was demolished early in the 20th century.
From here it flows north past Great Walsingham, then through Wighton
and Warham
before passing through the village of Stiffkey
and out to its estuary on Stiffkey Salt Marshes. The area from Great Walsingham to Stiffkey is prone to flooding and was the subject of a severe flood warning in October 2004.
Chalk stream
Chalk streams have characteristics which set them apart from watercourses associated with other rock types.Aside from those with an interest in the geological and ecological disciplines, the term chalk stream is most widely used among a small group of fly fishermen ,...
running through an area of north Norfolk
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
from its source near Swanton Novers to flow out 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...
on the north Norfolk coast near the town of Stiffkey
Stiffkey
Stiffkey is a village and civil parish on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A149 coast road, some east of Wells-next-the-Sea, west of Blakeney, and north-west of the city of Norwich....
. The river has been dredged historically, presumably for agricultural purposes, and has a self-sustaining population of brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
.
The river's source is a small wooded lake just north of the village of Swanton Novers, after which the river passes close to Fulmodeston
Fulmodeston
Fulmodeston is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk . The Village is west south west of Cromer, north north west of Norwich and north north east of London. The village lies east of the town of Fakenham. The village is located east of the A148 Fakenham to Cromer road,...
, then north to pass through the village of Great Snoring
Great Snoring
Great Snoring is a rural village in North Norfolk by the River Stiffkey, in the east of England. Its population in the 2001 census was 168, a dramatic decrease since 1841 when it was 556 .At the centre of the village is the 13th century St. Mary's Church and the Old Rectory...
, which is noted in the Domesday book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as having a watermill
Watermill
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 :...
. From Great Snoring it runs south past Thorpland Hall, then north-west through East Barsham, North Barsham and Houghton St Giles to the town of Little Walsingham.
The Priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
in Little Walsingham was built with stone from Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
which had been towed up the River Stiffkey in flat-bottomed barges. The priory had a watermill on the river but this was demolished early in the 20th century.
From here it flows north past Great Walsingham, then through Wighton
Wighton
Wighton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated some south of the town of Wells-next-the-Sea, north of the town of Fakenham, and north-west of the city of Norwich. The medieval pilgrimage centre of Walsingham lies to the south.The civil parish has...
and Warham
Warham, Norfolk
Warham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated about inland from the north Norfolk coast, south-east of the town of Wells-next-the-Sea and north-west of the city of Norwich....
before passing through the village of Stiffkey
Stiffkey
Stiffkey is a village and civil parish on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A149 coast road, some east of Wells-next-the-Sea, west of Blakeney, and north-west of the city of Norwich....
and out to its estuary on Stiffkey Salt Marshes. The area from Great Walsingham to Stiffkey is prone to flooding and was the subject of a severe flood warning in October 2004.