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Stiffkey Marsh

1970 , Stiffkey (Norfolk)

Cat no. 659

An exploration of Stiffkey Marsh's wildlife and geography

The film begins with general shots of the North Norfolk Coast around Sheringham with crab boats and then along the coast to Weybourne and Cley. We see Blakeney Church and then Stiffkey Village and marshes. There are more general shots of the sea and the sky, of gulls on the cliffs and of fishing boats. A robin is filmed sitting on an overhead wire. There are shots of the creek and the dunes at Stiffkey and shots from a boat as it makes its way along the creek.This is what the film is about. It is not a travelogue but an appreciation of the Stiffkey Marshes; the scenery, the birdlife, flora and fauna and the people of the marshes. Long sequences show gulls and waders, the dunes and the creek, the marsh and the wildflowers. The scenes are accompanied by Modern English and Impressionist style music. Joe Jordan, the Warden, is filmed on the marsh. He talks of the marsh and the birdlife. There are further marsh scenes. A sign features showing this to be a National Nature Reserve. Ted Ellis, naturalist, talks about the Terns. Common Terns, Little Terns and Sandwich Terns nest of Stiffkey Marshes. We see the nest of a Turn in the sand, containing four eggs. Ellis explains the ringed plovers and oystercatchers also nest in the marsh. There are shots of a female Turn sitting on her eggs. A young Turn hatches and begins to explore his environment. On the Creek, it is summer and human visitors have joined the birdlife. There are sailors and those in search of cockles, Stiffkey Blues. A man digs for lug worms and we also find some crabs lurking under the sand. Further general shots of the marsh show seals in the water. Joe Jordan talks of his love for the marsh. The film ends with further shots of the marsh, accompanied by poetry.

Featured Buildings

Blakeney Church

Keywords

Marshland; wildlife

Other Places

Blakeney Stiffkey; Cley Weybourne.Sheringham

Background Information

Derek Cooper was the presenter of The Food Programme on BBC Radio 4

Manifestations

Stiffkey Marsh

Copyright restrictions apply.

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