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33-510: The River Wensum is a chalk river in Norfolk , England and a tributary of the River Yare , despite being the larger of the two rivers. The river is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation . The Wensum is the principal river on which the city of Norwich was founded. The river passes Carrow Road , the home of Norwich City F.C. ; one end of

66-764: A chain suspended between them and would have been used as part of the city's defences and as a method of collecting tolls on goods travelling up river from Great Yarmouth. Novi Sad Friendship Bridge is a cable stayed swing footbridge which spans the River Wensum in Norwich . The structure is named in recognition of the twinning ties between Norwich and Novi Sad in Serbia. The bridge was designed by Buro Happold and commissioned by Norfolk County Council. There are further bridges at Barn Road, Anchor Quay, Duke Street and St. Georges Street. After many years of decline

99-410: A former waterworks, the river becomes tidal and navigable by boat. Flowing through the city, the river forms a broad arc which would have influenced the site of the settlement for defensive reasons; remnants of boom towers can be seen near Wensum Park and Carrow Hill which formed part of the city wall and a large defensive tower can be seen on the bank near Barrack Street, called Cow Tower . This dates to

132-470: A foundry nearby, purported to have been built to take a railway line. Lady Julian Bridge is a footbridge named after Julian of Norwich that links Riverside to King Street. Carrow Bridge near Carrow Road football ground is a more recent cantilevered swing bridge , which can still be opened to allow large or high vessels through. It is positioned in close proximity to the Boom towers which originally had

165-537: A small amount of barbel – a fish not thought to be indigenous to the Wensum – the local river authority stocked the Wensum with over 150 fish in 1971 below Costessey Mill. and subsequently stocked more fish at suitable sections of the Upper Wensum. The fish became established albeit in small numbers at a few favourable locations. Specimens in excess of 20 pounds (9.1 kg) have been caught. Today (2011), much of

198-572: A survey was commissioned by Natural England in 2002. It showed that the ecological condition of the river had declined. The principal reasons for this were water quality and siltation . Water quality has been addressed and was improving, but the physical character of the river needs to be restored. In 2008, a partnership known as the River Wensum Restoration Strategy (RWRS) was formed between; Environment Agency ; Water Management Alliance and Natural England to restore

231-467: A temporary reservoir by regulating the amount of water supplied to the springs. This is why many chalk streams in the UK have stable flow regimes that vary only slightly over time. The temperature of the emerging surface water is fairly stable and rarely deviates from 10 °C (50 °F). On cold winter mornings, water vapour from the relatively warm stream condenses in the cold air above to form fog. Chalk

264-533: Is one of five medieval bridges which span the River Wensum. Built in 1345 it formed part of the defensive structure along the river, with a gatehouse on the city side of bridge which was demolished in 1791. It is positioned on the site of a Roman Ford. Jarrold Bridge is a footbridge linking the St James Place business park to Bishopgate. Fye Bridge is arguably the oldest river crossing in Norwich and

297-480: Is slightly soluble in rainwater because rain is naturally slightly acidic . The products of chalk weathering are dissolved in rainwater and are transported in stream flow. Chalk streams transport little suspended material (unlike most rivers), but are considered " mineral -rich" due to the dissolved calcium and carbonate ions . The surface water of chalk streams is commonly described as "gin clear". The channel bed consists of angular flint gravel derived from

330-633: Is the gate to the North of the City known as " Norwich Over the Water " this bridge was also the site of a cucking stool for ducking lawbreakers and undesirables. Whitefriars Bridge Named after a former Carmelite (White Friars) monastery. The remains of which can still be seen in a small section of medieval wall and archway. Foundry Bridge Near the railway station and the Yacht station on Riverside named after

363-686: The River Thames , River Lea and River Colne ): Chalk streams of the Yorkshire Wolds : Chalk streams of Lincolnshire : There are several chalk streams in the Lincolnshire Wolds including Chalk streams of Kent: Chalk streams of Norfolk: Chalk streams of Suffolk: Norwich Over the Water Norwich Over the Water (originally Ultra Aquam ) was a medieval district or court leet within

