96-517: Scole ( / ˈ s k oʊ l / ) is a village on the Norfolk – Suffolk border in England . It is 19 miles south of Norwich and lay on the old Roman road to Venta Icenorum , which was the main road until it was bypassed with a dual carriageway. It covers an area of 14.31 km (5.53 sq mi) and had a population of 1,339 in 563 households at the 2001 census ; the population had increased to 1,367 at
192-517: A Gross Domestic Product of £ 9,319 million, which represents 1.5% of England's economy and 1.25% of 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
288-502: A feudal system . However he promised the English people that he would keep the laws of Edward the Confessor . Thus commoners were still able to exercise their ancient customary rights. The original contract bound the people who occupied the land to provide some form of service. This later evolved into a financial agreement that avoided or replaced the service. Following the introduction of
384-567: 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
480-449: A fee (known as a fine), the heir could have the copyhold transferred. To remove their customary rights, the landlords converted the copyhold into a leasehold tenancy. Leasehold removed the customary rights but the advantage to the tenant was that the land could be inherited. There was a significant rise in enclosure during the Tudor period . Enclosure was quite often undertaken unilaterally by
576-424: A few lines, the poem manages to criticize double standards, expose the artificial and controversial nature of property rights, and take a slap at the legitimacy of state power. And it does it all with humor, without jargon, and in rhyming couplets." In 1770 Oliver Goldsmith wrote the poem The Deserted Village , in it condemns rural depopulation, the enclosure of common land, the creation of landscape gardens and
672-597: 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
768-425: A formal or informal process. The process could normally be accomplished in three ways. First there was the creation of "closes", taken out of larger common fields by their owners. Secondly, there was enclosure by proprietors, owners who acted together, usually small farmers or squires, leading to the enclosure of whole parishes. Finally there were enclosures by acts of Parliament . The primary reason for enclosure
864-437: A friend complaining that if he desired good roads "never to go into Sussex" and another writer said that the "Sussex road is an almost insuperable evil" . The problem was that country lanes were worn out and this had been compounded by the movement of cattle. Thus the commissioners were given powers to build wide straight roads that would allow for the passage of cattle. The completed new roads would be subject to inspection by
960-413: A prelude to the UK's parliamentary system. After 1650 with the increase in corn prices and the drop in wool prices the focus shifted to implementation of new agricultural techniques, including fertilizer, new crops, and crop rotation, all of which greatly increased the profitability of large-scale farms. The enclosure movement probably peaked from 1760 to 1832; by the latter date it had essentially completed
1056-503: A single field would have been divided under this system among the lord and his tenants; poorer peasants ( serfs or copyholders , depending on the era) were allowed to live on the strips owned by the lord in return for cultivating his land. The open-field system was probably a development of the earlier Celtic field system, which it replaced. The open-field system used a three-field crop rotation system. Barley , oats , or legumes would be planted in one field in spring, wheat or rye in
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#17328696838491152-451: A yeoman farmer, who was joined by recruits from Norwich and the surrounding countryside. His group numbered some 16,000 by 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
1248-534: Is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia . It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to 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),
1344-532: 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
1440-596: 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
1536-411: Is found that the sheep of any soil yield a softer and richer wool than ordinary, there the nobility and gentry, and even those holy men, the abbots! not contented with the old rents which their farms yielded, nor thinking it enough that they, living at their ease, do no good to the public, resolve to do it hurt instead of good. They stop the course of agriculture, destroying houses and towns, reserving only
1632-492: 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
1728-464: The Inclosure Act 1845 ( 8 & 9 Vict. c. 118). After the 1845 act permanent Inclosure Commissioners were appointed who could approve enclosures without having to submit to Parliament. The Rev. William Homer was a commissioner and he provided a job description in 1766: A Commissioner is appointed by Act of Parliament for dividing and allotting common fields and is directed to do it according to
1824-468: 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
1920-509: 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
2016-651: 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 . Enclosure Enclosure or inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or " common land " , enclosing it, and by doing so depriving commoners of their rights of access and privilege. Agreements to enclose land could be either through
