Mousehold Heath Defenders

The care of Mousehold is officially under

the watchful guidance of a committee
known as the Mousehold Heath Conservators and unofficially by the citizens themselves.

In 1972 a new voluntary action group known as the Mousehold Heath Defenders was formed to " protect Mousehold against encroachment on its area and its
environment"
 With representation on the
Conservators this group, working with the
governing body has tried to make a significant contribution to the long term survival of Mousehold Heath.

Any attempts to rob the citizens of their
Heath brings forth a wave of protest and
anxiety. In May 1947 the War Office
proposed to take over 150 acres of
Mousehold for a battle training ground.
The volume of protest this caused
resulted 4 months later in the
abandonment of the scheme. In 1977 a Pitch and Putt course was laid out but the proposal to build a car park adjacent was abandoned after vigorous opposition from the Defenders.

More recently the felling of numerous beautiful trees including mature oaks and an extensive scrape of the soil in order to bring back heather and heathland generated an impassioned protest and many new members of the Mousehold Heath Defenders

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Taken from the Mousehold Heath Act 1984

There shall be 12 Conservators appointed as follows
  9 by the Council of which no less than 7 shall be members of the Council
  3 appointed by organisations appearing to the Council to be representative of
  persons interested in the Conservation of the Environment in the City.
Provided that so long as the Mousehold Heath Defenders are in existence they shall appoint one of the Conservators appointed under this paragraph, and so long as the
  Norwich Society is in existence it shall appoint one of the Conservators appointed under this paragragh