JCA 78 & 84 Central North Norfolk/Mid Norfolk.
FGU Summary: These Character Areas lie to the north-west of Norwich - bounded to the north by the
coastal cliffs fringing the North Sea around Cromer. This is a landscape predominantly under arable
cultivation but interspersed by significant areas of woodland and remnant areas of heathland. The
Countryside Character Description amalgamates these landscapes, referring to them collectively as
‘Central North Norfolk’. CQC data is however provided for both the Character Areas and these data
differences are reflected in the text.
91% of Central North Norfolk is open countryside with 84% of that under cultivation. Almost 9% is
urban – the Character Area containing the northern half of the city of Norwich in its bounds. Woodland
accounts for 11% of the land cover. Just over 15% of the Character Area falls within the Norfolk Coast
AONB. There are no LFAs.
95% of Mid Norfolk is open countryside with 90% of that area cultivated. 5% of the Character Area is
urban – containing the southern half of the city of Norwich in its bounds. Woodland accounts for 4% of
the total area. There are no areas of AONB designation and no LFAs.
1. Settlement and Development
Concentrations of prehistoric burial mounds near Sheringham.
The morranic gravels associated with the Cromer Ridge have left poor soils, nonetheless intensively
settled in the Anglo-Saxon period, at which time colonisation imparted a large number of ingham place
names.
Medieval and later settlement is mixed, with a generally very high degree of dispersal. It includes
significant nucleations like the regional capital at Norwich and numerous well-separated market towns
and large villages, particularly to the north of the River Wensum. Surrounding these settlements is a
broad pattern of dispersed hamlets, farmsteads, manor complexes and country house estates, more
densely placed south of the R. Wensum.
Medieval manors, associated with warrens and deer parks were notable features of these landscapes,
many forming the basis of 17th and 18th century country house estates of various sizes (generally
smaller than the great estates on the 'Good Sands' to the west). These estates are frequently
accompanied by parkland, although there has been a significant loss to arable and other uses since the
early 20th century. Historic parkland has seen a significant loss to arable conversion (about 31% in
central and 48% in mid Norfolk) since the First World War .
The 18th and 19th century estate influence often spread to the associated villages and churches.
Wealthy farms and other buildings of the 18th century are characteristically built in red brick with pantiled
or peg tiled roofs. Some pre-18th century timber-frame houses and barns.
2. Agriculture
Major improvements in crop rotation from the late 17th century used winter feed crops (notably turnips)
and artificial grasses. The economy was arable-based, but access to meadow and grass enabled the
stocking of large numbers of bullocks and milking cattle.
In Central North Norfolk the morrainic gravels associated with the Cromer Ridge have left poor soils,
with a mix of large estates and smaller gentry farms. Much of the early medieval landscape of heaths
and wood pasture was enclosed between the 14th and 17th centuries creating a pattern of small-scale
irregular fields with areas of open field and common land, farmed by a range of holdings, settlements
and estates. The economy was arable-based, but access to meadow and grass enabled the stocking of
large numbers of bullocks and milking cattle. Much of the area remained open until the late 18th century
when fields were enclosed and new farms laid out.
Mid Norfolk is dissected by a large number of rivers with wide shallow valleys where settlement was
typically dispersed (around greens and commons, and on the sites of deserted medieval settlements)
and where open fields remained into the 18th century. Arable farming was of greater importance, and
estates more dominant, than on the heavier clays further south. More sandy and acid soils characterise
the heathland plateau, an area which experienced depopulation in the late medieval period and which
from at least the 17th century contained a mixture of permanent grass for cattle and heathland that was
largely enclosed around 1800.
High concentration of pre-1750 farmstead buildings to north, medium-low to Mid Norfolk area. These
largely comprise timber-frame farmhouses and barns, with some mass-walling including brick., Barns
typically have later cattle accommodation added on in the form of outshots.,Many farmsteads
redeveloped from the mid 18th century as U or E-plan steadings with large barns, combined cart shed
and granary ranges and south-facing cattle courts.
3. Fields and boundary patterns
The 14th century landscape of small, piecemeal enclosures, high hedges and meandering lanes is still
very evident in the landscape, particularly to the east.
Rationalisation and further enclosure in the later 18th century added another layer of historic interest by
subdividing areas of common land and heath, although the later still survives in part on the higher and
sandier areas along the Cromer Ridge towards the coast.
The 20th century move from mixed farming to arable has had a marked impact on this Georgian and
more ancient landscape: in some areas this boundary loss has been severe.
4. Trees and woodland
Woodland plantations are commonplace, but rarely of great size, usually the product of 18 th century
estate management and later sporting interests.
Hedgerow oaks and other standards are found in some areas, but not in others. Oak and beech pasture
woodlands still characteristic of the estate farmlands and parklands on heavier soils.
5. Semi-natural environments
Unenclosed land and heath is now principally confined to the north, along the coastal margins.
6. River and coastal features.
The seaside towns at Sheringham and Cromer, popularised since the mid 19th century.
The extensive remains of the WWII anti-invasion defences at Weybourne Hope, Kelling and
Sheringham (pill boxes, gun emplacements, defensive ditches etc.)