River Wensum River Wensum The River Wensum is a chalk river in Norfolk, England and a tributary of the River Yare, despite being the larger of the two rivers. The river is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation. The Wensum is the principal river on which the city of Norwich was founded. The river passes Carrow Road, the home of Norwich City F.C.; one end of the ground was originally named "The River End" in its honour, a name that still persists among fans. The river receives its name from the Old English adjective "wandsum" or
Norwich named "Venta Icenorum", literally "the marketplace of the Iceni". The Roman settlement fell into disuse around 450 and the Anglo-Saxons settled on the site of the modern city between the 5th and 7th centuries, founding the towns of "Northwic" (from which Norwich gets its name), "Westwic" (at Norwich-over-the-Water) and the secondary settlement at Thorpe. According to a local rhyme, the demise of "Venta Icenorum" led to the development of Norwich: "Caistor was a city when Norwich was none, Norwich was built of Caistor stone." There are two suggested models of development for Norwich. It is possible that three separate early