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#17328696838492112-467: The Statute of Merton in 1235 manorial lords were able to reorganize strips of land such that they were brought together in one contiguous block. Copyholders had a "customary tenancy" on their piece of land that was legally enforceable. The problem was that a "copyhold tenancy" was only valid for the holder's life. The heir would not have the right to inheritance although usually by custom, in exchange for
2208-841: 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
2304-470: The enclosure of land. The county 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
2400-491: The " open field system ," was in the lowland areas of England in a broad band from Yorkshire and Lincolnshire diagonally across England to the south, taking in parts of Norfolk and Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, large areas of the Midlands, and most of south central England. Enclosure Inclosure Villagers There were essentially two broad categories of enclosure, these were 'formal' or 'informal' agreements. Formal enclosure
2496-565: The 2011 Census. It lies on the north bank of the River Waveney . The parish church of St Andrew was rebuilt in the 1960s after being destroyed in an arson attack in 1963. There is an east window by Patrick Reyntiens dating from 1963. Scole is the birthplace of William Gooderham (1792) and Ezekiel Gooderham (1794), founders of the Gooderham and Worts distillery in Toronto, Canada, later to be
2592-481: 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
2688-539: The Anglican clergy) could voluntarily commutate tithe payments to a rental charge, this would have the effect of reducing their income, so many refused to allow it. However the Tithe Act 1836 ( 6 & 7 Will. 4 . c. 71) made it compulsory for tithe payments to be commutated to a rent charge instead. The commissioners of inclosure had absolute authority to enclose and redistribute common and open fields from around 1745 until
2784-580: The Black Death may have only sped up an already on-going process. From as early as the 12th century agricultural land had been enclosed. However, the history of enclosure in England is different from region to region. Parts of south-east England (notably sections of Essex and Kent ) retained the pre-Roman Celtic field system of farming in small enclosed fields. Similarly in much of west and north-west England, fields were either never open, or were enclosed early. The primary area of field management, known as
2880-450: The Black Death, during the 14th to 17th centuries, landowners started to convert arable land over to sheep, with legal support from the Statute of Merton of 1235. Villages were depopulated. The peasantry responded with a series of revolts. In the 1381 Peasants' Revolt , enclosure was one of the side issues. However, in Jack Cade's rebellion of 1450 land rights were a prominent demand and by
2976-646: 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
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3072-543: The Common " has come to represent the opposition to the enclosure movement in the 18th century: "The law locks up the man or woman Who steals the goose from off the common, But lets the greater felon loose Who steals the common from the goose." (Part of 18th century poem by Anon.) According to one academic: "This poem is one of the pithiest condemnations of the English enclosure movement—the process of fencing off common land and turning it into private property. In
3168-635: 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
3264-504: The Hammonds' 1911 analysis of the events, critically J. D. Chambers and G. E. Mingay , suggested that the Hammonds exaggerated the costs of change when in reality enclosure meant more food for the growing population, more land under cultivation and on balance, more employment in the countryside. The ability to enclose land and raise rents certainly made the enterprise more profitable. D. McCloskey. "The openfields of England: rent, risk and
3360-551: The King, whose Star Chamber court, abolished in 1641, had provided the primary legal brake on the enclosure process. By dealing an ultimately crippling blow to the monarchy (which, even after the Restoration , no longer posed a significant challenge to enclosures) the Civil War paved the way for the eventual rise to power in the 18th century of what has been called a "committee of Landlords",
3456-520: The Norfolk Chamber of Commerce made this comment: "At 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
3552-673: The Tudors. The resulting depopulation was financially disadvantageous to the Crown. The authorities were concerned that many of the people subsequently dispossessed would become vagabonds and thieves. Also the depopulation of villages would produce a weakened workforce and enfeeble the military strength of the state. From the time of Henry VII, Parliament began passing acts either to stop enclosure, to limit its effects, or at least to fine those responsible. The so-called 'tillage acts', were passed between 1489 and 1597. The people who were responsible for
3648-530: The animals produced in the fallow field would help restore its fertility. The following year, the fields for planting and fallow would be rotated. The very nature of the three field rotation system imposed a discipline on lord and tenants in their management of the arable land. Every one had the freedom to do what they liked with their own land but had to follow the rhythms of the rotation system. The land-holding tenants had livestock , including sheep, pigs, cattle , horses, oxen , and poultry , and after harvest,
3744-555: 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
3840-438: The available contemporary data and concluded that the difference in efficiency between the open field system and enclosure is not so plain and obvious. M.E.Turners paper "English Open Field and Enclosures:Retardation or Productivity Improvements". Based on figures extracted from Home Office returns. Notes: A bushel is a measurement of volume = 8 imperial gallons (36 L; 9.6 US gal); 1 acre = 0.4 ha After
