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Friends of Kett's Heights
News and Activities archive (2020 -2024)
December 10th 2024 Lord Mayor Cllr Vivien Thomas officially opening the new entrance to Kett's Heights from Ladbrooke Place
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Lord Mayor Cllr Vivien Thomas, Cllr Mike Stonard, Leader of Norwich City Council, and Matt Davies, Manager of the Norwich Fringe Project, enjoying the viewpoint of Norwich.
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DECEMBER 2024 - Our smart, new storage shed at the back of the piggeries
OCTOBER 2024 - Our next project is to smarten up The Piggeries whilst keeping their historical interest. Thanks to Cavan (the new Banksy ?) for his artwork!
OCTOBER 2024 - We now have a flag pole and a brand new notice board installed at the Ladbrooke Place entrance. Flag to follow shortly! Our thanks again to the Norwich Fringe Project.
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SEPTEMBER 2024 Now that the new entrance from Ladbrooke Place is open allowing wheelchair access to the viewpoint, Norwich Fringe Project have kindly installed some very nice new signposts to lead the way!
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Finally, the step-free entrance to Kett’s Heights off Ladbrooke Place is open. A formal ceremony is planned by the City Council sometime in September.
To see how to get to Ladbrooke Place go to our location page. Read more information about this project on Norfolk City Council's website HERE |
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KETT'S HEIGHTS HAS JUST WON THE GREEN FLAG AWARD!
The Green Flag Award® scheme recognises and rewards well managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.
This year the coveted Green Flag has recognised the following parks and open spaces in Norwich as outstanding examples of green outdoor spaces for people to enjoy: Kett’s Heights – a new winner and thanks to significant funding from The Greater Norwich Growth Board, this park overlooking the cathedral and castle has had significant improvements to make it accessibility-friendly, including new ramped access and resurfaced pathways. The improvements were designed and managed by the council’s team of landscape architects which works with the Friends of Kett’s Heights and the Norwich Fringe Project to improve and maintain the site. |
July 16th 2024
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The July free tour of Kett's Heights took place today (Sunday 7th July) in threatening weather but we were lucky, it never rained! We had 17 visitors attend and the tour was lead by Paddy Adams. The next free tour is on Sunday August 4th.
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The first three FREE tours of Kett's Heights since we re-opened have now taken place with good weather on all days! We had 18 adults, 2 children and a lovely dog attend on the first tour and 14 adults and another lovely dog on the second and 17 visitors on the third.
The next available tour is on Sunday August 4th and you can book your place HERE. |
Work on replacing the existing path from the entrance gate to the piggeries is complete and this entrance is now open again. The new entrance from Ladbrooke Place, which will have wheelchair access right up to the viewpoint allowing more people than ever to enjoy this beautiful site, should be competed sometime in August. We'll let you know when it's open!
These works are funded by the Greater Norwich Growth Board to the value of £320K.
These works are funded by the Greater Norwich Growth Board to the value of £320K.
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Old railway sleepers from the renewed path leading from Kett's Hill to the piggeries have been recycled and now form part of a raised bed in the Sensory Garden. Also the City Council have provided us with a new litter bin for the viewpoint. This one is made from cast iron, very heavy and fixed to a concrete base. The old plastic bins had a habit of disappearing over the viewpoint or being set fire to! Hopefully, this will solve both problems.
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Please note that the Ladbrooke Place entrance is due to open mid-August 2024
| Kett's Heights' site plan.pdf |
October 2023
September 2023
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One of our visitors has made a lovely video about Kett's Heights. So sit back and take 6 minutes out of your day to enjoy the sights & history of The Heights. Many thanks to Dan Stamp.
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Our Heritage Open Day event on Sunday 10th September was rather sparsely attended but hardly surprising considering it was over 30C! The only dog to attend won first prize. Everyone enjoyed themselves despite the heat. Thanks to those who did come, lovely to meet you.
July 2023
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The new round picnic table purchased by the Friends has now been installed on the upper green. The rubber matting laid around the table to stop the area getting muddy in wet weather will eventually be disguised by the grass growing through it.
