Now the Great Ouse is getting nearer to Norfolk - where "staithe" is in common usuage for a place for loading and unloading boats (Wherries of keels) on the Broads. Most villages still have their own staithe - now used by pleasure boats. Interestingly, here in fakenham - on the unnavigable River Wensum - we have a staithe street - which suggests some river use at sometime. Also - but lesser known is "hithe" or "Hythe". Mainly used as place names - but certainly much of my childhood was spent down looking at the ships at the Hythe in Colchester Essex on the River Colne. And back in Norfolk - "Methwold Hythe" is a little village at the head of Methwold Lode - where lighters ran to deliver local vegetables for the market in the samll town of Methwold. So the village may have been named as the landing place for Methwold. Apparently, the farmers bringing their produce along Methwold lode reckoned they were "Sailing into England" Ivan Cane
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
