Introduction

Winter Scene - J Paxton

The Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers inter-tidal, coastal and agricultural land with a total area of over 450 square kilometres. Stretching from the silt expanses of the Wash in the west through the coastal marshes, soft cliffs and hinterland of north Norfolk, to the dune system at Winterton in the east, it is an area of remarkable beauty, diversity and scientific importance.

Although ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ is essentially a landscape designation, natural beauty includes wildlife and cultural heritage as well as scenery, and all of these are closely linked.

The Norfolk Coast today is the result of a complex interaction between people and their environment. The basic shape and contours of the land and the coast are the product of natural processes, linked to long term climate changes acting on the underlying geology, particularly the action of ice sheets and water.

The action of the sea, both eroding and building, produces an ever-changing coastline. Geology and landforms influence land use, and many of the smaller scale features which give the area its unique character are the result of the actions of people, who have lived in and used the area for thousands of years.

Even the present ‘wild’ coastline is a product of a combination of natural processes and human activities, in that enclosure of saltmarsh by protective banks to provide agricultural land has influenced coastal processes over a much wider area. Connections between people and the landscape remain important. Employment in 'traditional' industries such as agriculture and fishing has declined but these still have a key role to play in the area's character. This special character makes the area a unique regional and national landscape resource.

The Norfolk Coast Partnership aims to ensure that the natural beauty and special character of the Norfolk Coast are maintained and enhanced through the work of the Partnership; a group of stakeholders, including the community, who manage a range of issues affecting the natural beauty of the area.