NORFOLK. 
to plaitt, not merely For embellifhment, but for ufe. Ex- 
tenlive plantations of timber-trees have been made in 
many parts, but more particularly in the north-vveftern. 
The coaft of Norfolk varies confiderably in its outline 
and fubftance from the fouth and weftern fhores of the 
ifland. No deep indented bays, nor finuous creeks, inter- 
fe6l the land ; no beetling rocks and bold impending crags 
here form an adamantine barrier to the affailing waves: 
and, though a continuation of that great bed of chalk, 
which, commencing in the high cliffs of Dorfetfhire, 
paffes through the kingdom, and terminates here, yet it 
forms on this part of the coaft no proud elevations nor 
confpicuous heights. The fliores are generally flat. In 
the vicinity of Cromer is a fmall bay, where fome bold 
headlands prefent themfelves: and fome wooded hills 
make a little variety in the neighbourhood of Sherring- 
liam. Exclufive of thefe, which are on a fmall fcale, 
Hunftanton-cliff, commonly denominated St. Edmund’s 
Point, from king Edmund having landed there when he 
took poffeffion of Eaft Anglia, may be confidered as the 
only rocky prominence of much note on the coaft. The 
other eminences conftft of clay, and are conftantly-be¬ 
coming a prey to the depredations of the ocean. Much 
of the coaft is compofed of a low fandy beach, covered 
with gravel and loofe pebbles, here called fliingles ; which, 
by the violence of the waves, are frequently thrown up 
in immenfe heaps. Thefe, by the continual accumula¬ 
tions of fand, are formed into banks, which are kept 
together by the matted roots of what is called fea-reed 
grajs. Numerous banks of this kind lie off the coaft far 
out at fea; and, being only difcoverable at ebb or quarter- 
tides, they are juftly the dread of mariners, and frequently 
prove fatal to coafting veffels. Of thefe, the moll re¬ 
markable is the large bank running parallel with the coaft 
off Yarmouth; between which and the fliore is a deep 
channel, where veffels ride fafely during tempeftuous 
weather. This is known by the name of Yarmouth Roads. 
The ranges of fand-hills on this, like thofe on the oppofite 
coafts of Holland, tend to preferve a valuable portion of 
country from continual inundation. A line of thefe, 
called the Meals, or Marum Hills, commences at Caifter, 
two miles north of Yarmouth, and extends, with oc.- 
cafional interruptions, to Happifbury Point, where two 
light-houfes have lately been erected, and thence to 
Cromer Bay, where what are called the Mud Clifts begin, 
and line the northern fttore to Lynn Regis. Thefe fand- 
banks are not all permanent; they lometimes ftiift their 
liation by a fub-marine route. Suddenly they difappear, 
and as fuddenly rife up in a new ftiape at fome diftant 
point, a curious inftance of which happened on the coaft 
near Yarmouth about two centuries ago ; which will be 
noticed in a fubfequent account of Yarmouth. 
The principal rivers of Norfolk are the Great Oufe, the 
Little Oufe, the Waveney, the Bure, the Wenfurn, the 
Yare, and the Nar. Moft of thefe rivers rife in marfliy 
lands; and, running through a comparatively level coun¬ 
try, the fall is confequently fmall, and their pace flow; 
lb that they contribute to keep the adjacent grounds in a 
fwampy ftate, and to (ill the atmofphere with denfe 
vapours. Swelled by land-floods above, and their mouths 
commonly choaked by flit, thrown up by the violence of 
the tide below, they often overflow the low lands, and in 
their courfe form numerous fmall lhallow lakes or pools, 
which are provincially termed Broads and Meers. Thefe 
are plentifully flocked with fifh, and much frequented by 
water-fowls. The principal of them are in that diftridt 
through which the Bure, the Wenfurn, and the Waveney, 
have their courfe. Breedon or Breydon Broad, to the 
louth of Yarmouth, is three miles in length, and one 
mile and a half in breadth. Hickling Broad is nearly 
three miles in length, and about one wide. That of 
Rockland is one mile and a half long, and half a mile 
wide. In the vicinity of thefe are feveral others of fmaller 
extent, and of irregular dimenftons. There are others at 
Quidenham, Difs, and Hingham. In the fenny diftridls 
Yol.XVII. No. 1167. 
