City of Norwich

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Region: East of England
Country: England

§ This page provides an overview of an officially designated city in the UK, bringing together various information to help you better understand this city.

Norwich’s civic status was confirmed by Letters Patent in 1974, reflecting a much older standing that stems from medieval charters and its role as diocesan seat since the 11th century; historically a leading wool and worsted centre, its long civic tradition continues under a two-tier system with Norwich City Council as a non-metropolitan district within Norfolk County Council; a 2010 bid to become a unitary authority was cancelled, a 2024 single-county devolution deal was halted, and in 2025 government consulted on creating a Norfolk and Suffolk mayoral combined authority.

City Council Status

Norwich City Council is a non-metropolitan district; Norfolk County Council provides county-level services. Norwich remains two-tier (not a unitary authority).

Civic Honours: Lord Mayors & Lord Provost

Norwich was granted a Lord Mayoralty in 1910 (reconfirmed in 1974).

In the UK, city status and the dignity of Lord Mayor (or Lord Provost in Scotland) are separate honours, each granted by the monarch via letters patent. Of the 76 cities, 28 have a Lord Mayoralty and 4—Scotland’s four cities—have a Lord Provost; these titles don’t automatically follow from city status. A Lord Mayoralty exists in 24 cities in England, 2 in Wales, and 2 in Northern Ireland.

Only 24 cities in England have Lord Mayors: Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Canterbury, Chester, Coventry, Exeter, Kingston-upon-Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, the City of London, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, the City of Westminster, and York.

In the UK, a city is not defined by size or population but by formal status granted by the monarch, often through historical charters or, more recently, civic honours competitions. There are 76 officially recognised cities, some of which are relatively small compared to other urban areas. In contrast, local authority districts (361 in total) are administrative areas created for local government purposes and may include a mix of urban centres, suburbs, and rural communities. Within districts, there may be one or more towns, which generally refer to sizeable urban settlements but do not hold city status unless it has been formally granted. In practice, a city can exist within a district, and a district can cover multiple towns, showing the clear distinction between legal status, administrative boundaries, and everyday usage.

Cities in East of England