Thanks to Andrew for his help in installing the table, John and Vanessa for allowing us to store the table in their garden and help in getting it into KH, and Matt from the Norwich Fringe Project for transporting it from the council’s depot, plus of course thanks to all those who helped make it possible through their membership subscriptions and donations. |
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The July free tour of Kett's Heights, which featured lots of information about local artists who painted St. Michael's chapel in the past when it was a little better shape. Thanks to all those who came and enjoyed the talks by Vanessa Trevelyan & Norman Lister. The next free tour (the last of this season) is on Sunday October 1st. (Now fully booked)
Unfortunately, the graffiti mafia were active on Saturday night and have made a bit of a mess on the back of the chapel wall. We'll do our best to clean it off or cover it up promptly!
June 2023
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Works on Kett’s Heights
Many thanks to the volunteer team from Aviva who are repainting all the handrails on Kett's Heights. A long and arduous task made much easier if there is a cheery group. Thanks also to Norwich City Council which provided all the painting materials. |
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More recognition for the Friends of Kett's Heights!
Cavan Stewart and Gaye De Leiros represented the Friends of Kett’s Heights at the Royal Norfolk Show Community Champions Tribute at the showground on 28th June. The aim of the tribute was to say thank you to those who do so much for our communities and good causes and to acknowledge their work at the county’s biggest event of the year.
The event also acknowledged the commitment of the King and Queen in supporting community cohesion and volunteering. The tribute, organised in partnership between the Norfolk Lieutenancy and the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, gathered nominated community champions from a range of community-based organisations, volunteering groups and recipients of already established local award schemes. The community champions took part in a massed gathering in the Show’s Grand Ring where they were addressed by HM Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, The Lady Dannatt MBE.
Cavan Stewart and Gaye De Leiros represented the Friends of Kett’s Heights at the Royal Norfolk Show Community Champions Tribute at the showground on 28th June. The aim of the tribute was to say thank you to those who do so much for our communities and good causes and to acknowledge their work at the county’s biggest event of the year.
The event also acknowledged the commitment of the King and Queen in supporting community cohesion and volunteering. The tribute, organised in partnership between the Norfolk Lieutenancy and the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, gathered nominated community champions from a range of community-based organisations, volunteering groups and recipients of already established local award schemes. The community champions took part in a massed gathering in the Show’s Grand Ring where they were addressed by HM Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, The Lady Dannatt MBE.
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School visit
It was lovely to see years 1 and 5 from Magdalen Gates Primary School on Kett's Heights as part of their study of Robert Kett and Kett's Rebellion. The children showed a real appreciation of the issues involved in the Rebellion. |
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A lovely afternoon for the tour of Kett's Heights which, this month, focused on St. Michael's Chapel and the adjacent priory. Thanks to the 14 visitors who came on the tour. Hope you enjoyed it.
The next FREE guided tour of Kett’s Heights is on Sunday 2nd July and , in addition to the usual brief history, will explore artists through the centuries on the Heights. Register and book the JULY free tour HERE |
May 2023
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Our Annual General Meeting was held on Tuesday 9th May. Torrential rain held down the attendance somewhat but all necessary business was concluded and there were a couple of very interesting slide shows relating to the Kett's Heights year of 2022. Tea/ coffee/ biscuits and chat ended an agreeable evening.
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Monday May 8th - The second free tour of the season took place today on the Coronation Bank Holiday. We were very fortunate that, after the very wet weather of Coronation day itself, the afternoon remained dry and warm. There were 14 people on the tour which had the theme of how the gas industry changed the topography of Kett's Heights. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the tour and thanked Jane Chittenden and Cavan Stewart for sharing their knowledge. The gas industry shaped much of how Kett's Heights looks today and there was generally much sadness when the last gasometer was removed from the bottom of Gas Hill in 2018.
April 2023
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The first free guided tour of 2023 took place on April 2nd and was attended by 21 people. Luckily, the weather turned out fine although still rather on the cold side. You can see more photos on our 'Gallery' page.
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March 2023
The free tours of Kett's Heights are back! These normally take place on the 1st Sunday of the month and the next tour is on June 4th.
NEW for 2023 is that each tour, in addition to the usual historical facts about the site, will have a different theme. Visit our Guided Tours page for more details and to book.