141 
many temporary ones are formed during the winter fea- 
fons, in the neighbourhood of which are numerous decoys 
for catching wild fowl. Some curious experiments on the 
qualities of the water of the mere at Difs, by Mr. Wife- 
man of Difs, and Charles Hatchett, efq. F. R.S. may be 
feen in the Phil. Tranf. vol. lxxxviii. for the year 1798. 
With refpedt to inland navigation, little more has yet 
been done in this county than widening and cleanfing the 
beds of the natural rivers, and rendering them fubfervient 
to the purpofes of internal conveyance. A canal has been 
completed from Wifbeach in Cambridgefliire, to Outwell 
Creek and Salter’s Load in Norfolk, an extent of about 
fix miles, to render the navigation of the river Nene more 
effe&ual. (See Canal Navigation, vol. iii. p. 691.) 
A few years ago a propofition was brought forward, and 
met with confiderable fupport, for making the river 
Wenfurn navigable from Norwich to Fakenham : but the 
difficulties attending the plan, and the experifes likely 
to be incurred in its execution, appeared to preponderate 
over the probable advantages to be derived from it by 
thofe parts of the country through which the line was 
propofed to extend. Had the fcherne been carried into 
execution, “ it would have added (fays Mr. Colhoun) 
more confiderable advantage to the county of Norfolk 
than arifes from any of the river-navigations before enu¬ 
merated.” There are feveral fmall cuts from the navi¬ 
gable rivers to private eftates for the purpofes of carrying 
corn to the markets, and freighting back manure for tire 
improvement of lands. 
From the nature of the various foils, the roads of Nor¬ 
folk might be expedled to be bad; but the reverfe of this 
is generally the cafe. By a comparative ftatement, ac¬ 
cording to Mr. Kent, “ they are better, in their natural 
ftate, in this than in almoft any other county.” At the 
time king Charles II. paid a vifit to the earl of Yarmouth 
at Oxnead, in the year 1671, when roads had not been 
improved hy the aid of tolls, he is faid to have remarked, 
“ that Norfolk ought to be cut out in (trips to make roads 
for the reft of the kingdom.” Except in the marflies and 
fens, the roads are free from ftoughs and deep ruts; and 
though the fuperftratum is chiefly fand, yet it refills the 
preffure of carriage-wheels a little beneath the furface: 
and the plentiful I'upply of gravel afforded in almoft every 
part facilitates their repair at a moderate expenfe. This 
county claims the credit of having made the firlt road, in 
compliance with the turnpike-adl. The number of turn¬ 
pike roads in the county is faid to be feventeen, including 
an extent of about 250 miles. Befides thefe, there are 
many public ways, thirty and forty feet wide, which are 
equally commodious for travelling, without the inter¬ 
ruption and expenfe of toll-bars; having mile-llones and 
finger-pofts erefted' upon them for the diredlion of tra¬ 
vellers. Some of thefe are kept in order by parochial 
rates, and others are repaired by private gentlemen. 
Poultry of all kinds are plentiful in this county, and of 
a fuperior quality. Owing to the drynefs of the foil, in 
the fandy and loamy diftridts, and the range afforded by 
the uninclofed parts, turkeys are numerous; and the 
mode of feeding them produces a delicacy of flavour 
which has flamped a kind of impofing pre-eminence on 
every bird which bears the name of a Norfolk turkey. 
The confumption of thefe is very confiderable, both in 
this and the adjacent counties ; and yet fuch is the abun¬ 
dance, that immenfe quantities are lent to the moft diftant 
parts of the kingdom. It has been computed, that more 
turkeys are bred in this and the adjoining county of Suffolk 
than in the whole kingdom befides. They are commonly 
driven on foot to London, and to other diftant places. 
During one feafon, upwards of three hundred of thefe 
flocks, of fome hundreds each, have been noticed to pafs 
Stratford-bridge, on the river Stour, in their way to the 
metropolis; befides what proceeded by different routes 
to the fame market. Norfolk furnifhes alfo large fup- 
plies of geefe, which are bred in the fenny parts of the 
county. The dealers have taught thefe awkward birds 
O o to 