3936-555: The cattle enriched the arable land and grass crops on the ploughed-up and manured land were much better than were those on the constant pasture." Since the late 20th century, those contentions have been challenged by a new class of historians. The Enclosure movement has been seen by some as causing the destruction of the traditional peasant way of life, however miserable. Landless peasants could no longer maintain an economic independence so had to become labourers. Historians and economists such as M.E.Turner and D. McCloskey have examined
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4032-709: The churches, and enclose grounds that they may lodge their sheep in them. As if forests and parks had swallowed up too little of the land, those worthy countrymen turn the best inhabited places into solitudes; for when an insatiable wretch, who is a plague to his country, resolves to enclose many thousand acres of ground, the owners, as well as tenants, are turned out of their possessions by trick or by main force, or, being wearied out by ill usage, they are forced to sell them; by which means those miserable people, both men and women, married and unmarried, old and young, with their poor but numerous families... (From Thomas Mores Utopia. 1518) An anonymous poem, known as " The Goose and
4128-591: 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
4224-463: 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
4320-500: The county's economy. The median hourly gross pay was £12.17 and the median weekly pay was £496.80; on 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
4416-416: The destruction of the medieval peasant community. Surplus peasant labour moved into the towns to become industrial workers. The enclosure movement is considered by some scholars to be the beginnings of the emergence of capitalism ; for many Marxists, the enclosures constituted "primitive accumulation," establishing the structural conditions necessary for a capitalist political economy. In contrast to
4512-415: The disparate strips of land in an area and consolidate them in one whole piece, for example a manor, then any communal rights would cease to exist, since there was no one to exercise them. Before the enclosures in England, " common " land was under the control of the manorial lord. The usual manor consisted of two elements, the peasant tenantry and the lord's holding, known as the demesne farm. The land
4608-521: The enforcement of the acts were the same people who were actually opposed to them. Consequently, the acts were not strictly enforced. Ultimately with rising popular opposition to sheep farming, the Tillage Act 1533 ( 25 Hen. 8 . c. 13) restricted the size of flocks of sheep to no more than 2,400. Then the Taxation Act 1549 ( 3 & 4 Edw. 6 . c. 23) was introduced that imposed a poll tax on sheep that
4704-481: The feudal system, there was an increase in the economic growth and urban expansion of the country. In the 13th century, successful Lords did very well financially, while the peasants faced with ever increasing costs did not, and their landholding dwindled. After outbreaks of the Black Death in the middle of the 14th century however, there was a major decline in population and crop yields. The decline in population left
4800-399: The fields became 'common' so they could graze animals on that land. There are still examples of villages that use the open-field system, one example being Laxton, Nottinghamshire . Seeking better financial returns, landowners looked for more efficient farming techniques. They saw enclosure as a way to improve efficiency, however it was not simply the fencing of existing holdings; there
4896-435: The fourth year. The turnips were used for feeding cattle and sheep in the winter. The practice of growing a series of dissimilar types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons helped to restore plant nutrients and reduce the build-up of pathogens and pests. The system also improves soil structure and fertility by alternating deep-rooted and shallow-rooted plants. For example, turnips can recover nutrients from deep under
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#17328696838494992-650: 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
5088-421: The greatest concentration in the world. The economy was in decline by the time of the Black Death , which dramatically reduced 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 ,
5184-837: 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 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
5280-728: 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 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
5376-547: 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
5472-517: The initiative to enclose land came either from a landowner hoping to maximise rental from their estate, or a tenant farmer wanting to improve their farm. Before the 17th century enclosures were generally by informal agreement. When they first introduced enclosure by act of Parliament the informal method continued too. The first enclosure by act of Parliament was in 1604 (the Melcombe Regis and Radipole, Dorset (Church) Act 1603 ( 1 Jas. 1 . c. 30)) and
5568-626: The king, Edmund the Martyr . Several place names around the Fenland area contain Celtic elements; this has been taken by some scholars to represent 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
5664-406: The kingdom of East Anglia (one of the heptarchy ), which later merged with Mercia and then with Wessex . The influence of 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