NEW for 2023 is that each tour, in addition to the usual historical facts about the site, will have a different theme. Visit our Guided Tours page for more details and to book.
February / March 2023
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New seating area
Work on the new seating, using recycled bricks and retorts from round the site, is almost finished. This will provide much needed additional seating at the viewpoint. Thanks to David & Andrew for all their hard work with the build. |
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January 2023
Late November 2022
Christmas is a time of giving, and we are very grateful to one of our regular visitors who has donated a seat on the new terrace as a memorial to his late wife. The seat was installed on the upper viewpoint by David, Andrew and Paddy.
The seat is the same design as the ones on the lower viewpoint and lower green, which have proved durable and vandal resistant, as well as being made from recycled materials.
The seat is the same design as the ones on the lower viewpoint and lower green, which have proved durable and vandal resistant, as well as being made from recycled materials.
Kett's Heights wall restored to former glory by volunteers
By Francis Redwood - Eastern Evening News
A piece of history overlooking one of the city's vast skyline views has been restored to save it from crumbling for good.
The irregular boundary wall in Kett's Heights has deteriorated over the last few decades but volunteers from the Friends of Kett's Heights group have given it a new lease of life. Kett's Heights played an important role in what is known today as Kett's Rebellion, as St Michael’s Church - which was located atop the area - housed the 10,000-strong rebels in their fight against the rich over a dispute in the enclosure of land in 1549. The wall which remains is approximately 55 metres long and two metres high.
Led by David Howarth and other group members they worked on repairing the western boundary wall, running from the upper green to the bottom of the steps.
David Howarth said: "Although we assumed at the beginning of the repairs that repointing was all that would be needed, we soon found that many sections of the wall were in such a serious condition that partial rebuilding was required. However, we persevered and I can now report that the repairs to the wall are complete."
The wall was originally built with lime mortar, which is more flexible than modern cement and allowed the structure to breathe. Subsequent repairs however used cement which had caused the wall to fracture in places. So before the group could restore the wall they had to take a lime mortar training course, facilitated by Norwich City Council, which owns the site. Once the repairs were finished the group had used approximately three-quarters of a tonne of lime mortar and spent over 300 hours carrying out the repairs.
Cavan Stewart, chair of the Friends of Kett’s Heights, added: "This is a truly amazing achievement and a testament to the dedication of our volunteers. "Many thanks to Norwich City Council and the Fringe Project for their help in bringing Kett’s Heights back to life."
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click on images to enlarge
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October 2022
The last free guided tour of the 2022 season took place in glorious Autumnal weather on October 2nd. A small group of visitors attended and our thanks go to them and our member Alan Brownlee for sharing his knowledge.
September 2022
Heritage Open Days free talk on “How gas changed Norwich” – Sunday 11th September – 14.30 - 15.30
This was part of the national Heritage Open Days events, which runs from Fri 9th - Sun 18th September. The national theme is Astounding Inventions.
Jane Chittenden gave a talk on how gas transformed our fortunes which was very well attended and this was followed by a tour of Kett's Heights for those that wished to participate. .
We have also prepared a self-guided Industrial Heritage tour which can be downloaded from our 'trails page'
August 2022
16th August from 6.30 - 8.30pm.
An OPN event (Open Projects Network).
This was an opportunity for us to proudly show off the work we have been doing to members of other open projects across the city. We met in the car park of St Matthew’s Church at 6.30 pm. After brief introductions we walked to Kett’s Heights for a guided tour and took questions. On our return to St Matthew’s at 8.00 pm light refreshments were served. This was a good opportunity to swap ideas and get a sense of what others are doing in similar projects. Hopefully, a good time was had by all!
An OPN event (Open Projects Network).
This was an opportunity for us to proudly show off the work we have been doing to members of other open projects across the city. We met in the car park of St Matthew’s Church at 6.30 pm. After brief introductions we walked to Kett’s Heights for a guided tour and took questions. On our return to St Matthew’s at 8.00 pm light refreshments were served. This was a good opportunity to swap ideas and get a sense of what others are doing in similar projects. Hopefully, a good time was had by all!
