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Norfolk

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Norfolk is a ceremonial county located in the East of England.

Norfolk UK locator map 2010
Norfolk UK locator map 2010

It sits within the region known as East Anglia. The North Sea borders the area to the north and the east. To the south, Norfolk meets the county of Suffolk. To the west, it sits next to Cambridgeshire. In the north-west, it borders Lincolnshire and The Wash. Most of the land in this county is rural.

Norfolk numbered districts
Norfolk numbered districts

This means there are many open spaces and farms.

The land in the middle of Norfolk is gently undulating lowland. This means the ground has small, rolling hills. To the east, you can find the northern half of the Broads. The Broads is a network of rivers and lakes. These waters extend into Suffolk and are like a national park. The west side of the county contains part of the Fens. In the south, you will find part of Thetford Forest. The coast is made of clay and chalk. These materials make the cliffs easy for the sea to wash away.

People have lived in Norfolk for a very long time. There is evidence of settlers from the Prehistoric era. During the Roman era, a tribe called the Iceni lived here. Their leader, Boudica, led a major revolt in AD 60. Later, the Angles settled the area in the 5th century. They formed the Kingdom of East Anglia. During the Middle Ages, Norfolk became very wealthy from the wool trade. This money helped people build many large churches. In fact, there are more medieval churches here than anywhere else in Britain.

Arms of Norfolk
Arms of Norfolk

History in Norfolk has seen many big changes. In 1549, a group called Kett's Rebellion took place. It was led by a farmer named Robert Kett. His group had about 16,000 people. They protested how land was being used by the nobility. The rebellion ended at the Battle of Dussindale. Later, the area saw the Great Plague in 1579 and 1665. These sicknesses killed about one-third of the people in Norwich. During the Industrial Revolution, Norfolk did not build many factories. It stayed mostly focused on the land and farming.

Today, the economy of Norfolk relies on farming and tourism.

Norwich Railway Station Platforms
Norwich Railway Station Platforms

Many people work in the food and farming industries. Farmers grow crops like wheat, barley, and sugar beet. Some even grow saffron. Tourism is also very important and adds billions of pounds to the economy. The city of Norwich is the largest settlement in the county. It is located in the centre-east. Other main towns include Great Yarmouth, Thetford, and King's Lynn. People also visit for the beautiful coast and the many historic sites.

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🖼️ Images & Media (11)
File:Norfolk UK locator map 2010.svg
Norfolk UK locator map 2010.svg
File:Norfolk numbered districts.svg
Norfolk numbered districts.svg
File:Norfolk UK local election results 2011 map.svg
Norfolk UK local election results 2011 map.svg
File:Norfolk County Council election 2013 map.svg
Norfolk County Council election 2013 map.svg
File:Arms of Norfolk.svg
Arms of Norfolk.svg
File:Flag of Norwich.svg
Flag of Norwich.svg
File:Norwich Railway Station Platforms.jpg
Norwich Railway Station Platforms.jpg
File:Holt railway station heritage 2022.jpg
Holt railway station heritage 2022.jpg
File:Britpieryarmouth.JPG
Britpieryarmouth.JPG
File:Norwich Theatre Royal.JPG
Norwich Theatre Royal.JPG
File:NorwichPlayhouse (cropped).JPG
NorwichPlayhouse (cropped).JPG
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