100-544: The Broads (known for marketing purposes as The Broads National Park ) is a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk . Although the terms "Norfolk Broads" and "Suffolk Broads" are correctly used to identify specific areas within the two counties respectively, the whole area is frequently referred to as the Norfolk Broads . The lakes, known as broads, were formed by
200-512: A major revolt in AD60. The Angles settled the area in the fifth century, and it became part of the Kingdom of East Anglia . During the later Middle Ages the county was very prosperous and heavily involved in the wool trade ; this allowed the construction of many large churches . In 1549 Norfolk was the scene of Kett's Rebellion , which unsuccessfully protested the enclosure of land. The county
300-572: A saffron grower. Over 20% of employment in the county is in the agricultural and food industries. Well-known companies in Norfolk are Aviva (formerly Norwich Union ), Colman's (part of Unilever ), Lotus Cars and Bernard Matthews Farms . The Construction Industry Training Board is based on the former airfield of RAF Bircham Newton . Brewer Greene King, food producer Cranswick and feed supplier ForFarmers [ nl ] were seeing growth in 2016–2017. A local enterprise partnership
400-617: A National Park grant. This followed a three-month consultation which resulted in support from 79% of consultees, including unanimous support from the 14 UK national parks and the Campaign for National Parks. Defra, the Government department responsible for the parks, also expressed it was content that the Authority would make its own decision on the matter. This is the subject of ongoing controversy among some Broads users who note that
500-426: A boating holiday destination since the late 19th century. In 1878 small yachts were available to hire from John Loynes and, with easy access to the area by rail from London, Harry Blake created an agency for yachting holidays in 1908. The first boats were owned by the boatbuilder Ernest Collins of Wroxham , but other boatyards were soon added to the business. The range of boats expanded to include powered cruisers in
600-585: A channel between Oulton Broad and Lake Lothing , where a sea lock was needed, was also opposed by Yarmouth but formed the basis of a bill presented to Parliament. An act of Parliament , the Norwich and Lowestoft Navigation Act 1827 ( 7 & 8 Geo. 4 . c. xlii), was passed on 28 May 1827, creating the Norwich and Lowestoft Navigation Company, and the work of construction and dredging of the River Yare and
700-611: 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. Lobster trapping also continued in North Norfolk, around Sheringham and Cromer , for example. Norfolk's low-lying land and easily eroded cliffs, many of which are composed of chalk and clay, make it vulnerable to weathering by
800-562: A number of companies hiring boats for leisure use, including both yachts and motor launches. The Norfolk wherry , the traditional cargo craft of the area, can still be seen on the Broads as some specimens have been preserved and restored. Ted Ellis , a local naturalist, referred to the Broads as "the breathing space for the cure of souls". A great variety of boats can be found on the Broads, from Edwardian trading wherries to state-of-the-art electric or solar-powered boats. The Broads Authority
900-521: 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%. 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 the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce made this comment: "At
1000-606: A possibly significant concentration of Britons in the area. In the centuries before the Norman 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 the Domesday Book survey it was one of the most densely populated parts of the British Isles . During the high and late Middle Ages
1100-455: 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
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#17327646654701200-460: A tributary of the River Yare. The navigable section of the river is entirely urban and runs from the centre of Norwich, past Norwich Cathedral to the confluence with the Yare. The Trinity Broads are an exception to the general rule, in that whilst they are connected to each other they have no navigable connection to the rest of the broads. The broads are: Eutrophication is an enormous problem in
1300-475: A wealth of birdlife. Amongst the species seen are mallard , coot , moorhen , great crested grebe , greylag goose , Canada goose , Egyptian goose , grey heron , marsh harrier , cormorant , kestrel , sparrowhawk and bittern . The scarce Cetti's warbler breeds in the broads and breeding common cranes are found in the area. Among the rare insects are the Norfolk hawker , a species of dragonfly , and
1400-599: Is a member of the East of England Local Government Association . The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2017. It is based at Endeavour House in Ipswich . Elected county councils were created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888 , taking over administrative functions that had previously been performed by unelected magistrates at the court of quarter sessions . In most counties