5760-653: The landowner, sometimes illegally. The widespread eviction of people from their lands resulted in the collapse of the open field system in those areas. The deprivations of the displaced workers has been seen by historians as a cause of subsequent social unrest. In Tudor England the ever increasing demand for wool had a dramatic effect on the landscape. The attraction of large profits to be made from wool encouraged manorial lords to enclose common land and convert it from arable to (mainly) sheep pasture. The consequent eviction of commoners or villagers from their homes and loss of their livelihoods became an important political issue for
5856-465: The largest in the British Empire. An electoral ward in the same name exists. This ward stretches east to Needham and at the 2011 Census had a total population of 2,357. http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Norfolk/Scole This Norfolk location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Norfolk Norfolk ( / ˈ n ɔːr f ə k / NOR -fək )
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#17328696838495952-488: The largest settlements are King's Lynn (42,800) in the north-west, Great Yarmouth (38,693) in 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
6048-563: 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
6144-427: The local justices, to make sure they were of a suitable standard. In the late eighteenth century the width of the enclosure roads was at least 60 feet (18 m), but from the 1790s this was decreased to 40 feet (12 m), and later 30 feet as the normal maximum width. Straight roads of early origin, if not Roman were probably enclosure roads. They were established in the period between 1750 and 1850. The building of
6240-561: The lord held was for his benefit and was farmed by his own direct employees or by hired labour. The tenant farmers had to pay rent. This could either be cash, labour or produce. Tenants had certain rights such as pasture , pannage , or estovers that could be held by neighbouring properties, or (occasionally) in gross by all manorial tenants. "Waste" land was often very narrow areas, typically less than 1 yard (0.91 m) wide, in awkward locations (such as cliff edges, or inconveniently shaped manorial borders), but also could be bare rock, it
6336-578: The new roads, especially when linked up with new roads in neighbouring parishs and ultimately the turnpikes , was a permanent improvement to the road system of the country. The social and economic consequences of enclosure has been much discussed by historians. In the Tudor period Sir Thomas More in his Utopia said: The increase of pasture,' said I, 'by which your sheep, which are naturally mild, and easily kept in order, may be said now to devour men and unpeople, not only villages, but towns; for wherever it
6432-413: The pursuit of excessive wealth. During the 19th and early 20th century historians generally had sympathy for the cottagers who rented their dwellings from the manorial lord and also the landless labourers. John and Barbara Hammond said that "enclosure was fatal to three classes: the small farmer, the cottager and the squatter." "Before enclosure the cottager was a labourer with land; after enclosure
6528-562: The rate of interest, 1300-1815" Arnold Toynbee considered that the main feature distinguishing English agriculture was the massive reduction in common land between the middle of the 18th to the middle of the 19th century. The major advantages of the enclosures were: He writes: "The result was a great increase in agricultural produce. The landowners having separated their plots from those of their neighbours and having consolidated them could pursue any method of tillage they preferred. Alternate and convertible husbandry … came in. The manure of
6624-665: The region declined somewhat. During the Industrial Revolution Norfolk developed little industry, except in Norwich, which 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
6720-577: The region was home to the Iceni , whose leader Boudica led 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
6816-486: The respective interests of proprietors ... without undue preference to any, but paying regard to situation, quality and convenience. The method of ascertainment is left to the major part of the Commission ... and this without any fetter or check upon them beside their own honour confidence (and late indeed) awed by the solemnity of an oath. This is perhaps one of the greatest trusts ever reposed in one set of men; and merits all
6912-671: The return of caution attention and integrity which can result from an honest impartial and ingenuous mind. (From William Homer, An Essay on the Nature and Method [of] the Inclosure of Common Fields. 1766) After 1899, the Board of Agriculture, which later became the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries , inherited the powers of the Inclosure Commissioners. One of the objectives of enclosure
7008-664: 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
7104-415: The second field in the autumn. There was no such thing as artificial fertilizer in mediaeval England, so the continual use of arable land for crops would exhaust the fertility of the soil. The open-field system solved that problem. It did this by allowing the third field, of the arable land, to be uncultivated each year and use that "fallow" field for grazing animals, on the stubble of the old crop. The manure
7200-443: 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
7296-505: The soil. Planting crops such as turnips and clover was not realistic under the open field system because the unrestricted access to the field meant that other villagers' livestock would graze on the turnips. Another important feature of the Norfolk system was that it used labour at times when demand was not at peak levels. From as early as the 12th century, some open fields in Britain were being enclosed into individually owned fields. After
