Brancaster Staithe

 

 

‘Staithe’ is an Old English word for  wharf  –  a quay used for the loading and unloading of cargo.  Initially Brancaster was a busy  fishing harbour specialising in shellfish, but in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries it became noted particularly for  in the shipping of coal, grain and malt  (it was reputed to have the largest malthouse in Europe).  With the demise of sailing vessels and the development of other forms of transport, Brancaster fell into decline.  There is now only a small fishing fraternity  and the harbour is  devoted primarily to  a large number of pleasure craft