1500-512: Is a tributary of the River Yare , joining that river just upstream of Breydon Water . It flows through, or passes by: The River Wensum rises near Fakenham in northwest Norfolk and flows southeast and through the centre of the city of Norwich before joining the River Yare just to the east of the city. Although the Wensum is the larger of the two rivers at their confluence, it is regarded as
1600-482: 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 link Norfolk County Council . Below Norfolk County Council the county is divided into seven second tier district councils: Breckland District , Broadland District , Great Yarmouth Borough , King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough , North Norfolk District , Norwich City and South Norfolk District . Below
1700-573: Is based at Endeavour House at 8 Russell Road in Ipswich. It also maintains area offices in Bury St Edmunds and Lowestoft . Endeavour House was built in 2003. It was originally commissioned as private offices but was bought by the county council whilst still under construction; the council moved into the building in 2004. Since 2017 the council has shared the building with Babergh District Council and Mid Suffolk District Council. Previously
1800-618: Is controlled by the Labour Party and North Norfolk District by the Liberal Democrats . Norfolk County Council has been under Conservative 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. For the full County Council election results for 2017 and previous elections click on
1900-457: Is immediately adjacent to Lake Lothing , which acts as a harbour for Lowestoft and connects to the North Sea . Oulton Broad and Lake Lothing are connected by Mutford Lock, the only lock on the broads, and which is necessary because of the different tidal ranges and cycles in the two lakes. The River Bure is a tributary of the River Yare which rises near Aylsham in Norfolk and joins
2000-431: Is in Norfolk, with over 200 kilometres (120 mi) of navigable waterways. There are seven rivers and 63 broads, mostly less than 4 metres (13 ft) deep. Thirteen broads are generally open to navigation, with a further three having navigable channels. Some broads have navigation restrictions imposed on them in autumn and winter, although the legality of the restrictions is questionable. The Broads has similar status to
2100-550: Is promoting sustainable boating, and the use of electric boats is being encouraged by the provision of charging points at a number of the mooring sites provided by the Authority. The Broads largely follows the line of the rivers and natural navigations of the area. There are seven navigable rivers: the River Yare and its (direct and indirect) tributaries plus the Rivers Bure , Thurne , Ant , Waveney , Chet and Wensum . There are no longer any operational locks on any of
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#17327646654702200-492: Is served by these local newspapers: Before 2011, Norfolk had a completely comprehensive state education or "maintained" system managed by Norfolk County Council , with secondary school age from 11 to 16 or in some schools with sixth forms , 18 years old. Since then, a number of schools formerly in the "maintained" system have left it to become academies , or members of academy groups. Others have become free schools . Both academies and free schools are still publicly funded by
2300-411: Is the re-introduction of the large copper butterfly, whose habitat has been reduced by reduction of fens . 52°43′27″N 1°38′27″E / 52.72417°N 1.64083°E / 52.72417; 1.64083 Norfolk Norfolk ( / ˈ n ɔːr f ə k / NOR -fək ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia . It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to
2400-520: The City of Norwich , South Norfolk , and Waveney . The Broads Authority was formerly represented by one member on the East of England Regional Assembly , now defunct. For many years the lakes known as broads were regarded as natural features of the landscape. It was only in the 1960s that Joyce Lambert proved that they were artificial features—flooded medieval peat excavations. In the Middle Ages
2500-476: The Conservative Party win the 2010 general election , they would reverse the decision. Following the 2010 general election , Eric Pickles was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 12 May 2010 in a Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government . According to press reports, he instructed his department to take urgent steps to reverse the decision and maintain
2600-520: The High 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. Norfolk's county town and only city is Norwich , one of the largest settlements in England during
