The county has an area of 2,074 sq mi (5,370 km2) and had an estimated population of 940,359 in 2024. It is predominantly rural; Norwich is located in the centre-east, and the county's other principal settlements incudeGreat Yarmouth on the east coast,Thetford in the south, andKing's Lynn in the north-west. For local government purposes Norfolk is anon-metropolitan county with seven districts.
The centre of Norfolk is gently undulating lowland. To the east arethe Broads, a network of rivers and lakes which extend into Suffolk and which are protected by theBroads Authority, which give them a similar status to anational park. To the west the county contains part ofthe Fens, an extremely flat former marsh, and to the south is part ofThetford Forest. The geology of the county includes clay and chalk deposits, which make its coast susceptible to erosion; thenorthern coast has been designated anational landscape.
There is evidence of Prehistoric settlement in Norfolk. In theRoman era the region was home to theIceni, whose leaderBoudica led amajor revolt in AD60. TheAngles settled the area in the fifth century, and it became part of theKingdom of East Anglia. During the later Middle Ages the county was very prosperous and heavily involved in thewool trade; this allowed the construction ofmany large churches.
In 1549 Norfolk was the scene ofKett's Rebellion, which unsuccessfully protested theenclosure of land. The county was not heavily industrialised during theIndustrial Revolution, and Norwich lost its status as one of England's largest cities. The contemporary economy is largely based onagriculture and tourism.
Hand-drawn map of Suffolk by Christopher Saxton from 1573Entrance to Norfolk at Walsoken, Wisbech on the Cambridgeshire and Norfolk county boundaryThe flag of the historic county of Norfolk
The area that was to become Norfolk was settled in pre-Roman times (there were Palaeolithic settlers as early as 950,000 years ago), with camps along the higher land in the west, whereflints could be quarried.[7] ABrittonic tribe, theIceni, emerged in the 1st centuryBC. The Iceni revolted against theRoman invasion in AD 47, and again in 60 led byBoudica. The crushing of the second rebellion opened the area to the Romans. During theRoman era roads and ports were constructed throughout the area and farming was widespread.
Situated on the east coast, the homelands of the Iceni were vulnerable to attacks from continental Europe and other parts of Britain, and forts were built to defend against raids by theSaxons and thePicts. A period of depopulation, which may have been due to these threats, seems to have followed the departure of the Romans.[8] Soon afterward, Germanic peoples from the North Sea area settled in the region. Though they became known asAngles, they were likely not affiliated to any tribe in particular at the time of their migration. It is thought that the settlement here was early (possibly beginning at the start of the fifth century, thereby preceding the alleged date ofHengist and Horsa's arrival in Kent) and that it occurred on a large scale.[9][10][11]
By the 5th century, the Angles had established control over the region.[12] They later became known as the "north folk" and the "south folk," giving rise to the names "Norfolk" and "Suffolk."[13] Norfolk, Suffolk, and nearby territories formed the Kingdom of East Anglia, one of the Anglo-Saxon heptarchy, which was later incorporated intoMercia and subsequently intoWessex.[14] The influence of the early English settlers is evident in numerous place names ending in "-ham," "-ingham," and "-ton."[15] Place-name endings such as "-by" and "-thorpe" are also common and indicate Danish origins; during the 9th century, the region was subject to Danish attacks, during which KingEdmund the Martyr was killed.[16] Additionally, several place names in the Fenland area contain Celtic elements,[17] which some scholars interpret as evidence of a significant Brittonic population in the region.[17]
In the centuries before theNorman Conquest the wetlands of the east of the county began to be converted to farmland, and settlements grew in these areas. Migration into East Anglia must have been high: by the time of theDomesday Book survey it was one of the most densely populated parts of theBritish Isles. During the high and lateMiddle Ages the county developed arable agriculture and woollen industries. Norfolk's prosperity at that time is evident from the county's large number of medieval churches: out of an original total of over one thousand some 659 have survived, more than in any other county in Britain and the greatest concentration in the world.[18] The economy was in decline by the time of theBlack Death, which dramatically reduced the population in 1349.
