NORWICH IN ITS REGIONAL SETTING 13 
southwards across the old bay, and by this means many square miles of 
valuable marsh land have been reclaimed. Great Yarmouth, the second 
largest town in Norfolk, stands on this spit, divided from Caister by the 
North Denes and retaining a small portion of the South Denes to the 
south ; with the sea on the east and the marshes to the west, Yarmouth 
furnishes a clear example of a town whose shape has been largely deter- 
mined by physical features, and where expansion to meet modern needs 
is a difficult problem. Although a part of the North Denes has been used 
in recent years for the purpose of extending the residential area of 
Yarmouth the real expansion is taking place at Gorleston on the other 
side of the river, where there is more width from east to west. 
GEOGRAPHICAL SUB-REGIONS.* 
From a description of the coast-lines where the changes are so distinctive 
that it is a comparatively easy matter to define the boundaries of each zone, 
we turn to the more difficult problem of defining the geographical sub- 
regions ” of the interior. Location, altitude, geology, configuration, soils, 
vegetation, land usage, the culture of the earlier inhabitants, are some of 
the major factors to be taken into consideration in arriving at the character 
of each zone. At best, the majority of the lines shown as their boundaries 
must be regarded as approximate. Breckland, for example, is recognised 
as a sub-region by most authorities, but there is by no means unanimity 
on the question of its extent and boundaries. My own acquaintance ® 
with the locality has led me to suggest yet another boundary-line as a fair 
indication of the Norfolk portion of this sub-region. (See map, p. 20.) 
Breckland.—Breckland, formerly the most thickly populated district 
of East Anglia, now one of the thinly populated areas of England, presents 
an interesting example of a region favourable for the development of the 
culture of prehistoric man by reason of its dry ground, supply of flints, 
and lack of close vegetation, but is devoid of the natural resources necessary 
for the development of a prosperous rural or industrial community of the 
_ present age. Its unquestioned beauty is to be seen in the rolling uplands 
which stand out in contrast to the valleys of the fairly fast-flowing rivers, 
_ the Lark, Little Ouse, Thet and Wissey, which dissect it. Here the chalk 
— 
is covered by a thin mantle of materials arenaceous and porous in character, 
consisting mainly of blown sand mixed in parts with stones. By reason 
_ of the texture of the soil and the frequency of strong winds, the loss of 
moisture by seepage and evaporation is considerable. ‘The land surface 
quickly dries even after heavy rains, and where the soil is laid bare by the 
plough or rabbits the surface becomes loose and powdery. Many dust- 
storms have been recorded, and in 1650 a dust-storm lasting several days 
6a See Map I. 
7 The sub-regions are based on those of P. M. Roxby. The chief differences 
are—slight alteration of Breckland boundaries: the division of High Norfolk 
into two sub-regions ; a somewhat larger area for Broadland ; and the separation 
of the Fleggs from the Loam region of North-East Norfolk. 
8 T am indebted to Lord Fisher of Kilverstone for giving valuable information 
regarding the extent of Breckland, and some of the developments within its 
borders. 
