454 
to me some time ago, that these flats may have originally formed 
the alluvial bed of a river flowing eastwards from the region of the 
Wash. Upon the destruction of the harrier of hills on the north, 
the sea would encroach rapidly over the low lands, excepting where 
hills of blown sands or hanks of shingle were raised up to bar its 
progress. Such has been the case at Waxham and Palling, and 
westwards at intervals from Blakeney to Brancaster, including 
the long beach that stretches from Weybourn to the north of 
Blakeney Harbour. Eccles Church being situated on low land, 
now stands on the foreshore, by reason of the shifting inland 
of the sand-hills. 
Several villages have been lost north of Cromer ; and the town 
itself, which was anciently called Shipden, has been about half 
destroyed, including one of its churches. According to Mr. Walter 
Bye, this was situated about four hundriid yards north of the jetty, 
and was wasted by the sea in 1337. The entire town would pro- 
bably have gone long ago, had it not been protected by the works 
of man. Bain, frost, and springs, are almost as potent as the sea 
in the destruction of the cliff's, the former agents producing great 
landslips, the latter clearing away the fallen masses. 
hir. Beid has remarked on the decrease of the drainage area of 
the country around Cromer, through the encroachments of the sea. 
As “most of the streams rise near the coast, and flow inland to join 
the Bure, it is evident that the loss of a strip of land two or three 
miles wide since the time of the Bomans, may have materially 
affected the amount of water in the Bure, and conser^uently made it 
more sluggish.”* A study of the geological map of the country 
suggests that the stream which flows out to sea at Mundesley, may, 
before the land had receded so far, have been connected with the 
little tributary of the Ant and Bure, which flows inland from near 
Bromholm Abbey, Bacton, to Bidlington and Honing. 
The sand dunes or “Meals” are picturesque objects, presenting 
quite a mountainous outline Avhen seen in the distance, especially 
at sunset, though they do not rise above eighty feet in heiglit, and 
are generally much less. Hear Holkham, among the double rows 
of hills, there occur small pools of brackish water that lend con- 
siderable charm to the scene. 
* ‘ Geology of the Country around Cromer,’ p. 131. 
