Environmental assets

The built and historic environment

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Greater Norwich has a rich concentration of heritage assets. At its core is the City of Norwich, formerly England’s second city, with its two cathedrals and many other historic buildings, including the greatest number of medieval churches in northern Europe, monastic halls, former merchants’ houses, the city wall and industrial heritage. The city centre’s current street pattern still broadly reflects these historic influences. 

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The city is linked to a hinterland of settlements which also have a rich heritage reflecting the area’s relative prosperity and high density of settlement through history, particularly prior to the industrial revolution.

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Market towns, villages and hamlets show a pattern of development that has built up over the centuries, with a wealth of medieval churches, including a number of round tower churches, farmsteads and historic halls.  A number of areas of formal parkland, such as those at Raveningham and Blickling Halls, are designated by Historic England.

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In total, there are around 5,800 listed buildings and 90 conservation areas. Scheduled monuments and significant archaeological potential add a further layer to this historic character.

Table 3 – Numbers of Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings, Scheduled Monuments and Registered Parks and Gardens

Feature Norwich Broadland South Norfolk Greater Norwich
Conservation Areas 17 21 52 90
Listed Buildings 1500 980 3310 5790
Scheduled Monuments  25 22 38 85
Registered Parks & Gardens (Historic England) 9 5 7 21
Historic Parks  & Gardens (locally listed) 10 18 17 45