Botesdale Brook and other water courses adjacent to the watershed at the source of the Rivers Waveney and Little Ouse
Since the late nineteenth century, geographers and geologists have been intriqued by the existence of the watershed that defins the source of the river Waveney which flows east to the North Sea and the river Little Ouse which flows westwards to meet the Great Ouse, which drains into the Wash.
A watershed is the line that separates waters flowing into different rivers. At 26 metres above sea level, this "line" is unique, and we pass along it every time we take the B1113 from Redgrave to South Lopham.
Professor Richard West spent his lifetime researching the geographical landscape of the region and how it evolved during what is known as the Quaternary period. He was an authority on the glaciations that occured during and after the ice ages between 400,000 and 10,000 years ago.
After his retirement, Richard West continued his interest by walking the valleys and noting which streams and water courses fed the two rivers. The account of his findings and those of others before him is published in a book he wrote in 2009 "From Brandon to Bungay. An exploration of the landscape history and geology of the Little Ouse and Waveney Rivers."
West considers that the origin of the Little Ouse is the Botesdale Brook. This is the stream that flows to the north of Botesdale and the Rickinghalls from Water Lane past Fen Lane to Spring Meadow where it is joined by the overflow from Redgrave Lake. It then coninues pas the Russion Plantation and Hinderclay Fishponds and under Crackthorn bridge on the Redgrave/Hinderclay road. Along its entire stretch it is fed by numerous ditches, springs and seepages. Finally, Botesdale Brook emerges as the Little Ouse behind the Gressingham duck farm, a short distance west of the watershed.
Two other tributaries of the Little Ouse, the Black Bourne and Thet join the river further to the west, at Euston and Thetford respectively.
The streams that feed the Waveney at the source are known as Worby's Drain and The Hundred River. These flow into the wetlands of Redgrave and Lopham Fen from the north and supplement the flow from many springs and seepages that contribute to the Fen's wetlands.
Simon Gowen