2700-748: The Iceni , emerged in the 1st century BC . The Iceni revolted against the Roman invasion in AD 47, and again in 60 led by Boudica . The crushing of the second rebellion opened the area to the Romans. During the Roman 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
2800-428: The Local Government Act 1972 abolished the separate county councils for East Suffolk and West Suffolk and downgraded Ipswich to providing district-level services only. In their place, Suffolk County Council was created with responsibility for county-level services across the whole county. Initially based at East Suffolk County Hall in Ipswich, the council relocated to Endeavour House in 2004. In September 2010,
2900-567: The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988 (referred to as the Broads Act ) made the Broads Authority into a special statutory authority which gave it parity with national park authorities but with special responsibilities for navigation. The Broads Authority Act 2009 introduced greater safety controls on the broads and rivers. The Broads Authority has to: The authority has 21 members, who are appointed. Ten members are chosen by
3000-570: The Norman era . Norwich is home to the University of East Anglia , and is the county's main business and culture centre. Other principal towns include the port town of King's Lynn and the seaside resort and Broads gateway town of Great Yarmouth . Suffolk County Council Suffolk County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the county of Suffolk , England. It is run by 75 elected county councillors representing 63 divisions. It
3100-687: The Royal Norfolk Regiment (now the Royal Anglian Regiment ) and the Norfolk Yeomanry . During the Second World War agriculture rapidly intensified, and it has remained very intensive since, with the establishment of large fields for growing cereals and oilseed rape . In 1998 Norfolk had a Gross Domestic Product of £ 9,319 million, which represents 1.5% of England's economy and 1.25% of
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3200-591: The Saxons and the Picts . A period of depopulation, which may have been due to these threats, seems to have followed the departure of the Romans. Soon afterward, Germanic peoples from the North Sea area settled in the region. Though they became known as Angles , 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
3300-467: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs , two are selected by the authority from its navigation committee, and nine are chosen by the local authorities within which the Broads lie from their own membership. Norfolk County Council appoints two members, and one member is appointed by Suffolk County Council and the district councils of Broadland , Great Yarmouth , North Norfolk ,
3400-552: The Swallowtail butterfly ( Papilio machaon subsp. britannicus ). Some of the broads are surrounded by fens , i.e. reed and sedge beds. Norfolk reed from the broads has been a traditional material for thatching houses. Specific parts of the Broads have been awarded a variety of conservation designations , for instance: A specific project being considered under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan
3500-854: The Tacolneston TV transmitter. However, northwestern parts of Norfolk including King's Lynn , Hunstanton and Wells-next-the-Sea are covered by BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire , broadcasting from Hull , and ITV Yorkshire , which broadcast from Leeds . The area receives its television signals from the Belmont TV transmitter. BBC Local Radio for the county is served by BBC Radio Norfolk . County-wide commercial radio stations are Heart East , Greatest Hits Radio East , Amber Radio , and Kiss . Community based stations are Future Radio (serving Norwich), Harbour Radio (for Great Yarmouth ), KL1 Radio (covering North West Norfolk ) and Poppyland Community Radio (serving North Norfolk ). Norfolk
3600-403: The 1920s, but the last commercial traffic used it in 1934, and it gradually became derelict after that. There is still a public right of navigation to Swafield, and there is a campaign to reopen it. In 1814 the merchants of Norwich first suggested a plan to improve the route between Norwich and the North Sea, as the shallowness of Breydon Water created difficulties for trading vessels, and there
3700-567: The 1930s, and the Hoseasons agency was founded soon after the Second World War . By the 1980s the number of cruisers available for hire was 2,400 but had decreased to around 1,700 by 2004. For conservation reasons there is a strict speed limit enforced on all vessels, to reduce waves eroding the riverbanks. These speed limits are hardwired onto most rental vessels. The Broads have also been an important centre for racing yachts since
3800-551: The 2017 General Election the 2015 result was repeated. In the 2024 General Election, Norfolk became the only county in the United Kingdom to be represented by MPs from five different parties. In October 2006, the Department 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
