River Waveney

Geobox|River
name = Waveney


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country = England
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region_type = Counties
region = Norfolk
region1 = Suffolk
city = Diss
city1 = Bungay
city2 = Beccles

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source_location = nr. Redgrave, Suffolk
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mouth_name = Breydon Water
mouth_location = Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
mouth_country = UK
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image_caption = 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. (getamap|TM039790|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.

ee also

*Rivers of the United Kingdom

External links

* [http://www.literarynorfolk.co.uk/waveney,_river.htm River Waveney Literary Links]