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More photos in our Gallery page
Sunday August 7th -Sunday free tour
Lovely weather for the August free tour and a good attendance . The grass is brown but the Heights still look amazing!
Lovely weather for the August free tour and a good attendance . The grass is brown but the Heights still look amazing!
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July 2022
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July 17th
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Sunday July 3rd - Sunday free tour
A very pleasant afternoon for the July free tour. A fairly small group of visitors but very appreciative. The Heights are very colourful at the moment too.
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Saturday July 2nd - Plant Sale
The Plant Sale was very well supported and raised a considerable amount for Kett's Heights. Thanks go here to Tony Quickenden who arranged the event. Thanks also to all those who donated or bought a plant.
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June 2022
June 26th Our thanks go to Crude Apache who performed a free concert on the lower green of their production "We Will Stand". A lovely afternoon's entertainment for all the family and very well attended.
click to enlarge
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The June 5th free tour originally had 15 people booked. However, due to the heavy rain forecast all but 3 cancelled and have re-booked on the July 3rd tour. In the end it didn't rain too much and the 3 stalwarts who came had an enjoyable time although they were almost outnumbered by us!
The community picnic on Sunday 12th at noon was enjoyed by those that attended although, alas, our numbers were rather few despite the clement weather!
The community picnic on Sunday 12th at noon was enjoyed by those that attended although, alas, our numbers were rather few despite the clement weather!
May 2022
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On Saturday May 14th there was a fun time spent building a gigantic bird's nest! This was organised by The Nest Project. You can learn all about their work at https://thenestproject.co.uk/
Luckily the sun shone all day and a great time was had by all who attended. |
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Sunday 1st May - our free, first Sunday of the month took place with a small group of visitors. The weather was warm although not very sunny. The next free tour is on June 5th. Details & registration HERE
April 2022
Wednesday 27th. Morning
We had a visit from the Loddon & Chedgrave Society and spent a very pleasant morning showing them around Kett's Heights!
We had a visit from the Loddon & Chedgrave Society and spent a very pleasant morning showing them around Kett's Heights!
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Here's a short poem inspired by a young visitor to Kett's Heights.
Ketts heights, the best view the best height. If in the wrong light it can give you a fright. It can be genuine and small. Or powerful and strong. It's quite a sight for when you're up in the heights. At night in the full moons light. It's the best view, the best height and it's called kett’s heights. Tasmin Hipperson Ormiston Victory academy April 2022 |
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We had good weather for the first free guided tour of the 2022 season which was attended by 14 visitors. Thanks to Alan Brownlee for providing the historical knowledge! The next free tour is on Sunday June 5th 2.30pm (the May tour is now full so you need to book early for June! ) You can register here
March 2022
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The new path leading to the end of the sensory garden (under construction) is almost finished and has been made using old bricks found around the site. Many thanks to David Howarth who is doing most of the hard work re-laying them!
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Situated just in front of the Sensory Garden (under construction) you will find the Herb Garden. A peaceful place to sit and contemplate whilst enjoying the various scents of different herbs. Find more about the herbs in the garden by downloading our information sheet.
| herbs_info_sheet.pdf |
The Friends of Kett’s Heights AGM will take place on Wednesday 27th April at 7.00pm in St Matthew’s Church, Telegraph Lane West. This is your opportunity to find out more about the Friends’ activities, what is planned for the coming year, and to have your say. The Friends of Kett's Heights Annual Report for 2021 has been published and can be downloaded from the attached file.
| fkh_annual_report_2021.pdf |
We are keen to recruit new people to the Executive Committee. This is a friendly group and an ideal way for anyone to find out more about the Friends and contribute to its future. Details of committee posts can be download from the attached file .
| fkh_officer_roles_2022_02.pdf |
February 2022
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Storm Eunice arrived on February 18th following on the footsteps of storm Dudley. Another tree was blown down, although this one was already almost dead and probably held up only by the ivy! Unfortunately, the main damage was to the fence which will have to be repaired!
Right now (Feb 21st) storm Franklin is blowing a gale! |
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Let's hope 2022 will be a better year than the last couple! We have lots of plans for the coming year that we will update you with as we progress.