3900-671: The Boundary Committee recommended a single unitary authority covering all of Norfolk, including Norwich. 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. The proposed change was strongly resisted, principally by Norfolk County Council and the Conservative opposition in Parliament. Reacting to
4000-473: The Broads , a network of rivers and lakes which extend into Suffolk. The area is protected by the Broads Authority and has similar status to a national park . The geology of the county includes clay and chalk deposits, which make its coast susceptible to erosion. There is evidence of Prehistoric settlement in Norfolk. In the Roman era the region was home to the Iceni , whose leader Boudica led
4100-508: The Broads is not named in law as a National Park and claim the branding detracts from the Broads Authority's third purpose which is to protect the interests of navigation. In response to this, the Broads Authority has stated that its three purposes will remain in equal balance and that the branding is simply for marketing the National Park qualities of the Broads. The Broads Authority is the agency which has statutory responsibility for
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4200-537: The Broads is to reduce phosphate input. Reducing nitrate input would have a similar effect, but due to the relatively higher solubility of nitrates, it is harder to control. The discharge of treated sewage was recognised as the main source of phosphates in the waters of the broads. Iron compounds have been used to precipitate phosphates out of treated sewage in all nine treatment plants upstream of Barton Broad, initially cutting phosphorus levels in sewage discharge by 90%. High levels of phosphate can remain present in
4300-446: The Broads. Changes in farming practices and sewage disposal in the 1950s and 1960s released high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen into the Broads, causing eutrophication. Algal blooms can be toxic, posing a health risk to humans and wildlife. Mass decay of plant matter removes oxygen , damaging fish stocks, preventing recreational fishing. The loss of larger plants and reed fringes in eutrophic waters increases erosion of banks and
4400-483: The Broads. The Nature Conservancy Council (now Natural England ), pressed for a special authority to manage the Broads which had been neglected for a long time, and in 1978 the forerunner to the present-day Broads Authority was established by the Countryside Commission (now also Natural England ). Ten years later it had become clear that a statutory body was needed, and a special Act of Parliament ,
4500-499: The Bure at St. Benet's Abbey . It is winding and narrow, and on its way it flows through or passes: The River Yare rises south of Dereham and flows through the southern fringes of the city of Norwich , passes through Breydon Water and flows into the sea between Great Yarmouth and Gorleston . On its way it passes through: The River Chet is a tributary of the River Yare . It flows through, or passes by: The River Waveney
4600-654: The Department of Education but are not with county council management. In many of the rural areas, there is no nearby sixth form, and so sixth form colleges are found in larger towns. There are twelve private , or private schools, including Gresham's School in Holt in the north of the county, Thetford Grammar School in Thetford , which is Britain's fifth oldest extant school , Langley School in Loddon , and several in
4700-695: The Oulton Dyke was completed in 1833. The initial capital of £100,000 was inadequate and a further £50,000 was borrowed from the Exchequer Bill Loan Commission . The venture was not a commercial success and, with expenditure exceeding income, the Company was unable to repay its loan. The Haddiscoe Cut was taken over by the Commissioners in 1842 and sold to the railway developer Sir Samuel Morton Peto . The Broads have been
4800-409: 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. 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
4900-479: The Yare just downstream of Breydon Water . On its way it flows through or passes: The River Thurne is a tributary of the River Bure . It rises near Martham Broad and flows for about six miles (9.7 km) to Thurne Mouth where it joins the Bure. It is wide open and windswept, and on its way it flows through or passes: The River Ant is a tributary of the River Bure . It rises at Antingham and joins
5000-564: The announcement, Norfolk County Council issued a statement that it would seek leave to challenge the decision in the courts. 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". The Shadow Local Government and Planning Minister, Bob Neill , stated that should
5100-462: The area's five district councils: With the exception of Ipswich, the rest of the county is covered by civil parishes , which form a third tier of local government. The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2017. The first election to the county council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of
