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Titchwell Chalk Pit

The small hamlet of Titchwell lies on the coast 5 miles from Hunstanton and half a mile to the west of Brancaster.

A short walk to the south of the village brings one to the ancient chalk pit.  It is thought to be ancient by its size and in the knowledge that chalk was needed by the Romans.

Before the Second World War chalk was still being extracted for building purposes to the advantage of the village which received a small sum per load, but after the war there was less need of chalk.  The Local Authority in its wisdom began to use the pit as a receptacle for all and every sort of rubbish and a large amount was deposited before protests stopped the practice.  This pile of rubbish lightly covered by soil can still be seen to the east of the path leading to the bowl of the pit which is some 40 feet below the surrounding land.  Unfortunately, so used were some local residents to what they called 'the rubbish tip', they continued the practice on a personal basis.

In 1989, the Parish Meeting seeking to halt this tendency sought the assistance of the Norfolk County Council through the agency of what is now the North Coast Project to turn the pit into a mini Reserve which idea was sympathetically received.  The help too of the local farmer was solicited whose co-operation resulted in the extraction of tons of material including motor cars, motor cycles, petrol pumps and various farm containers.   Use of a bulldozer ensured that remaining rubbish was heaped to the East and the bowl flattened out.  All was now ready for the butterfly to emerge from the chrysallis.

A gate was fashioned and the roadside edge wired off with six foot stakes and heavy guage wire was affixed in four strands.

By this time Norfolk County Council had also made good their promise to provide saplings, stakes, mats etc., plus a planting plan and the project moved ahead.  The Pit already sported Ash and Alder and there was plenty of room for the Blackthorn, Dogwood, English Oak, Field Maple, Goat Willow, Guelder Rose, Hawthorn, Hazel, Holly and Wild Cherry now supplied in generous numbers.