The snowdrops are now looking good! The snowdrops are situated mainly on the right hand side as you go through the entrance gate. Well worth a look.
We are now accepting bookings for the first free tour of the 2022 season on Sunday April 3rd. Find out more on our Guided Tours page.
The snowdrops are now looking good! The snowdrops are situated mainly on the right hand side as you go through the entrance gate. Well worth a look.
We are now accepting bookings for the first free tour of the 2022 season on Sunday April 3rd. Find out more on our Guided Tours page.
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click to enlarge
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January 2022
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Storms Malik & Corrie in the final days of January managed to take down another tree!
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A Happy New Year to all our members and, indeed, to all visitors to Kett's Heights. The Friends of Kett’s Heights are starting the new year with optimism. Kett’s Heights was an excellent place for local people to visit during lockdown, and continues to be a pleasant place for exercise and contemplation. The Practical Works Group have done wonders with new planting of fruit trees and flower beds to provide bio-diversity and interest, resulting in an award from the CPRE. The City Council are planning some major works on the entrance to provide easier access – we’ll keep you posted.
December 2021
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Work on the extension to the chapel herb garden is coming on well. This will eventually provide a new view over Norwich as well as a sensory garden. |
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The Friends of Kett's Heights are currently working to develop the chapel grounds as a sensory garden. The wall on the right is the only remains of what was the 12th century St Michaels chapel, the main part of the chapel being to the left of the wall. In 1549, in became the headquarters of William Kett during his Norfolk rebellion, affording views of Norwich. During the 19th century Kett's Heights was part of the gas works site owned by the then British Gas Light Company. In the latter part of the 19th century, Kett's Heights was developed by the gas company as a garden for the workers, as part of this work, greenhouses were built in both the chapel grounds and what is now the herb garden. The proposal is to develop a sensory type garden, with appropriate plants, concentrating on traditional English plants. An opening is being formed in the wall between the herb garden and the sensory garden, a path will lead from the opening to an all weather viewing area. It is proposed to face the path in reclaimed gas works kiln bricks. On the right hand side of the path a raised flower bed will be constructed, using recycled timber, various climbing plants will
be grown against the chapel wall. With the proposed new entrance from Ladbroke Place car park, wheelchair access will be possible into Kett's Heights, including the view point, herb and sensory gardens.
be grown against the chapel wall. With the proposed new entrance from Ladbroke Place car park, wheelchair access will be possible into Kett's Heights, including the view point, herb and sensory gardens.
November 2021
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On Saturday 27th November we participated in a 'Wellbeing' event at St. Matthew's Church where we presented Kett's Heights as a place of peace & tranquillity. Somewhere beautiful to visit and appreciate nature close to the city. The event was well attended and out own display table was very popular. We showed an 11 minute video of a peaceful walk around the Heights. You can see the video below.
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October 2021The last free guided tour of this year took place on Sunday 3rd Oct. Well, two tours actually as there was a lot of demand and a total of 24 people came along and enjoyed the sunny but breezy weather and the splendid view of Norwich. No more tours until the first Sunday in April next year!
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September 2021
We are delighted to be able to tell you that at the Norfolk Countryside Charity Awards ceremony on Thursday 16th September the Friends of Kett’s Heights were declared co-winners of the Digging Deep category. We received a plaque, which is now situated in our herb garden, and a certificate. Thanks to Cavan Stewart (seen here accepting the award) for organising our competition entry and to other KH members who went to collect the trophy.
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August 2021
On Sunday 15th of August we hosted a tour for members of Norwich Harmony who kindly sang a lovely song in 4 part harmony for us on the viewpoint. The weather was kind although a little breezy. Click on image to enlarge.
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July 2021
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We've just installed a brand new picnic table on the lower green so please come and make good use of it. This has been a project in the pipe-line for some while and we are really pleased to have finally brought it to fruition! |
December 2020
We have recently installed a new explanatory sign at the top of the main entrance path in front of the lower green. This replaces the sign that has been there since the 1980's and was a little out of date. The sign was designed and produced by The Friends in conjunction with Norwich City Council and Norwich Fringe Project.
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