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396-401: The (RWRS) has made several improvements to the river. The holistic whole river approach with co-operation from land owners, fisheries managers and other organisations has seen ongoing projects ranging from restoring gravel glides to removing silt. The Norfolk Anglers Conservation Association (NACA) carried out a successful river habitat restoration at their Sayers Meadow fishery at Lyng in

429-501: The 12th century and was also used for collecting tolls. Evidence of the river's historical use as a means of transport for goods and trade from the continent is still visible: mills, quays and industrial remnants can be found near the station and along King Street, and a slipway at Pulls Ferry marks the start of a canal originally used to transport stone from Caen in Normandy, in the 13th Century, to build Norwich Cathedral . This site

462-481: The 210 rivers classified as chalk streams globally, 160 are in England. A list of chalk streams in England gives a total of 224. Chalk is a highly porous and permeable rock, and rain falling onto chalk topography percolates directly into the ground, where the chalk layer acts as an aquifer . The groundwater flows through the chalk bedrock, re-emerging lower down the slope in springs . The chalk acts as

495-557: The English city of Norwich , one of the four courts in the city used to deal with offences by petty criminals. The term was later used as the name for the city's northernmost electoral district , until reorganisation occurred during the 1830s. Norwich Over the Water has since been used as an unofficial name for the part of the city centre that lies north of the River Wensum , as well as by local community groups aiming to improve

528-399: The UK has caused the chalk streams to dry up. This has caused ecological damage and stagnant sewage that flows through the rivers and increasing phosphate levels. Although chalk streams are generally watercourses originating from chalk hills, including winterbournes , streams, and rivers, the term chalk stream is used even for larger rivers, which would normally be considered too large for

561-492: The Water until 1835, when the city's local government was reorganised. During the 1970s, Norwich Over the Water, a group led by Jack Burton was formed to advocate for the improvement of the city centre north of the Wensum. A second Norwich Over the Water group put forward Paul Scruton as the Norwich over the Water Party candidate for the local council elections in 2002. In February 2022, plans were made by Norwich over

594-451: The Water. During the Tudor period, the name "Norwich Over the Water" was used in records used for the calculation of taxes and other official documents. During the medieval period , Stump Cross, now under Magdalen Street, was once considered to be the centre of Norwich Over-the-Water. The site of a stone monument, it was one of the locations in the city where the accession of the new monarch

627-478: The Wensum's upper reaches are privately owned or controlled by syndicates. However, opportunities for individual anglers can be found and as the river passes through the City of Norwich free fishing is available where accessible. Download coordinates as: Chalk river The beds of the rivers are generally composed of clean, compacted gravel and flints , which are good spawning areas for Salmonidae fish species. Since they are fed primarily by aquifers ,

660-514: The best conditions for fly fishing , and most specifically, dry fly fishing . The chalk streams hold a good number of wild salmonid fish species such as the brown trout ( Salmo trutta ), and grayling ( Thymallus thymallus ). In addition to these there are also considerable numbers of stocked brown trout and stocked rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ). The rich invertebrate life and characteristic transparent shallow water make chalk rivers and streams particularly suited to fly fishing. Many of

693-615: The chalk stream springs are also used as sites for watercress production, due to the constant temperature and clean, alkaline , mineral-rich spring water. The Mid Hants Watercress Railway in Hampshire is so named on account of its use for transporting watercress to London from local chalk streams. A number of the chalk aquifers and associated groundwater sources related to chalk streams and rivers are used for water abstraction by local and national water utility companies. The over-abstracting of chalk streams by private water companies in

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726-741: The early 1980s. After dredging and a major abstraction pipeline had a detrimental effect on the Costessey Point fishery, the association has taken action to restore this well known water. The ongoing work will be used as a blueprint for future river conservation projects. The Demonstration Test Catchment (DTC) project is a joint initiative between the Environment Agency, (Defra) , and the Welsh Assembly Government working in three UK catchments ; Hampshire Avon ; River Eden, Cumbria ; Wensum, Norfolk to evaluate

