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Thursday 3 February 2011

A tad frustrating on the Tud.

Ab Cost seals 013

OK, this might be cheating, but I need your help. I’m plotting a new book at the moment; similar style to The Wherryman’s Way but different area. And probably more on where to canoe.  But suffice to say I’m researching the River Tud – and I’m not getting very far. I know it runs from roughly Dereham to its confluence with the Wensum at Hellesdon Mill. There’s some nice stuff about the old stately home of Costessey Hall being built on its banks – especially as that’s now the site of Costessey Park Golf Club. But where’s the source? Wikipedia says “south of Dereham”. My shiny new OS map of Dereham and Aylsham sort of agrees, with the line of blue running out somewhere closet to Spurn Farm. Meanwhile a book on Shipdham claims that it is the source for the Yare, the Wissey and the Tud, although it gives the vicinity for  the Tud rather vaguely as “near Thomas Bullock Primary School”.  Away from the source, where can I get a good photo of it, is there any sort of vista at Hockering or North Tuddenham for example? For the moment we’ll have to live with this view in winter sunlight taken between Longwater Lane in Costessey and the golf course. It’s a modest little river but I think it deserves more than the 200-odd words I’ve so far mustered.All info welcome.

8 comments:

  1. I've found a photo of the river here: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/667253.

    This is off-topic but may perhaps be of interest: there is a new initiative to research the old Aylsham Navigation (River Bure) - http://www.eastinvolve.net/aylsham-navigation/

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  2. You can use Where's the Path (satellite view and map side by side, you can zoom in/out) to 'walk' all the way along the river to give you an idea. It appears to start here, just east of Broadway Farm/Spurn Farm, SE of Dereham: http://tinyurl.com/5tgjgtm

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  3. I was about to suggest Geograph too (hello Evelyn :), although there aren't very many photos of the river itself. Google Streetview and the Bing Maps oblique bird's-eye views are another good way to get a quick view of the terrain, although the Bing obliques only cover a certain distance out of Norwich.

    There's a decent view across the valley from field access points along Cutthroat Lane near Yaxham - see Streetview:
    http://tinyurl.com/6faoub8
    http://tinyurl.com/67t2y4n

    The footpath running east from just south of this Geograph photo at Rotten Row may have possibilities judging by the Streetview views of each end of it:
    http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/296394

    Google Maps also throws up a couple of interesting Panoramio photos in the vicinity:
    http://www.panoramio.com/photo/19894055
    http://www.panoramio.com/photo/19893891

    Happy exploring! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

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  4. Thanks very much for all those great suggestions. All I need now is some blue sky for the photos and I'll be laughing. I will also contact the owners of Spurn Farm and see what they've got to say. Just finally on the Bure Navigation check out this post from December 3rd: http://wherrymansweb.blogspot.com/2010/12/up-on-bure-plans-to-remember-aylsham.html

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  5. If the Tud rises at Shipdham (Nr Thomas Bullock primary) it's bound to cross the the old American airbase. There was also a WW2 ammunition dump in Hockering. Bit of aviation history? re the vista, you'll get a decent view across the watermeadows on the road from N Tuddenham to mattishall Burgh. If you could get to the top of N Tuddenham Church tower you'd really be talking! Think there's a footpath across the meadows from the bridge on the Hockering to Mattishall Burgh heading East.

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  6. You could try contacting the
    Church Office
    Chappel Barn
    Church Plain
    Mattishall
    Norfolk
    NR20 3QS
    Tel: 01362 - 858873
    re access up the tower of Tuddenham St Mary. Tuesday is supposed to be a nice, sunny day.

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  7. According to John Wilson it starts 'a little south of East Dereham by obtaining water from three separate sources'. Andy Davidson caught the largest recorded dace in Jan 1972 weighing in at 1 lb 2(and a half) oz.

    :-)

    PS is that 'the Pete Chambers'? (Ex SLA).

    Cam

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  8. it is indeed. you well Cam?

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