Kett's Heights

Kett’s Heights is a public open space in Thorpe Hamlet. It has several notable features, including the remains of St Michael’s Chapel, built at the same time as the Cathedral, and terraces built by the Gas Works Company in the 19th century. Its name derives from having been where Robert Kett and his followers, estimated to have been 10,000 strong, encamped and bombarded the city during their rebellion in 1549.

The site was given to Norwich City Council in the 1980s, and after considerable work, formally opened as public open space in 1988. Its maintenance has rarely been sufficient to keep pace with the growth of plants and in particular sycamore trees, and until recently the view over the city centre was seriously obscured. The Friends of Kett's Heights Group, working with Norwich City Council, has restored the view, so come and judge for yourself whether we are right to claim that it rivals the much better known view from St James’s Hill on Mousehold Heath, across the valley of Kett's Hill.

A plan of the site and its location is available to download here.

Friends of Kett's Heights

Local residents have formed a Friends of Kett’s Heights Group to work with the City Council to draw up and implement plans to put the management of the site on a more secure and sustainable footing. Details on the Group's website - www.kettsheights.co.uk, or come and see the results of their work for yourself.