Kett's Rebellion occurred in Norfolk during the reign ofEdward VI, largely in response to the enclosure of land by landlords, leaving peasants with nowhere to graze their animals, and to the general abuses of power by the nobility. It was led byRobert Kett, a yeoman farmer, who was joined by recruits from Norwich and the surrounding countryside. His group numbered some 16,000 by the time the rebels stormed Norwich on 29 July 1549 and took the city. Kett's rebellion ended on 27 August when the rebels were defeated by an army under the leadership ofJohn Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland at the Battle of Dussindale. Some 3,000 rebels were killed. Kett was captured, held in the Tower of London, tried for treason, and hanged from the walls of Norwich Castle.[19][20][21]
By the late 16th century Norwich had grown to become the second-largest city in England, but over one-third of its population died in theplague epidemic of 1579,[22] and in 1665 theGreat Plague again killed around one-third of the population.[23] During theEnglish Civil War Norfolk was largelyParliamentarian. The economy and agriculture of the region declined somewhat. During theIndustrial Revolution Norfolk developed little industry, except in Norwich, which was a late addition to the railway network.
During the Second World War agriculture rapidly intensified, and it has remained very intensive since, with the establishment of large fields for growing cereals andoilseed rape.
In 1998 Norfolk had aGross Domestic Product of£9,319 million, which represents 1.5% of England's economy and 1.25% of the United Kingdom's economy. The GDP per head was £11,825, compared to £13,635 for East Anglia, £12,845 for England and £12,438 for the United Kingdom. In 1999–2000 the county had an unemployment rate of 5.6%, compared to 5.8% for England and 6.0% for the UK.[24]
Data from 2017 provided a useful update on the county's economy. The median hourly gross pay was £12.17 and the median weekly pay was £496.80; on a per year basis, the median gross income was £25,458. The employment rate among persons aged 16 to 64 was 74.2% while the unemployment rate was 4.6%.[25] The Norfolk economy was "treading water with manufacturing sales and recruitment remaining static in the first quarter of the year" according to research published in April 2018. A spokesperson for theNorfolk Chamber of Commerce made this comment: "At a time when Norfolk firms face steep up-front costs, the apprenticeship system is in crisis, roads are being allowed to crumble, mobile phone and broadband 'not-spots' are multiplying, it's obvious that the key to improved productivity and competitiveness lies in getting the basics right". The solution was seen as a need for the UK government to provide "a far stronger domestic economic agenda ... to fix the fundamentals needed for business to thrive here..."[26]
In 2017, tourism was adding £3.25 billion to the economy per year and supported some 65,000 jobs, being the fifth most important employment in Norfolk. The visitor economy had increased in value by more than £500 million since 2012.[27]
Important business sectors also include energy (oil, gas and renewables), advanced engineering and manufacturing, and food and farming.
Much of Norfolk's fairly flat and fertile land has been drained for use asarable land. The principal arable crops aresugar beet, wheat,barley (for brewing) andoil seed rape. The county also boasts asaffron grower.[28] Over 20% of employment in the county is in the agricultural and food industries.[29]
Alocal enterprise partnership was being established by business leaders to help grow jobs across Norfolk and Suffolk. They secured anenterprise zone to help grow businesses in the energy sector, and established the two counties as a centre for growing services and products for thegreen economy.
To help local industry in Norwich, the local council offered a wireless internet service, but this was subsequently withdrawn as funding had ceased.[31]
The fishery business still continued in 2018, with individuals such as John Lee, a fifth generation crabman, who sells Cromer Crabs to eateries such as M Restaurants and the Blueprint Café. The problem that he has found is attracting young people to this small industry which calls for working many hours per week during the season.[32] Lobster trapping also continued in North Norfolk, aroundSheringham andCromer, for example.[33]
Norfolk's low-lying land and easily eroded cliffs, many of which are composed of chalk and clay, make it vulnerable to weathering by the sea. The most recent major erosion event occurred during theNorth Sea flood of 1953.
The low-lying section of coast betweenKelling andLowestoft Ness in Suffolk is currently managed by the BritishEnvironment Agency to protect the Broads from sea flooding. Management policy for the North Norfolk coastline is described in the "North Norfolk Shoreline Management Plan" published in 2006, but has yet[when?] to be accepted by local authorities.[34] The Shoreline Management Plan states that the stretch of coast will be protected for at least another 50 years, but that in the event ofsea level rise andpost-glacial lowering of land levels in the South East, there may a need for further research to inform future management decisions, including the possibility that thesea defences may have to berealigned to a more sustainable position.Natural England have contributed some research into the impacts on the environment of various realignment options. The draft report of their research was leaked to the press, who created great anxiety by reporting that Natural England plan to abandon a large section of the Norfolk Broads, villages and farmland to the sea to save the rest of the Norfolk coastline from the impact of any adverseclimate change.[35]
Before 2011, Norfolk had a completelycomprehensive state education or "maintained" system managed byNorfolk County Council, with secondary school age from 11 to 16 or in some schools withsixth forms, 18 years old.[41] Since then, a number of schools formerly in the "maintained" system have left it to becomeacademies, or members of academy groups. Others have becomefree schools. Both academies and free schools are still publicly funded by the Department of Education but are not with county council management.
