The River Gaywood – one of Norfolk’s more accessible rivers – is a river of contrasts. Rising in springs between Grimston and Gayton, it travels for approximately 13 km through rich farmland, allotments and urban areas, before joining the Great Ouse in King’s Lynn where it runs out to sea through the Wash.
Arrowhead and Sagittaria sagittifolia in the River Gaywood
Image credit: Hugh Venables (River Gaywood)
Since the 15th Century, the lower reaches of the Gaywood have been diverted, re-routed, straightened and narrowed due to drainage and embankment. However, the Gaywood’s upstream still contains many natural features, and despite being in one of Norfolk’s most densely populated catchments, it is home to various species of fish, aquatic plants and insects.
