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.
Download useful advice sheets on the right or explore our  Wildlife Information Service for more
   County-Wildlife-Sites-2018 Download   
   Assessment_of_threats_to_CWS_in_Norfolk Download   
   Broadland_county_wildlife_sites_review Download   
   Fens_assessment_report Download   
   Impact_of_development_on_CWS Download   
   Pingo_report_2009 Download   
   State_of_Norfolk_meadows Download   
   Map_of_designated_wildlife_sites Download   
   CWS-Info-Sheet-2016 Download   
   Muckleburgh Hill species Download   
   Plant list Reffley Spring Wood 2016 Download   
Show more +

A selection of CWS with public access

County Wildlife Sites list

Barrow Common (CWS 570)
Bluebell Marsh (CWS 1445)
Bowthorpe Marsh (CWS 2012)
Bowthorpe Riverside (CWS 1450)
1 Page 1 of 7  / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 ...