This live-streaming microphone is found on the Silvergate Stream which runs through the Blickling Estate. The stream rises from the chalk aquifer in Oulton and travels through the Blickling Estate, joining the lake before entering the Bure. It has supported life on the estate by providing fresh water, fertile land for farming and water meadows for grazing for many years. 

The name Blickling comes from the Old English term ‘Bekeling’ meaning a water meadow around a stream. As the stream runs from grazed water meadows into a wet woodland the microphone picks up the sounds of the water trickling over natural wood in the stream. The stream supports  sticklebacks and dragonfly larvae as well as water voles on its banks. Snipe, wren and yellow hammer can be seen visiting the water logged meadows and surrounding hedgerows. 

The National Trust have been working with farmers to ensure the water quality of the stream is improved, supporting improvements in biodiversity of the stream as well as the receiving lake. Restoration works have been completed on the stream to restore its natural sinuosity and the meadows are currently undergoing improvements to support flower rich meadows.

This live-streaming microphone is located in an area of ‘carr’ woodland fringing the lake at Felbrigg. Carr (derived from the Old Norse kjarr, meaning swamp) is a rare habitat of waterlogged woodland, dominated by tree species such as alder and willow which thrive in wet conditions.  The carr has developed around Felbrigg pond, which was formed when Scarrow Beck, a small tributary of the Bure was dammed by William Windham III in 18th century as part of his development of the surrounding Park.

The lake and surrounding woodland are home to a range of wildlife; dragonflies and damselflies are abundant over the water in the summer, the reedbeds support nesting birds such as reed bunting and sedge warbler, and otters are frequently seen.  In summer evenings the area provides an important feeding ground for bats including the water loving daubenton’s bat and the rare barbastelle.  In autumn and winter the open water attracts wildfowl and cormorants roost in the lakeside trees. 

National Trust has worked to return the beck drains into the pond to a more natural form, creating wet grassland which can provide breeding habitat for declining wading birds such as lapwing and snipe. These habitat improvements have also had the effect of lowering the amount of nutrients that enter the lake from the surrounding catchment, improving water quality which had declined significantly during the latter part of the last century.

in 2019 HomeSounds installed a live-streaming microphone at the beautiful Wheatfen Nature Reserve in the Norfolk Broads. This shared the rich and diverse acoustic habitat of the reserve for over a year, and was accompanied by in-person and online soundwalks and other active environmental listening activities. 

It was a sad day when it had to be switched off!

Through its collaboration with Norwich Science Festival and English Heritage, HomeSounds installed a live-streaming microphone at the unique and fascinating Grimes Graves. 

This microphone broadcast the acoustic habitat of this ancient area of breckland for over a year and was accompanied by a series of online and in-persons soundwalks.

Through its collaboration with Norwich Science Festival and Norfolk Wildlife Trust HomeSounds installed a live-streaming microphone in the popular community space of Pigneys Wood, just outside North Walsham in Norfolk.

The microphone broadcast its acoustic habitat for over a year and was accompanied by a series of in-person and online soundwalks to encourage active environmental listening.

The Autumn/Winter site for the live-streaming microphone at Titchwell Marsh.

Martin Scaiff - HomeSounds Director