A History of Norfolk

Norfolk is a relatively isolated county, cut off by sea, fen, rivers and heath from the rest of England. After turbulent times in the Dark Ages, dominated by invasions by both Germanic and Scandinavian peoples, Norfolk became the most prosperous and populous county in the Middle Ages when England's wealth was based on sheep and trade with Europe. Later, when North Sea trade gave way to Atlantic routes, it became a food producer for an industrial Britain with improved methods of agriculture developed within the county. 165 color and b/w illus.