The river has been dredged historically, presumably for agricultural purposes, and has a self-sustaining population of brown trout.

[1] The river's source is a small wooded lake just north of the village of Swanton Novers, after which the river passes close to Fulmodeston, then north to pass through the village of Great Snoring, which is noted in the Domesday book as having a watermill.

From Great Snoring[2] it runs south past Thorpland Hall,[2] then north-west through East Barsham,[2] North Barsham and Houghton St Giles to Little Walsingham, the largest settlement on its course.

The Priory in Little Walsingham was built with stone from Northamptonshire which had been towed up the River Stiffkey in flat-bottomed barges.

The priory had a watermill on the river but this was demolished early in the 20th century.