7392-506: The south is part of Thetford Forest . In the east are 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
7488-561: 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
7584-466: 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
7680-411: The surviving farm workers in great demand. Landowners faced the choice of raising wages to compete for workers or letting their lands go unused. Wages for labourers rose and translated into inflation across the economy. The ensuing difficulties in hiring labour has been seen as causing the abandonment of land and the demise of the feudal system, although some historians have suggested that the effects of
7776-535: 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 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
7872-557: The time of their migration. It is thought that the settlement here was early (possibly beginning at 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
7968-419: The total area of England. Parliamentary inclosure was also used for the division and privatisation of common "wastes" such as fens , marshes , heathland , downland and moors . The statutory process included the appointment of commissioners. The process of enclosure was weighted in favour of the tithe owner who had the right to appoint one inclosure commissioner for their parish. Tithe-owners (usually
8064-458: 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
8160-450: The west, where flints could be quarried. A Brittonic tribe, 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,
8256-466: Was a labourer without land." Marxist historians, such as Barrington Moore Jr. , focused on enclosure as a part of the class conflict that eventually eliminated the English peasantry and saw the emergence of the bourgeoisie . From this viewpoint, the English Civil War provided the basis for a major acceleration of enclosures. The parliamentary leaders supported the rights of landlords vis-à-vis
8352-433: Was achieved either through act of Parliament, or, from 1836 onwards, by a written agreement signed by all parties involved. The written record would probably also include a map. With informal agreements there was either minimal or no written record other than occasionally a map of the agreement. The most straightforward informal enclosure was through 'unity of possession'. Under this, if an individual managed to acquire all
8448-432: Was also a fundamental change in agricultural practice. One of the most important innovations was the development of the Norfolk four-course system , which greatly increased crop and livestock yields by improving soil fertility and reducing fallow periods. Wheat was grown in the first year, turnips in the second, followed by barley, with clover and ryegrass in the third. The clover and ryegrass were grazed or cut for feed in
8544-506: 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,
8640-628: 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 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
8736-426: Was coupled with a levy on home produced cloth. The result made sheep farming less profitable. However, in the end it was market forces that were responsible for stopping the conversion of arable into pasture. An increase in corn prices during the second half of the 16th century made arable farming more attractive, so although enclosures continued the emphasis was more on efficient use of the arable land. Historically,
8832-592: Was for Radipole , Dorset . This was followed by many more acts of Parliament and by the 1750s the parliamentary system became the more usual method. The Inclosure Act 1773 ( 13 Geo. 3 . c. 81) created a law that enabled "enclosure" of land, at the same time removing the right of commoners ' access. Although there was usually compensation, it was often in the form of a smaller and poorer quality plot of land. Between 1604 and 1914 there were more than 5,200 inclosure bills which amounted to 6,800,000 acres (2,800,000 ha) of land that equated to approximately one fifth of
8928-447: Was not officially used by anyone, and so was often "farmed" by landless peasants. The remaining land was organised into a large number of narrow strips, each tenant possessing several disparate strips throughout the manor, as would the manorial lord . The open-field system was administered by manorial courts , which exercised some collective control. The land in a manor under this system would consist of: What might now be termed
9024-558: 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,
9120-407: Was to improve local roads. Commissioners were given authorisation to replace old roads and country lanes with new roads that were wider and straighter than those they replaced. The road system of England had been problematic for some time. An 1852 government report described the condition of a road between Surrey and Sussex as "very ruinous and almost impassable." In 1749 Horace Walpole wrote to
9216-556: Was to improve the efficiency of agriculture. However, there were other motives too, one example being that the value of the land enclosed would be substantially increased. There were social consequences to the policy, with many protests at the removal of rights from the common people. Enclosure riots are seen by historians as 'the pre-eminent form' of social protest from the 1530s to 1640s. After William I invaded and conquered England in 1066, he distributed its land amongst 180 barons , who held it as his tenants in chief , establishing
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