759-515: The extent to which on-farm mitigation measures can cost-effectively reduce the impacts of diffuse water pollution on river ecology while still maintaining food production capacity (Wensum Alliance, 2014). Between 1940 and the 1970s the river had a national reputation as a roach fishery with specimens exceeding 3 pounds (1.4 kg) being reported. As the river declined through the effects of abstraction , dredging and modern farming methods these fish largely died out. After an earlier introduction of

792-436: The flow rate, mineral content and temperature range of chalk streams exhibit less seasonal variation than other rivers. They are mildly alkaline and contain high levels of nitrate , phosphate , potassium and silicate . In addition to algae and diatoms , the streams provide a suitable habitat for macrophytes (including water crowfoot ) and oxygen levels are generally supportive of coarse fish populations. Of

825-498: The ground was originally named The River End in its honour, a name that still persists among fans. The river receives its name from the Old English adjective wandsum or wendsum , meaning "winding". Modern Ordnance Survey Maps list the source of the Wensum as lying between the villages of Colkirk and Whissonsett in northwest Norfolk. The reasoning behind this claim is unknown given that other tributaries are further from

858-413: The infrastructure in that part of the city. Ultra Aquam was the name of one of the court leets of the English city of Norwich . The area was located within the medieval walls to the north of the River Wensum . The leet was a court for the punishment of criminals for small offences. After the city walls were built in 1290 CE, the area north of the river gradually became known as Norwich Over

891-502: The market town of Fakenham . The river then flows in a southeasterly direction through the Pensthorpe Nature Reserve and the village of Great Ryburgh . The Wensum continues through or close to the villages of Guist , North Elmham , Worthing , Swanton Morley , Lyng , Lenwade and Taverham before entering the City of Norwich from the north-west via Drayton , Costessey and Hellesdon . At New Mills Yard,

924-574: The mouth; pre-modern maps and other written sources refer to the source to be in West Rudham from springs arising on the aptly named Wensum Farm. From the source the river flows close to the villages of South Raynham , West Raynham and East Raynham , passing Raynham Hall , home of the Marquis Townshend . The Wensum then turns and flows north through a number of small villages until it reaches Sculthorpe , where it turns east through

957-470: The natural flint deposits found embedded within the chalk geology that contains relatively low amounts of clay and silt deposits. The unique characteristics of chalk stream ecology are due to stable temperature and flow regimes combined with highly transparent water and lack of sand grade sediment particles. The chalk streams have been intensively managed for many generations. In the 20th and 21st centuries, much of that management has been aimed at producing

990-413: The physical functioning of the Wensum. The 2002 report found that fourteen redundant water mills along the Wensum as having the most significant factor affecting morphology of the river channel, with 67% of the river backed up behind these structures. As a priority, the strategy recommended the lowering, removal or bypassing of these structures to allow more of the river to function naturally. Since 2008,

1023-757: The term stream . The Somme in northern France is a chalk stream on a larger scale. Winterbournes are known by different names depending on region: Chalk streams of the Southern England Chalk Formation in Berkshire , Hampshire , Wiltshire , Dorset and the Isle of Wight : Chalk streams of the Southern England Chalk Formation in the Chiltern Hills , Hertfordshire and Surrey (tributaries of

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1056-532: Was also a public house and used as a River Ferry until the 1950s. The Wensum flows past Carrow Road football ground and then out of the city via Trowse to Whitlingham and its confluence with the River Yare. The Wensum is navigable from New Mills Yard in the centre of Norwich. There were a succession of water mills on the Wensum, some of which are still standing and working. From the source these are Other mills close on tributaries are Bishops Bridge

1089-425: Was announced. The cross was mentioned in sources from 1500 and 1538. It was demolished during the 16th century, rebuilt in 1640, but then removed in 1644. Over the Water was one of four 'Great Wards' that existed inside the city boundary from 1404 to 1835, the other wards being Conisford, Mancroft, and Wymer. In 1832, electoral reforms ended the official use of the name. The ward continued to be known as Norwich Over

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