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#17327646654705200-418: The arrival of the railways in 1879, goods continued to be carried to Aylsham by wherries until 1912, when major flooding badly damaged the locks. Unable to fund repairs, the Commissioners closed the 9-mile (14 km) section above Coltishall, although it was not formally abandoned until 1928. All of the locks are derelict, but the course can still be used by canoes and light craft, which can be portaged around
5300-590: The authority, is intended to improve public safety on the water. In January 2015 the Broads Authority approved a change in name of the area to the "Broads National Park", to recognise that the status of the area is equivalent to the English National Parks, that the Broads Authority shares the same two first purposes (relating to conservation and promoting enjoyment) as the English National Park Authorities, and receives
5400-402: The buildup of sediment on lake floors. This impedes navigation and requires costly dredging to remove. The beauty of the area is damaged by eutrophication, which is detrimental to the tourism industry. The Broads Authority and Environment Agency have been working to return the broads to a more natural state since the problem was identified in 1965. The first stage in reversing eutrophication in
5500-602: The city centre, next to the River Wensum . The City College Norwich and the College of West Anglia are colleges covering Norwich and King's Lynn as well as Norfolk as a whole. Easton & Otley College , 7 mi (11 km) west of Norwich, provides agriculture-based courses for the county, parts of Suffolk , and nationally. The University of Suffolk also runs higher education courses in Norfolk, from multiple locations including Great Yarmouth College . Norfolk
5600-467: The city of Norwich, including Norwich School and Norwich High School for Girls . The King's Lynn district has the largest school population. Norfolk is also home to Wymondham College , the UK's largest remaining state boarding school . The University of East Anglia is located on the outskirts of Norwich, and Norwich University of the Arts is based in seven buildings in and around St George's Street in
5700-479: The clearer waterways. The plant growth stabilises the floor, reducing the release of phosphorus. Their own nutrient uptake reduces nutrients available to algae. Larger plants also create a favourable environment for predatory fish such as pike , which eat planktivorous fish, continuing to control their numbers. These effects tend to create a stable ecosystem where low growing underwater plants dominate. The Broads are Britain's largest protected wetland and are home to
5800-521: The corner of St Helen's Street and Bond Street. Both County Hall and the Shire Hall in Bury St Edmunds had been inherited by Suffolk County Council from the two former county councils when local government was reorganised in 1974; Shire Hall served as an area office until 2009 when the council moved its Bury St Edmunds office to West Suffolk House, a new building shared with St Edmundsbury Borough Council ( West Suffolk Council after 2019). Since
5900-470: The council announced that it would seek to outsource a number of its services, in an attempt to cut its budget by 30%. Controversy surrounding the then chief executive Andrea Hill , some concerning £122,000 spent on management consultants, featured in the local and national press in 2011; this led to her facing a disciplinary hearing, and subsequently resigning. Suffolk County Council provides county-level services. District-level services are provided by
6000-401: The council since 1974 has been as follows: The leaders of the council since 1984 have been: Following the 2021 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to July 2024, the composition of the council was: The Greens, Liberal Democrats, West Suffolk Independent and one of the independent councillors sit as a group. The next election is due in 2025. The council
6100-442: The council was based at County Hall on St Helen's Street in Ipswich, the oldest parts of which had been built in 1837 as a jail and courthouse, which had been one of the meeting places of the quarter sessions. The building had become the meeting place of East Suffolk County Council after 1889, and that council had built substantial extensions to the building, notably in 1906 with an office block, new council chamber and clock tower at
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#17327646654706200-520: 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. The economy was in decline by the time of the Black Death , which dramatically reduced
6300-591: The early English settlers can be seen in the many place names ending in "-ham", "-ingham" and "-ton". Endings such as "-by" and "-thorpe" are also fairly common, indicating Danish toponyms: in the 9th century the region again came under attack, this time from Danes who killed the king, Edmund the Martyr . Several place names around the Fenland area contain Celtic elements; this has been taken by some scholars to represent
