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Norfolk Heritage Centre
About us
Norfolk Heritage Centre holds the most comprehensive collection of published material telling the story of Norfolk and its people.
Our collection includes maps of the county spanning 500 years, the first book printed in Norwich (in 1568), and the Norwich Apocalypse, a unique medieval manuscript dating from the 13th century.
Our special collections include the Norwich City Library (established in 1608) and the personal library of Jeremiah James Colman, of Colman’s mustard.
We also house the Norfolk LGBTQ+ Collection, which is comprised of ephemera (leaflets, posters, flyers), maps, magazines, books, badges, photographs, zines, amongst many other items telling local LGBTQ+ stories. The collection has been donated by local LGBTQ+ groups and individuals, including Norwich Pride and the Norfolk LGBT+ Project. The collection is available for public access.
We hold over 175,000 photos showing life in Norfolk from the Victorian era to modern times. You can view many of these on Picture Norfolk.
We also have a wide selection of books on family and local history you can borrow.
Visiting Norfolk Heritage Centre
Norfolk Heritage Centre is open from 10am - 7pm on Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm on Saturday and closed on Sunday.
You can drop in at any time to view microfilm or open reference books. If you wish to view anything from the stored collection, there are half-hourly item request times starting 15 minutes after opening and ending one hour and 15 minutes before closing. There may be a short wait to receive your requested items.
Location
We're on the second floor of the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library, The Forum, Millennium Plain, Norwich, NR2 1AW
Resources and facilities
- More than half a million printed volumes, maps, newspapers and photographs
- PCs and free internet access
- Access to the most popular Norfolk Record Office archives
- Microform readers and reader-printers
- Free access to the Norfolk Library and Information Service subscriptions, including Find My Past and the British Newspaper Archive
If you'd like access to items from our store, you'll need to bring your Norfolk library card or proof of your name and address with you.
If you have any questions about our collections, it’s helpful if you contact us before your visit. Email us at heritagecentre@norfolk.gov.uk.
Events
We hold a varied programme of events including family history courses, research workshops and family activities. See our Eventbrite page for more details.
School visits
We offer free visits for school groups which support many areas of the history curriculum. We can also tailor sessions to your requirements. Email heritagecentre@norfolk.gov.uk for more information.
News and updates
You can stay in touch with us in lots of ways:
- Follow us on HC Twitter, Instagram and HC Facebook
- Listen to the Norfolk Heritage Centre podcast
- Sign up for our enewsletter below