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The River Waveney

The prefix of the name WAVENEY has not got the mystery to it one may at first presume. Quite simply, the root evolves from the 'Wa' onwards. Derived from Latin paths of Waegen, Waves vel Waven, Baxter so writes in Glossary of Great Britain.

The Celtic Avon widely related to rivers throughout the country has an implication for the Common too. In this instance we are informed, Avon equals river and transgressed in time into 'aven'.

The Saxons appear to have added the final syllables EY which is allied to water and waterways.

Local history tells us that the Romans are reputed to have called our wandering waterway, Alveron after its implications of 'beautiful woman'.

The River has suffered many latter day maladies and misuses. Abused by over-abstraction from the plant at Redgrave, its birthplace and source, statistics show drastic and dramatic reductions in flows over the past thirty years. So dry became the Fens of the River's infancy that they almost dried out completely and set the scene for an ailing child. Eventually identified as the principle cause of the decline, a massive work schedule financed by European Grants was launched in the mid nineties to save the Raft Water Spider. The only place to be found in the World in its natural surroundings. Now pools and marshes again have the correct habitat for this unusual most upstream resident. No fish mind you and the River here is more like a large dyke.

Pig effluent pollution's throughout the fifties and sixties caused havoc leaving behind it sediments taking thirty years to recover from its damage. Eventually curtailed by Environmental Agency prosecutions the entire River length suffered. At times the weather was too toxic for fry to evolve from the two-inch stage and several years stock was lost. Water biological clarity from excess nutrients added to the decline. Excess weed growths caused flow reductions. As it passed alongside the Town the situation worsened behind Jewsons, Victoria Road Diss. The small Frenze River failed to make much of a supplementary difference being itself debilitated. Eventually at Billingford when overnight the weeds consumed the oxygen and changed it to an unfriendly gas (photosynthesis) all the fish died. This remember was a central part of the system, some seven miles down from the source. The photosynthesis syndrome reduced the oxygen level to nil and even the silkweed on the weir died. More European money was drawn in by angler's efforts to secure a remedy. Suffolk County AAA was in the forefront of the struggle with the Waveney Regeneration Project, eventually achieving the introduction of 600 tons of gravel into the reach upstream to recreate riffles and flow removed by an environmentally erroneous flood policy by the old National Rivers Authority.

The Billingford disaster had a remedy was the reintroduction of riffles. Another 600 tons went into the Golf Course stretch at Diss, off River supplements, haven and escape dykes at Billingford again, for which a Council for the Preservation of Rural England award was achieved. Today fish thrive and spawn on these 12-18 yard runs and much has been repaired by the local anglers' initiative and pressure.

Back to Bungay (and its title) attached to the Outney Common. Bun-incga-hay g translates as the enclosure of Bonna's tribe - as well known Saxon.

Looking towards the bottom of the Common the hills rising up to your left were once Roman Vineyard covering the slopes in 1240, so the Doomsday records recall.

In 1734 the white Bath House was lived in by the local apothecary John King. Then it became an Inn. There is still a fine public unspoilt walk way in pristine beauty, on this side of the River making a five mile round trip from Bungay via Earsham to Ditchingham.

It is written that in 1788, at Finches Well, a double deep bend, located about half way upstream on the right hand side - a horse & cart fell in and was never recovered. Today's depths are around 11 feet.

Around 1798 Volunteer's Rifle Range existed at the bottom of the Common with bullets being fired across the River into the steep sloping tree covered wooded, bank opposite. This area is still called 'Target'. Around 5 - 7 feet deep with the extra foot in places under your rod tip, it is the home for chub up to six pounds. This is the area of 'a Nick Larkin win of 30 lbs on the stick float in an open match'.

During 1880 first pollutions from Ditchingham Maltings, which was a thread factory for Norwich silk weaving employing 440 girls, are recorded. Today it is being taken down following a fire in 1999.

The Bungay Cherry Tree AC registered Right of Furze in the 1960s when Harold Wilson's Labour Government called for the recording of Common Land. They lost lost right of Piscary.

The Golf Course in the central area of the Common was established in 1889.

Point to Point racing took place until around 1960 and the Railway Station was closed in this era too.

A Norman Duck Pond used to reign at the bottom of the Common but is no more. Gravel was dug from the ground to form the Pit near the roundabout which we control also. There is no departure from the Closed Season here. The American forces making their runways and road during the the second world war has left us a fine little fishery.

There used to be a flowing riverlet running through the centre but it is now largely now dry and overgrown.

We hope these points will help you to appreciate the surrounding and facility, meriting your respect at all times.

Dave Gladwell

All pictures by Andrew Atterwill

www.bungay-suffolk.co.uk