6400-449: The east, and Thetford (24,340) in the south. For local government purposes Norfolk is a non-metropolitan county with seven districts. The west of Norfolk is part of the Fens , an extremely flat former marsh. The centre of the county is gently undulating lowland; its northern coast is an area of outstanding natural beauty , and in the south is part of Thetford Forest . In the east are
6500-565: The eastern and western divisions of the county should instead become separate administrative counties . The amendment was agreed by 59 votes to 20 in the House of Lords . It was also agreed that the borough of Ipswich was large enough to provide its own county-level functions and so it was made a county borough . Suffolk therefore had three county-level authorities after 1889: West Suffolk County Council , East Suffolk County Council and Ipswich Corporation . This system continued until 1974, when
6600-400: The flooding of peat workings. The Broads, and some surrounding land, were constituted as a special area with a level of protection similar to a national park by the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988 . The Broads Authority , a special statutory authority responsible for managing the area, became operational in 1989. The area is 303 square kilometres (117 sq mi), most of which
6700-633: The floor, is, therefore, necessary to complete the transformation. Even with reduced nutrient levels, algae tend to remain dominant, blocking light and preventing plants from growing on the floor of the waterway. By manipulating the food chain, a process called biomanipulation , algae can be removed. To allow zooplankton to thrive, planktivorous fish have been largely removed from some Broads, normally by electrofishing . Around 75% of such fish must be removed for successful treatment. The explosion of zooplankton that results eats almost all algae, creating clear waters. Plants are allowed to naturally recolonise
6800-650: The fundamentals needed for business to thrive here..." 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. 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 as arable land . The principal arable crops are sugar beet , wheat, barley (for brewing) and oil seed rape . The county also boasts
6900-554: 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 adverse climate change . The county is covered by BBC East and ITV Anglia , which both broadcast from Norwich. Television signals are received from
7000-565: The large expanses of Hickling Broad , Barton Broad and Breydon Water. The broads are unevenly distributed, with far more broads in the northern half of Broadland (the Rivers Bure, Thurne and Ant) than in the central and southern portions (the Rivers Yare, Waveney, Chet and Wensum). Individual broads may lie directly on the river, or are more often situated to one side and connected to the river by an artificial channel or dyke . Besides
7100-414: The last boundary changes in 2005 the council has comprised 75 councillors representing 63 electoral divisions , with each division electing one or two councillors. Elections are held every four years. New division boundaries reducing the number of councillors to 70 have been drawn up to come into effect for the 2025 election. As of 2021, there were 63 divisions of which 51 each returned a single member,
7200-484: The late 19th century, and the design of the boats have included several innovative features, including shortfin keels and a separate rudder . The design was eventually used on seagoing yachts from the 1960s. The waterways are lock -free. There are five bridges under which only small cruisers and smaller boats can pass. The area attracts all kinds of visitors, including ramblers, artists, anglers , and birdwatchers as well as people "messing about in boats". There are
7300-580: The link Norfolk County Council elections . The county is divided into ten parliamentary constituencies, with Waveney Valley straddling the border with Suffolk: In the 1945 United Kingdom general election , all seats in Norfolk were won by the Labour Party and the National Liberal Party . In the 2010 General Election seven seats were held by the Conservatives and two by the Liberal Democrats . The Labour Party no longer held
7400-469: The local monasteries began to excavate the peatlands as a turbary business, selling fuel to Norwich and Great Yarmouth . Norwich Cathedral took 320,000 tonnes of peat a year. Then the sea levels began to rise, and the pits began to flood. Despite the construction of windpumps and dykes , the flooding continued and resulted in the typical Broads landscape of today, with its reedbeds , grazing marshes and wet woodland. Various attempts were made to extend
7500-525: The locks. The third attempt was to make the River Ant navigable from Dilham to Antingham . An act of Parliament was obtained on 5 May 1812, which authorised the North Walsham and Dilham Canal , but work on its construction did not start until April 1825. The canal was a true canal, as its route did not use the bed of the river, and its construction, including six locks, was completed in 1826. It
