River Waveney

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Waveney
River
Country	England
Counties	Norfolk, Suffolk
Cities	Diss, Bungay, Beccles
Source
- location	nr. Redgrave, Suffolk
Mouth	Breydon Water
- location	Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, UK
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)

The Waveney is a river which forms the border between Suffolk and Norfolk, England, for much of its length within The Broads.

Its source is a ditch on the east side of the B1113 road between the villages of Redgrave, Suffolk and South Lopham, Norfolk. The ditch on the other side of the road is the source of the River Little Ouse which continues the county boundary and, via the Great Ouse, reaches the sea at King's Lynn. (See map). It is thus claimed that during periods of heavy rainfall Norfolk can be considered to be an island. The explanation of this oddity is that the valley in which the rivers rise was formed, not by these rivers but by water spilling from Lake Fenland. This was a periglacial lake of the Devensian glacial, fifteen or twenty thousand years ago. The ice sheet closed the natural drainage from the Vale of Pickering, the Humber and The Wash so that a lake of a complex shape formed in the Vale of Pickering, the Yorkshire Ouse valley, the lower Trent valley and the Fenland basin. This valley was its spillway into the southern North Sea basin, thence to the English Channel basin.

The river flows in an easterly direction though the towns of Diss, Bungay and Beccles. From its source it forms the southern boundary of Bressingham and Roydon before reaching Diss. Then comes Scole, Billingford with its windmill, Brockdish and Needham before passing south of Harleston. Then comes Mendham with its links to the artist Munnings, Wortwell, Homersfield with its famous bridge, Denton and Earsham.

The river makes a wide loop round Bungay which was the historic head of navigation. Next comes Ditchingham, Broome and Ellingham before Geldeston where an isolated pub stands next to the remains of a derelict lock. This is the current limit of navigation. Gillingham comes next before Beccles. The river then meanders on past Burgh St Peter to Somerleyton. Here Oulton Dyke branches off the Waveney and through Oulton Broad towards Lowestoft. A lock links Oulton Broad with Lake Lothing and the sea.

Just after Somerleyton, at St. Olaves, the New Cut branches off to the left to connect the Rivers Yare and Waveney. The Cut was excavated in the 19th century to provide a direct route between Lowestoft Docks and Norwich. Finally the river flows past Burgh Castle into Breydon Water at the confluence of the two rivers. It now forms part of the river Yare and reaches the sea at Great Yarmouth.

There was a special version of the Norfolk wherry in use on the Waveney, with boats measuring no more than 70' x 16'. There were also steam wherries.

[edit] See also

• Rivers of the United Kingdom

[edit] External Links

• River Waveney Literary Links

v • d • e Rivers and Watercourses of Suffolk River Alde • River Blyth • River Butley• River Deben • River Dove • River Gipping • River Lark • River Little Ouse • River Ore • Oulton Dyke • River Rat • River Stour • Stour Brook • River Waveney • River Yox •

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 • 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 • River Wissey • River Yare •