River Babingley

Geobox|River
name = River Babingley
native_name =
other_name =
category =
etymology =
nickname =


image_size =250
image_caption = River Babingley
country =England
state = Norfolk
region = East of England
district = King's Lynn and West Norfolk
municipality =
parent
tributary_left =River Cong
tributary_right =
city =
landmark =
river =
source = In the Village of Flitcham.
mouth = Wootton Marsh,joins the Lynn channel of the River Great Ouse
length_imperial =12.2
length_orientation =
width_imperial =
width_orientation =
depth_imperial =
volume_imperial =
warershed_imperial =
discharge_imperial =
discharge_max_imperial =
discharge_min_imperial =
Watermills_=
free_type =


image_size =250
image_caption = River Babingley within west Norfolk


map_caption =
map_background =
map_locator =
map_locator_x =
map_locator_y =
website =
footnotes =

The Babingley is a minor river in the northwest of the county Norfolk in EnglandOrdnance Survey (2002). "OS Explorer Map 250 - Norfolk Coast West". ISBN 0-319-21886-4.] . It runs convert|12.2|mi|km from its source at the village of Flitcham to the River Great Ouse at Wootton Marshes were it terminates.

The Babingley rises in “Further Back Wood”, a little way east of the village of Flitcham, close to Abbey Farm. Its source is at a height of convert|25|m|ft. A watermill once stood on the river bank, but traces of it are long gone; the watercourse and the millpond that are all that remain.

The river continues westward skirting the northern edge of a large Forestry Commission plantation and south of Sandringham. At the end of the plantation there once was Babingley Watermill; again, no traces survive.

The river passes under the A 149 road and skirts around the north of the village Castle Rising, were it passes under Babingley Bridge. In the fields on the other side of the bridge once was the village of Babingley, now lost, although the remains of the church of St Felix can still be found.

The river now crosses into fen and marshland and passes under the disused railway bed of the line that runs from King’s Lynn to Wolferton and once carried many members of the royal family on their way to Sandringham. The river now meanders in a northerly direction towards the wash. It then switches back on itself into a man-made watercourse that directs it southward through Wootton Marsh towards Vinegar Middle where the river finally runs into the river Great Ouse at Lynn Channel.

aint Felix and the river Babingley

In the hamlet of Babingley, near the river, Saint Felix of Burgundy is said to have landed in 600 AD to introduce Christianity to East Anglia. Local legend has it that St. Felix' ship was wrecked while travelling up the river Babingley. According to legend, he was rescued by beavers, and subsequently made one of the beavers a bishop. [ [http://www.norfolkcoast.co.uk/signs/vs_babingley_02.htm Village Sign - Babingley in Norfolk ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.norfolkmills.co.uk/watermills.html Norfolk Watermills]
* [http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/nwn3_1018551336 River Babingley environment agency.gov.uk]