Ward-by-ward map of the 2011 local district election resultsMap of the 2013 Norfolk County Council election results
Norfolk is administered by Norfolk County Council, which is the top tier local government authority, based at County Hall in Norwich. For details of the authority click on the linkNorfolk County Council.
Below the second tier councils the majority of the county is divided into parish and town councils, the lowest tier of local government (the only exceptions being parts of Norwich and King's Lynn urban areas).
Norfolk County Council has been underConservative control since 2017. There have been two periods when the council has not been run by the Conservative Party, both when no party had overall control, these were 1993–2001 and 2013–2017.
In the 2010 General Election seven seats were held by theConservatives and two by theLiberal Democrats. TheLabour Party no longer held the urban constituencies they once held in Norwich North and Great Yarmouth, leaving them with no MP's in the whole ofEast Anglia; the former LabourHome SecretaryCharles Clarke was a high level casualty of that election.
In October 2006, theDepartment for Communities and Local Government produced a Local Government White Paper inviting councils to submit proposals for unitary restructuring. In January 2007 Norwich submitted its proposal, but this was rejected in December 2007 as it did not meet the criteria for acceptance. In February 2008, theBoundary Committee for England (from 1 April 2010 incorporated in theLocal Government Boundary Commission for England) was asked to consider alternative proposals for the whole or part of Norfolk, including whether Norwich should become aunitary authority, separate from Norfolk County Council. In December 2009, the Boundary Committee recommended a single unitary authority covering all of Norfolk, including Norwich.[42][43][44][45]
However, on 10 February 2010, it was announced that, contrary to the December 2009 recommendation of the Boundary Committee, Norwich would be given separate unitary status.[46] The proposed change was strongly resisted, principally by Norfolk County Council and the Conservative opposition in Parliament.[47] Reacting to the announcement, Norfolk County Council issued a statement that it would seek leave to challenge the decision in the courts.[48] A letter was leaked to the local media in which the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Communities and Local Government noted that the decision did not meet all the criteria and that the risk of it "being successfully challenged in judicial review proceedings is very high".[49] The Shadow Local Government and Planning Minister,Bob Neill, stated that should theConservative Party win the2010 general election, they would reverse the decision.[50]
TheLocal Government Act 2010 to reverse the unitary decision for Norwich (and Exeter and Suffolk) received Royal Assent on 16 December 2010. The disputed award of unitary status had meanwhile been referred to theHigh Court, and on 21 June 2010 the court (Mr. Justice Ouseley, judge) ruled it unlawful, and revoked it. The city has therefore failed to attain unitary status, and the two-tier arrangement of County and District Councils (with Norwich City Council counted among the latter) remains as of 2017.[54]
Norfolk's county town and onlycity isNorwich, one of the largest settlements in England during theNorman era. Norwich is home to theUniversity of East Anglia, and is the county's main business and culture centre. Other principal towns include the port town ofKing's Lynn and the seaside resort and Broads gateway town ofGreat Yarmouth.
Much of the county remains rural in nature and Norfolk is believed to have around200 lost settlements which have been largely or totally depopulated since the medieval period. These include places lost to coastal erosion, agriculturalenclosure, depopulation and the establishment of theStanford Training Area in 1940.
Norfolk is one of the few counties in England that does not have a motorway. TheA11 connects Norfolk toCambridge and London, via theM11. From the west, there are only two routes from Norfolk that provide a direct link with theA1: theA47 to theEast Midlands andBirmingham, viaPeterborough, and theA17 to the East Midlands, viaLincolnshire. These two routes both meet atKing's Lynn, which is also the starting point of theA10, providing West Norfolk with a direct link with London, viaEly, Cambridge andHertford.
