Claxton
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| Claxton lies in the Yare Valley - seven miles
south-east of Norwich. The
name derives from 'Klakkr's enclosure'. Claxton Manor
contains the remains of Claxton Castle which was
mentioned in the Paston Letters.
Claxton Manor and
Castle
In 1999, the nature writer Mark Cocker moved from
Norwich to live in Claxton. He bought a house called 'The
Hollies' and his move to the village is
documented in his book Crow Country.
Mark Cocker at Nearby Rockland Broad (Photo
© The Independent)
He was particularly struck by the darkness in the
village at night:
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| 'In Norwich, like
any city, there was always enough ambient nocturnal glow
to negotiate the house's interior without ever resorting
to a switch. But when the sun sets in the village, the
loss of light can be total. At first I found it quite
disconcerting to be lying in Mary's arms and not to be
able to see her even when my face was inches from hers.' |
Claxton lies just above the floodplain of the River Yare
- directly opposite Buckenham - which is the location
which inspired Crow Country. Each evening in
winter, thousands of rooks and jackdaws
pass over the railway line here and head for the woods
known as Buckenham Carrs.
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'They wind up into a single swirling vortex that breaks
apart as small groups fling themselves to Earth. It is
an extraordinary performance. I am so mesmerised by the
flock's sudden and convulsive disintegration that I fail
to absorb the trajectory followed by any one
individual.' |
The Yare valley is now a nature reserve - managed by the
RSPB and famous for its winter flocks of bean geese and
wigeon. The valley also offers spectacular Broadland
scenery:
River Yare and Claxton
Pumping Station
Mark Cocker also co-wrote Birds
Britannica with Richard Mabey - however Mabey
was suffering from depression at the time so the bulk of
the work was done by Cocker. Mabey's struggle with
depression and his eventual Norfolk-related cure is told
in his moving memoir Nature Cure (2005).
Before establishing himself as a writer and journalist,
Cocker studied English Literature at the
University of
East Anglia.
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Links:
Wherryman's Way
RSPB Buckenham Marshes |
Supported
by Norfolk Tourism