River Stiffkey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids River Stiffkey
Crossing Ford near Great Walsingham
River Stiffkey within North Norfolk
Country	England
State	Norfolk
Region	East of England
District	North Norfolk
Physical characteristics
Main source	Swanton Novers 90 m (300 ft) 52°51′20″N 0°59′46″E / 52.8555°N 0.9962°E / 52.8555; 0.9962
River mouth	Freshes creek behind the spit, Blakeney Point 0 m (0 ft) 52°57′27″N 0°57′40″E / 52.9574°N 0.9610°E / 52.9574; 0.9610
Length	18 mi (29 km)
Basin features
Watermills	Little Walsingham

The River Stiffkey is a special kind of river called a chalk stream. It flows through the northern part of Norfolk, England. This river starts near a place called Swanton Novers and makes its way to the North Sea close to the village of Stiffkey. People have made changes to the river in the past, probably to help with farming. It's also home to its own group of brown trout, which are a type of fish.

River's Journey

The River Stiffkey begins its journey in a small lake surrounded by trees. This lake is just north of the village of Swanton Novers.

From Source to Villages

After leaving the lake, the river flows close to Fulmodeston. Then, it heads north and passes through the village of Great Snoring. This village is mentioned in the old Domesday Book, which is a famous survey from 1086. The book noted that Great Snoring had a watermill back then.

From Great Snoring, the river turns south, flowing past Thorpland Hall. It then changes direction again, heading north-west. Along this path, it goes through East Barsham, North Barsham, and Houghton St Giles.

Little Walsingham and the Priory

The river then reaches Little Walsingham, which is the biggest village along its route. A long time ago, a Priory (a type of religious building) was built in Little Walsingham. The stone for this priory came all the way from Northamptonshire. It was brought up the River Stiffkey using special flat-bottomed boats called barges. The priory also had its own watermill on the river, but this mill was taken down in the early 1900s.

Towards the Sea

After Little Walsingham, the river flows north past Great Walsingham. It then continues through the villages of Wighton and Warham. Finally, it passes through the village of Stiffkey itself. From there, the river opens up into its estuary, which is a wide mouth where the river meets the sea. This area is known as the Stiffkey Salt Marshes.

The area from Great Walsingham to Stiffkey can sometimes flood. For example, there was a serious flood warning in October 2004.

River's Name

The River Stiffkey is most likely named after the village of Stiffkey. The name "Stiffkey" has an interesting meaning. It means "Island with tree-stumps." This suggests that the area might have looked like an island with many tree stumps long ago.

Gallery

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  The River Stiffkey at Warham

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  The river at Wighton

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  The river as it flows through the village of Stiffkey

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  Stiffkey Salt Marsh and the mouth of the river