The Norfolk dialect, sometimes referred to as "Broad Norfolk," has gradually declined over the modern era. Much of its distinctive vocabulary and many traditional phrases have disappeared due to factors such as the influence of radio, television, and migration from other parts of the country. Today, Norfolk speech is often regarded more as a regionalaccent than a separatedialect, although it retains some distinctive grammatical features.[56][57]
People from Norfolk are sometimes known asNorfolk Dumplings,[58] an allusion to the flour dumplings that were traditionally a significant part of the local diet.[59]
More cutting, perhaps, was the alleged pejorativemedical slang term "Normal for Norfolk",[60] alluding to the county's perceived status as a quirky rustic backwater due to a high level ofinbreeding among residents.[61][62]
Norfolk is a popular tourist destination and has several major holiday attractions. There are many seaside resorts, including some of the finest British beaches, such as those atGreat Yarmouth,Cromer andHolkham. Norfolk containsthe Broads and other areas of outstandingnatural beauty and many areas of the coast are wild bird sanctuaries and reserves with some areas designated asnational parks such as theNorfolk Coast AONB.
Thrigby Hall near Great Yarmouth was built in 1736 by Joshua Smith Esquire and features a zoo which houses a large tiger enclosure, primate enclosures and the swamp house which has many crocodiles and alligators.
Holkham Hall is an 18th-century stately home andvisitor attraction, constructed in thePalladian style and at the centre of a 3,000-acre deer park on theNorth Norfolk coast with a woodland play area, walled garden and farming exhibition.
Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure (formerly Dinosaur Adventure) is adinosaur themed adventure park inLenwade. It is set in 85 acres of parkland and has a dinosaur trail, indoor play area, high ropes course and outdoor water play area.
Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach is a free-entry theme park, hosting over twenty large rides as well as a crazy golf course, water attractions, children's rides and "white knuckle" rides.
BeWILDerwood is an adventure park situated in the Norfolk Broads and is the setting for the bookA Boggle at BeWILDerwood by local children's authorTom Blofeld.
Britannia Pier on the coast of Great Yarmouth has rides which include a ghost train. Also on the pier is the famous Britannia Pier Theatre.
Banham Zoo is set amongst 35 acres (14 ha) of parkland and gardens with enclosures for animals including big cats, birds of prey, siamangs and shire horses. Its annual visitor attendance is in excess of 200,000 people.[65]
Pensthorpe Nature Reserve, near the town of Fakenham in north Norfolk, is a nature reserve with many captive birds and animals. Such species include native birds such as lapwing and Eurasian crane, to much more exotic examples like Marabou stork, Greater flamingo, and Manchurian crane. The site played host to the BBC'sSpringwatch from 2008 until 2010. A number of human-made lakes are home to a range of wild birds, and provide stop-off points for many wintering ducks and geese.
TheSea Life Centre in Great Yarmouth is one of the biggest sea life centres in the country. The Great Yarmouth centre is home to a tropical shark display, one resident of which is Britain's biggest shark 'Nobby' theNurse Shark. The same display, with its walk-through underwater tunnel, also features the wreckage of a World War II aircraft. The centre also includes over 50 native species including shrimps, starfish, sharks, stingrays and conger eels.
TheSea Life Sanctuary inHunstanton is Norfolk's leading marine rescue centre and works both as a visitor attraction as well as a location for rescuing and rehabilitating sick and injured sea creatures found in the nearbyWash andNorth Sea. The attractions main features are similar to that of the Sea Life Centre in Great Yarmouth, albeit on a slightly smaller scale.
ThePavilion Theatre (Cromer) is a 510-seater venue on the end of Cromer Pier, best known for hosting the 'end-of-the-pier' show, the Seaside Special. The theatre also presents comedy, music, dance, opera, musicals and community shows.
The Britannia Pier Theatre (Great Yarmouth) mainly hosts popular comedy acts such as theChuckle Brothers andJim Davidson. The theatre has 1,200 seats and is one of the largest in Norfolk.
TheTheatre Royal in Norwich has been on its present site for nearly 250 years, the act of parliament in the tenth year of the reign of George II having been rescinded in 1761. The 1,300-seat theatre, the largest in the city, hosts a mix of national touring productions including musicals, dance, drama, family shows, stand-up comedians, opera and pop.
TheNorwich Playhouse hosts theatre, comedy, music and other performing arts. It has a seating capacity of 300.
