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What we do

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  • Norwich‘s heritage
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HEART's vision

Remarkably, the passage of centuries has not meant that our heritage has been destroyed, but rather it has become fragmented and forgotten. And yet collectively it represents one of the most significant heritage resources in the UK and indeed Europe.

HEART aims to:

• record, conserve, manage, regenerate and promote Norwich's heritage to show why Norwich deserves to be known as one of the premier heritage destinations in the UK and Europe
• achieve an integrated approach to heritage-led regeneration which delivers measurable economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits to demonstrate why heritage should not be seen as a marginal issue

HEART is driving through the delivery of a £75m business plan over 10-15 years in order to do this. It is also establishing the co-ordinated delivery of one of the most outstanding cultural heritage products in Europe as a key driver for the local and regional economy and proving that a transferable heritage model can be a dynamic agent for economic and social regeneration.

HEART's activities

Norwich HEART's varied work falls under the following few categories, with each category containing a vast range of activities. For more information on any, simply click their name:

• Norwich 12 - An iconic set of outstanding heritage buildings being developed as a universally important integrated family of cultural, economic and social attractions for visitors and local people. Includes one of the most ambitious secular Norman building in Europe, the only English friary to survive intact from the medieval period right up to the landmark millennium project for the East of England.
• SHAPING 24 - Building on the work of the Norwich 12 project, Norwich HEART, in partnership with Ghent in Belgium, formed a new cultural tourism initiative called SHAPING 24 (Strategies for Heritage Access Pathways in Norwich and Ghent). This project seeks to promote and support the Norwich 12 heritage sites, as well as 12 sites in Ghent, to increase awareness of the longstanding historical links between the East of England and the Low Countries.
• The Strings of Pearls - A series of heritage collections, sets and groupings which can be developed as a linked portfolio of themed attractions. Includes the largest collection of pre-Reformation churches of any city north of the Alps, the largest group of medieval undercrofts in the UK and one of the UK's largest collections of merchant houses.
• Time and Space - Norwich's historic and distinctive public spaces which bind together important heritage resources and provide a platform to develop economic and cultural activity. This includes the largest and most complete medieval street pattern in England. An example of our work in Time and Space is in the Norwich Lanes area.
• Colman's Mustard Shop & Museum - In August 2009, HEART took over Colman's Mustard Shop as a retail operation and tourist attraction, after a review by the prior owners led to the announcement of its closure. Since taking over, HEART have rebranded the store, improving its status as a heritage attraction as well as expanding its retail operation into the world of e-commerce whilst broadening the range of available products. For more information, visit www.mustardshopnorwich.co.uk

Supported by HM Treasury's Invest to Save Budget