River Glaven

River Glaven
River
River Glaven at Glandford
Country	England
State	Norfolk
Region	East of England
District	North Norfolk
Tributaries
- left	Stody Beck, Thornage Beck
Source	Lower Bodham
- location	Bodham, North Norfolk, England
- coordinates	52°54′57″N 1°9′45″E / 52.91583°N 1.16250°E / 52.91583; 1.16250
Mouth
- location	North Sea at Blakeney Point, England
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
- coordinates	52°58′08″N 1°00′25″E / 52.969°N 1.007°E / 52.969; 1.007Coordinates: 52°58′08″N 1°00′25″E / 52.969°N 1.007°E / 52.969; 1.007
Length	17 km (11 mi)
River Glaven within Norfolk

The River Glaven in the eastern English county of Norfolk is 10½ miles long and flows through picturesque North Norfolk countryside to the North Sea. Rising from a tiny headwater in Bodham the river starts 2½ miles before Selbrigg Pond where three streams combine at the outfall. The scenic value of the Glaven valley is important to the tourist industry in North Norfolk.

The river has a catchment area of approximately 115 km² and from its source falls 50 metres to the present tidal limit at Cley sluice. The sub-surface geology is predominantly chalk and in parts of the lower valley the river runs over chalk beds. The land adjoining the river consists of a mixture of arable farm land and, in the upper reaches near Edgefield, coniferous plantations. In the middle reaches there are grazing meadows and low-lying washlands especially below Glandford Mill. The Glaven has two major tributaries: Stody Beck joins just above Hunworth Mill (Map Ref TG 066 356), and the Thornage Beck joins close to the unbridged ford on the Thornage to Hunworth road (Map Ref TG 062 363).

There are three ‘on-stream’ lakes associated with the main channel, these being Hawksmere (Hempstead mill pond), Edgefield Hall Lake and Bayfield Hall Lake. The long, thin lake at Bayfield Hall in many ways epitomises the beauty of the lower Glaven valley. It was dug in the late eighteenth century for ornamental purposes. In the late nineteenth century an ‘extravaganza’ tunnel was built into the valley side so that the Glaven could be partly diverted around the lake. This tunnel remains operational.

Together the mills and on-stream lakes give the river a ‘stepped’ profile with slower flowing ‘ponded’ sections upstream of these structures. Lower down the river at Glandford the river also pools just above the mill, a popular spot.

At the time of the Domesday Book the River Glaven had 19 watermills. Today the Glaven has six: in order of river descent they are Hempstead, Hunworth, Thornage, Letheringsett, Letheringsett Brewery mill and Glandford. Letheringsett mill is still in use and is the only working watermill in Norfolk, grinding corn to make flour which is on sale at the mill shop.