North Norfolk Heaths and Mires

The heaths, fens and bogs of north and mid Norfolk are a perhaps less well known but are an important part of Norfolk's wildlife heritage. They were formerly much more extensive and 60 years ago were an integral part of local village economies. Norfolk’s heaths are now reduced to scattered fragments of open space and common land, in an arc from Norwich to the north Norfolk coast and on to Kings Lynn in the west. They are mostly dominated by colourful purple heathers and yellow gorses, and in some cases also support primeval wet fens and bogs where many of Norfolk's most vulnerable and most unusual plants and insects can be found.

Typical species: 3 species of heather, gorse, silver birch, sedges, rushes, mosses, purple moor grass, adder.

Threatened species: nightjar, natterjack toad, silver studded blue butterfly, black darter and keeled skimmer dragonflies, insectiverous sundews, marsh gentian, Norfolk flapwort