ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces Mousehold Heath, Norwich. This common has experienced considerable change over time and has been a site of conflict and contested memories. The late nineteenth century witnessed a heated legal battle between Norwich Corporation and residents of Pockthorpe who extracted resources from the Heath for brickmaking. The legal process transformed the Heath from manorial waste into a different kind of community asset centred on recreation. This transformation culminated in the passing of the City of Norwich Mousehold Heath Scheme Confirmation Act 1884. While recreation has been the dominant use of the Heath ever since, there has been conflict between different uses, including different recreational uses. These tensions are enhanced by the mythologising around sites such as St William’s Chapel and events like Kett’s Rebellion, and by debates over what constitutes the “original” landscape.