TheMaddermarket Theatre in Norwich opened in 1921 and was the first permanent recreation of an Elizabethan theatre. The founder wasNugent Monck who had worked withWilliam Poel. The theatre has a seating capacity of 312.[66]
TheNorwich Puppet Theatre was founded in 1979 by Ray and Joan DaSilva as a permanent base for their touring company and opened to the public in 1980, following the conversion of the medieval church of St James in central Norwich.[67] Under subsequent artistic directors, Barry Smith and Luis Z. Boy, the theatre developed its current programme of performances and activities. It is one of the few British theatres dedicated solely to puppetry[68] and houses a 185-seat raked auditorium, a 50-seat Octagon Studio, workshops, an exhibition gallery, shop, and licensed bar. It remains the only venue in the East of England offering a year-round programme of family-oriented puppet performances.[69]
The Garage studio theatre (Norwich) can seat up to 110 people in a range of different layouts. It can also be used for standing events and can accommodate up to 180 people.
The Platform Theatre (Norwich) is in the grounds ofCity College Norwich (CCN), and has a large stage with raked seating for an audience of around 200. The theatre plays host to performances by both student and professional companies.
TheSewell Barn Theatre (Norwich) is the smallest theatre in Norwich and has a seating capacity of 100. The auditorium features raked seating on three sides of an open acting space.
TheNorwich Arts Centre (Norwich) theatre opened in 1977 in St. Benedict's Street, and has a capacity of 290.
ThePrincess Theatre (Hunstanton) stands overlooking the Wash and thegreen in the East Coast resort of Hunstanton. It is a 472-seat venue. Open all year round, the theatre plays host to a wide variety of shows from comedy to drama, celebrity shows to music for all tastes and children's productions. It has a six-week summer season plus an annual Christmas pantomime.
Sheringham Little Theatre has seating for 180. The theatre programmes a variety of plays, musicals and music, and also shows films.
TheGorleston Pavilion is an originalEdwardian building with a seating capacity of 300, situated on the Norfolk coast. The theatre stages plays, pantomimes, musicals and concerts as well as a 26-week summer season.
According to estimates by theOffice for National Statistics, the population of Norfolk in 2018 was 903,680, split almost evenly between males and females. Roughly 24.3% of the population was aged 65 or older, compared to 18.2% for the whole of England.
Francis Blomefield, Anglican rector, early topographical historian of Norfolk
James Blunt, English acoustic folk rock singer-songwriter who was raised in Norfolk during his childhood
Boudica, scourge of the occupyingRoman Army in first century Britain and queen of theIceni, British tribe occupying an area slightly larger than modern Norfolk
Sam Clemmett, actor, fromBrundall known for starring in West End stage playHarry Potter and the Cursed Child, Haribo Tangfastics television advert and theBBC documentaryMurder Games: The Life and Death of Breck Bednar where he playedBreck Bednar the teen murdered byLewis Daynes
Stephen Fry, actor, comedian, writer, producer, director and author who was brought up in the village ofBooton nearReepham. He now has a second home near King's Lynn
Nick Youngs (1959–) and his two sons,Ben (1989–) andTom (1987–) were both raised close to the town ofAylsham on their father's farm[71] Youngs is a formerrugby union player forLeicester Tigers andEngland. Both sons went on to represent the national rugby union team.
The following people were not born or brought up in Norfolk but are long-term residents of Norfolk, are well known for living in Norfolk at some point in their lives, or have contributed in some significant way to the county.
^Toby F. Martin,The Cruciform Brooch and Anglo-Saxon England, Boydell and Brewer Press (2015), pp. 174–178
^Catherine Hills, "The Anglo-Saxon Migration: An Archaeological Case Study of Disruption," inMigrations and Disruptions, ed. Brenda J. Baker and Takeyuki Tsuda, pp. 45–48
^"L IS FOR LOBSTERS AND CRABS". Visit Norfolk. 1 March 2018.Archived from the original on 14 January 2019. Retrieved13 January 2019.the chalk reef – which is just 200 metres off the shoreline and up to 20 miles long – is so important
M. R. James,Suffolk and Norfolk: A Perambulation of the Two Counties with Notices of their History and their Ancient Buildings, J.M. Dent & Sons, 1930.
Norfolk Record Office – Government agency that collects and preserves records of historical significance for Norfolk and makes them publicly accessible – useful for genealogical research
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