Mousehold Heath
The history of Pockthorpe and the parish | St James the Less | Mousehold Heath | William of Norwich | St William's Chapel | the barracks | Pockthorpe Brewery | old maps of the parish | parish records
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Much of Mousehold Heath, which is the largest Local Nature Reserve managed by Norwich City Council's Green Spaces Team, lies within our parish boundary. The heath is part of North Norfolk's Heathland Heritage Project and is funded through the Heritage Lottery Tomorrow's Heathland Heritage Project, with the aim of "re-establishing open areas of heather and gorse".
The council has managed the heath since 1880, when it was given by the cathedral to look after on behalf of the citizens of Norwich.
Mousehold Heath is made up of grassland, woodland, heathland and recreational open space. It was once predominantly open heathland, but is now mostly woodland. It has played an important part in Norwich’s history, being influenced by the way the heath has used for grazing livestock, gathering fuel, extracting gravel and brick making. There are a variety of plant and animal species. The Mousehold Conservators look after the site, with management work carried out by wardens, volunteers and contractors.
A 1930s Ordnance Survey map centred on Mousehold Heath. The heath has been encroached upon around the edges since that time, and the open land to the north and east has been developed - the Cavalry Drill Ground marked on the map is now the Heartease estate, and both the barracks have disappeared.
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