In 1549 Robert Kett rebelling against agricultural hardships, led a large group of men who camped for six weeks on the heath before the uprising, known as Kett's Rebellion, was suppressed.
The heath was given to Norwich City Council (then known as the local corporation) to look after on behalf of the citizens of Norwich in 1880 during the mayoralty of Sir Charles Rackham Gilman. This was officially recorded by Parliment in an agreement called the Mousehold Heath Confirmation Act. In 1884, Mousehold Heath Conservators, an independent governing body for the heath, was formed, and Gilman served as the first Chairman of Conservators of the Heath. In 1984 a new Mousehold Heath Act became law.
By the early 1900s, Mousehold Heath was open countryside with virtually no trees - a classic heathland landscape. The area was kept open by grazing animals and by local people collecting bedding and feed for livestock and fuel for the winter. As the way people lived changed, these traditions disappeared. This resulted in a gradual loss of open heath to woodland
Following on in my project The Other Side of Here I have moved on through to In land Norfolk waiting for some opportune weather to take another sunset.
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