The River Stiffkey rises from springs in North Norfolk and meets the sea at Blakeney Harbour, close to the village of Stiffkey. The main river originates in Guybon’s Wood, close to Swanton Novers and is joined by several tributaries, notably Binham and Hindringham streams. The Stiffkey is about 29 km long from source to sea and flows through and over sand, gravel, clay and, crucially, chalk. It is this chalk bedrock which gives the River its clear waters and unique wildlife.
The valley is home to several small villages including Walsingham (Great and Little), Wighton, Langham and Fulmodeston. Most of the land in the catchment is farmed, primarily for wheat, barley, potatoes, sugar-beet and beef, but also for dairy and a variety of other crops.
Image credit: Jack Perks (Nar plant life and gravel bottom)
River Stiffkey at Wighton