7600-481: The national parks in England and Wales; the Broads Authority has powers and duties akin to the National Parks but is also the third-largest inland navigation authority. Because of its navigation role the Broads Authority was established under its own legislation, Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988 which came into effect on 1 April 1989. The Broads Authority Act 2009 , which was promoted through Parliament by
7700-465: The natural watercourses of the rivers, and the ancient but artificial broads, there is one more recent navigation canal, the lockless Haddiscoe Cut , which connects the Rivers Yare and Waveney while permitting boats to bypass Breydon Water. There is also a second navigable link to the sea, via the River Waveney and its link to Oulton Broad . Oulton Broad is part of the Broads' tidal system, but
7800-476: The navigable rivers. The longest-lasting was on the River Waveney, where an act of Parliament passed on 17 March 1670 authorised improvements which included three locks, at Geldeston , Ellingham and Wainford. The head of navigation became a new staithe at Bungay . The new section was a private navigation which was not controlled by the Yarmouth Haven and Pier Commissioners, who had responsibility for
7900-423: The north-west, the North Sea to the north and east, Cambridgeshire to the west, and Suffolk to the south. The largest settlement is the city of Norwich . The county has an area of 2,074 sq mi (5,370 km ) and a population of 859,400. It is largely rural with few large towns: after Norwich (147,895), the largest settlements are King's Lynn (42,800) in the north-west, Great Yarmouth (38,693) in
8000-415: The population in 1349. Kett's Rebellion occurred in Norfolk during the reign of Edward 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 by Robert Kett , a yeoman farmer, who was joined by recruits from Norwich and the surrounding countryside. His group numbered some 16,000 by
8100-564: The quarter sessions were held at a single location, but in Suffolk the custom was long-established of holding the quarter sessions across several days, sitting in different towns. Prior to 1860 the court sat in the four towns of Beccles , Bury St Edmunds , Ipswich and Woodbridge . In 1860 the Beccles and Woodbridge divisions merged with the Ipswich one to form the eastern division, and the area administered from Bury St Edmunds became known as
8200-540: The rest of the Broadland rivers. It remained in use until 1934 and, although the upper two locks have been replaced by sluices and Geldeston lock is derelict, the Environment Agency have negotiated with local landowners to allow use by canoes and unpowered vessels which can be portaged around the locks. The next attempt was to extend navigation on the River Bure from Coltishall to Aylsham , which
8300-609: The rivers (except for Mutford Lock in Oulton Broad that links to the saltwater Lake Lothing in Lowestoft , Suffolk), and all of the waterways are subject to tidal influence. The tidal range decreases with distance from the sea, with highly tidal areas such as Breydon Water contrasting with effectively non-tidal reaches such as the River Ant upstream of Barton Broad . The broads themselves range in size from small pools to
8400-576: The sea. The most recent major erosion event occurred during the North Sea flood of 1953 . The low-lying section of coast between Kelling and Lowestoft Ness in Suffolk is currently managed by the British Environment 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 to be accepted by local authorities. The Shoreline Management Plan states that
8500-443: 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). Currently the Conservative Party control five of the seven district councils: Breckland District , Broadland District , King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough , Great Yarmouth Borough and South Norfolk District while Norwich City
8600-640: The second-largest city in England, but over one-third of its population died in the plague epidemic of 1579, and in 1665 the Great Plague again killed around one-third of the population. During the English Civil War Norfolk was largely Parliamentarian . The economy and agriculture of the region declined somewhat. During the Industrial Revolution Norfolk developed little industry, except in Norwich, which
8700-404: The sediments at the bottom of waterways, preventing dissolved levels decreasing, even when the source is eliminated. Suction dredging has been used across the Broads to both deepen waterways and remove phosphate-rich sludge . Without stabilising the compacted peat beneath the sludge, the peat loosens and can release phosphorus at a similar rate. The growth of larger water plants, which stabilise
