River Wensum

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Wensum
River
A tree-lined section of the River Wensum as it flows through the city of Norwich, seen in July 2005
Country	England
Counties	Norfolk
Tributaries
- left	River Tat, River Ainse (or Eyn)
- right	River Tud
Towns	Sculthorpe, Fakenham, North Elmham, Lenwade, Norwich
Source
- location	Whissonsett, Norfolk
Mouth	River Yare
- location	Whitlingham, Norwich

The River Wensum is a river in Norfolk, England and a tributary of the River Yare despite being the larger of the two rivers. The complete river is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC). ^[1].

[edit] Etymology

The river receives its name from the Old English adjective wandsum, wendsum meaning winding. ^[2]

[edit] Course

The river viewed from Marriott's Way, Costessey

The source of the Wensum lies between the villages of Colkirk and Whissonsett in Norfolk. The river flows westward initially close to the villages of South Raynham,West Raynham and East Raynham passing close to Raynham Hall, home of the Marquis Townshend. The river then turns and follows a path to the north flowing through a number of small villages until it reaches Sculthorpe. The river then turns and flows to the east through the market town of Fakenham. The river then flows in a south easterly direction passing through the Pensthorpe Nature Reserve and the village of Great Ryburgh.

The river continues onwards through or close to the villages of Guist, North Elmham, Worthing, Swanton Morley, Lyng, Lenwade and Taverham before entering the City of Norwich from the north via Drayton, Costessey and Hellesdon. The river is free fishing where accessible throughout the City. At New Mills Yard, a former waterworks, the river becomes tidal and navigable by boat. Flowing through the city, the river forms a broad arc which would have influenced the site of the settlement for defensive reasons;^{[citation needed]} remnants of boom towers can be seen near Wensum Park and Carrow Hill which formed part of the city wall, a large defensive tower can be seen on the bank near Barrack Street, called Cow Tower This dates to the 12th Century and was also used for collecting tolls.^{[citation needed]} The river's historical use as a means of transport for goods and trade from the continent is still visible; mills, quays and industrial remnants can be found near the station and along King Street, and a slipway at Pulls Ferry marks the start of a canal originally used to transport stone from Caen in Normandy, in the 13th Century, to build Norwich Cathedral. This site was also a public house and used as a River Ferry until the 1950s.

The Wensum flows out of the city via Trowse, to Whitlingham where it merges with the River Yare. The river is navigable from the New Mills Yard in the centre of Norwich to its confluence with the Yare.

[edit] Tributaries

• River Tat. Rises on Syderstone Common and merges with the Wensum west of Fakenham
• River Tud. Rises a little south of East Dereham and merges with the Wensum just below Hellesdon mill.
• River Ainse (or Eyn). Merges with the River Wensum at Lenwade.

[edit] Watermills

Bintree Mill, 2005 (photo by Mark Boyer)

Lenwade mill

The river below Hellesdon mill

There were a succession of water mills on the Wensum, some of which are still standing and working. From the source these are

• Sculthorpe Mill - An 18th century water mill (now a hotel and restaurant) which bridges the river [1]
• Hempton Mill [2]
• Fakenham Mill - An 18th Century water mill bridging the river that was in use until 1979 [3]
• Great Ryburgh Mill [4]
• Guist Mill [5]
• Bintree Mill [6]
• North Elmham Mill - known locally Grint Mill, had two breastshot waterwheels until the early twentieth century when they were replaced by two turbines. By the 1970s the milling machinery was driven by mains electricity while the turbines were used to drive a sack hoist and two mixing machines. The mill continued to produce animal feed into the late twentieth century [7]
• Swanton Morley Mill [8]
• Elsing Mill [9]
• Lyng Mill [10]
• Lenwade Mill [11]
• Felthorpe Mill [12]
• Taverham Mill In the 19th century Taverham was a major producer of paper. Some of the paper which was produced at Taverham Mill was used in producing The Times and the Oxford English Dictionary. It also served the University Press at Cambridge. The paper mill closed in 1899. [13]
• Costessey Mill [14]
• Hellesdon Mill [15]
• Norwich New Mills [16]

Other mills close on tributaries are

• Great Witchingham Mill [[17]
• Gressenhall Mill [18]
• Worthing Mill [19]

[edit] Bridges (Norwich)

Bishop Bridge is one of five medieval bridges which span the River Wensum. Built in 1345 it formed part of the defensive structure along the river, with a gatehouse on the city side of bridge which was demolished in 1791. It is positioned on the site of a Roman Ford.

Fye Bridge is arguably the oldest river crossing in Norwich and is the gate to the North of the City known as “Norwich over the water” this bridge was also the site of a cucking stool for ducking lawbreakers and undesirables.

Whitefriars Bridge Named after a former Carmelite (White Friars) monastery. The remains of which can still be seen in a small section of medieval wall and archway.

Foundry Bridge Near the railway station and the Yacht station on Riverside named after a foundry nearby, purported to have been built to take a railway line.

Carrow Bridge near the football ground is a more recent cantilevered swing bridge, which can still be opened to allow large or high vessels through. It is positioned in close proximity to the Boom towers which originally had a chain suspended between them and would have been used as part of the citys defences and as a method of collecting tolls on goods travelling up river from Great Yarmouth.

Novi Sad Friendship Bridge is a cable footbridge which spans the River Wensum in Norwich. The structure is named in recognition of the twinning ties between Norwich and Novi Sad in Serbia. The bridge was designed by Buro Happold and commissioned by Norfolk County Council.

There are further bridges at Barn Road, Anchor Quay, Duke Street and St. Georges Street.

[edit] Angling

In November 2008, local angler Chris Mack caught a 21 pounds 2 ounces (9.6 kg) barbel from the Norfolk Anglers' Conservation Association (NACA) fishery at Lyng.^[3] The fish a rod-caught record for British waters awaits ratification from the British Rod Caught Fish Committee. ^[4]

[edit] See also

• List of rivers in England

[edit] Further reading

• Where to Fish in Norfolk and Suffolk by John Wilson ISBN 0-7117-0183-0

[edit] External links

• River Wensum link
• River Diary - haiku inspired by the River Wensum, Norwich
• River Wensum Literary Links
• Novi Sad Friendship Bridge information
• BBC Norfolk: Watch a film about the River Wensum at Pensthorpe

[edit] References

v • d • e Rivers and Watercourse of Norfolk River Ainse (or Eyn) • River Ant • River Babingley • Beeston Beck • River Bure • River Burn • River Chet • River Cong • River Gadder • Gaywood River • River Glaven • River Great Ouse • Gur Beck • Hagon Beck • River Heacham • River Hor • River Hun • River Ingol • River Little Ouse • River Mun • River Nar • River Nene • North Walsham & Dilham Canal • Panford Beck • Penny Spot Beck • Scarrow Beck • Spring Beck • River Stiffkey • River Tas • River Tat • River Thet • River Thurne • River Tiffey • River Tud • River Waveney • River Wensum • Wisbech Canal • River Wissey • River Yare •

Coordinates: 52°37′N 1°22′E / 52.617°N 1.367°E / 52.617; 1.367