County Wildlife Sites
CWS are areas of land rich in wildlife and outside of the nationally protected areas (such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserves) they are the best areas for wildlife in Norfolk. There are more than 1,300 CWS in all, making them a fantastic resource for wildlife. They can support both locally and nationally threatened wildlife species and habitats; they also complement nature reserves by helping to maintain links between them. Read about our recent project on the right to encourage people to record the wildlife they see on CWS and in churchyards.
While CWS do not receive statutory protection, they are given some protection through the planning system, with NWT playing the key role in advising planning authorities, developers and others on their protection. There is no legal constraint on the management of these sites, but NWT works with many landowners across Norfolk, giving help, advice and support with management.
Around 70 visits are made to CWS each year, and advice is given to landowners on appropriate management for wildlife benefit. There is an ongoing programme to survey and notify new sites where appropriate. The CWS system in Norfolk is managed by a partnership of Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service (NBIS), Norfolk County Council, Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership, Natural England, Environment Agency and the Broads Authority, with NWT taking the lead role. Updates on new CWS are sent annually to all local authorities and statutory bodies in Norfolk.
A selection of CWS with public access
County Wildlife Sites list
We are aware that this privately owned County Wildlife Site is currently for sale.
A large undulating Common of predominantly acid grassland, giving wonderful views of the north Norfolk coast. The site forms an interesting mosaic of acid grassland, gorse, hawthorn and bracken scrub, along with w...
Billingford Common in south Norfolk is perhaps best known for its impressive five storey windmill, which was the last mill in Norfolk to grind corn by windpower. The surrounding common is an interesting site with a diversity of habitats and plant species.
Patches of acid grassland to the...
Situated within the estate of the University of East Anglia (UEA), this County Wildlife Site stretches alongside the River Yare from the man-made UEA broad in the north to the A11 flyover in the south. The mosaic of habitats can be explored at any time of year via the wooden boardwalk that fol...
This open expanse of marsh, fen and grassland, adjacent to the River Yare, connects up a wider living landscape from Bowthorpe Southern Park to Earlham Marshes. The undulating marshes are low lying and bisected by multiple dykes and ponds, creating a network of rain fed waterways that drain into ...
An expansive area of marsh and fen stretching alongside the River Yare meeting Bowthorpe Southern Park at its southern-most extent. This County Wildlife Site can broadly be split into 3 areas according to its geography, with the northern-most area comprised of grazing marsh, the southern-most ...