8800-591: The start of the fifth century, thereby preceding the alleged date of Hengist and Horsa 's arrival in Kent) and that it occurred on a large scale. By the 5th century the Angles had established control of the region and later became the "north folk" and the "south folk"; hence "Norfolk" and " Suffolk ". Norfolk, Suffolk and several adjacent areas became the kingdom of East Anglia (one of the heptarchy ), which later merged with Mercia and then with Wessex . The influence of
8900-569: The status quo in line with the Conservative Party manifesto. However, the unitary plans were supported by the Liberal Democrat group on the city council, and by Simon Wright , LibDem MP for Norwich South , who intended to lobby the party leadership to allow the changes to go ahead. The Local 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
9000-472: The stretch of coast will be protected for at least another 50 years, but that in the event of sea level rise and post-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 the sea defences may have to be realigned to a more sustainable position. Natural England have contributed some research into
9100-548: 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 of John 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. By the late 16th century Norwich had grown to become
9200-465: The urban constituencies they once held in Norwich North and Great Yarmouth, leaving them with no MP's in the whole of East Anglia ; the former Labour Home Secretary Charles Clarke was a high level casualty of that election. In the 2015 General Election seven seats were won by the Conservative Party , with Labour winning Norwich South and the Liberal Democrats winning North Norfolk. In
9300-449: The western division. Officially it remained one court of quarter sessions which adjourned after each day of hearings and travelled to a new venue, and the original draft bill in 1888 therefore envisaged that there would be a single Suffolk County Council. As the bill progressed through its parliamentary processes an amendment was proposed by Frederick Hervey, 3rd Marquess of Bristol , who lived at Ickworth House near Bury St Edmunds, that
9400-734: Was a late addition to the railway network. Early military units included the Norfolk Militia . In the 20th century the county developed a role in aviation. The first development in airfields came with the First World War ; there was then a massive expansion during the Second World War with the growth of the Royal Air Force and the influx of the American USAAF 8th Air Force which operated from many Norfolk airfields . The local British Army regiments included
9500-427: Was about 8 + 3 ⁄ 4 miles (14.1 km) long, and the locks raised the level by 58 feet (18 m). In 1886 the canal was sold to miller, Edward Press, for £ 600, but the principal clerk absconded with most of the money and it was never recovered. In 1893 the section from Swafield locks to Antingham was abandoned, and the lower section was damaged by flooding in 1912. Some attempts were made to improve it in
9600-470: Was authorised by an act of Parliament on 7 April 1773. Five locks were built, to bypass mills, at Coltishall, Oxnead Lamas , Oxnead , Burgh and Aylsham. There were financial difficulties during construction, but the works were eventually completed and opened in October 1779. At Aylsham, a 1-mile (1.6 km) cut was made from the river to a terminal basin, where several warehouses were constructed. Despite
9700-506: Was being established by business leaders to help grow jobs across Norfolk and Suffolk. They secured an enterprise zone to help grow businesses in the energy sector, and established the two counties as a centre for growing services and products for the green economy . To help local industry in Norwich, the local council offered a wireless internet service, but this was subsequently withdrawn as funding had ceased. The fishery business still continued in 2018, with individuals such as John Lee,
9800-509: Was not heavily industrialised during the Industrial Revolution , and Norwich lost its status as one of England's largest cities. The contemporary economy is largely based on agriculture and tourism. 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, where flints could be quarried. A Brittonic tribe,
9900-426: Was organised theft of cargo during its transhipment at Great Yarmouth , for which 18 men were convicted of taking the goods and one of receiving it in 1820. The initial plan was to dredge a deeper channel along the southern edge of Breydon Water, but the scheme was opposed by the people of Yarmouth. A more expensive scheme, involving the construction of a new cut to link the River Yare to the River Waveney, together with
10000-580: Was rejected in December 2007 as it did not meet the criteria for acceptance. In February 2008, the Boundary Committee for England (from 1 April 2010 incorporated in the Local Government Boundary Commission for England ) was asked to consider alternative proposals for the whole or part of Norfolk, including whether Norwich should become a unitary authority , separate from Norfolk County Council. In December 2009,
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