Great Yarmouth, #1 on this list · Photo: habiloid · CC BY-SA 2.0

Norfolk rankings · History

Most historic towns in Norfolk

Great Yarmouth ranks first on history among Norfolk’s 51 towns of 2,500+; 10 of the 51 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The History Grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): listed buildings, monuments and registered parks (Historic England, Cadw), per resident and as a count, and homes built before 1919. The rank across England and Wales sits beside each letter. How grades work

Great Yarmouth

28,979 people

A⁺

Better than 96% of UK towns·#67 of 2,156 in England and Wales

Cromer

7,522 people

Better than 91% of UK towns·#134 of 2,156 in England and Wales

Aylsham

7,183 people

Better than 86% of UK towns·#237 of 2,156 in England and Wales

All 51 towns, ranked

History grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England and Wales links to the national list.

Every town in Norfolk →

Find a town

51 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1Great Yarmouth28,979 peopleA⁺#67 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

2Cromer7,522 peopleA#134 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 91% of UK towns

3Aylsham7,183 peopleA#237 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 86% of UK towns

4Upwell and Outwell3,664 peopleA#247 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 86% of UK towns

5Harleston5,077 peopleA⁻#293 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 84% of UK towns

6Diss9,599 peopleA⁻#372 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

7Norwich200,744 peopleA⁻#384 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 79% of UK towns

8Holt4,014 peopleA⁻#407 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 78% of UK towns

9King's Lynn47,604 peopleA⁻#419 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 78% of UK towns

10Fakenham8,390 peopleA⁻#470 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 75% of UK towns

11Elm and Emneth4,555 peopleB⁺#624 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 69% of UK towns

12Swaffham8,434 peopleB⁺#633 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 68% of UK towns

13Snettisham2,709 peopleB⁺#661 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 67% of UK towns

14North Walsham12,829 peopleB⁺#688 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 66% of UK towns

15Wymondham16,334 peopleB#710 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 65% of UK towns

16Downham Market11,349 peopleB#730 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 64% of UK towns

17Terrington St Clement2,792 peopleB#793 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 61% of UK towns

18Thetford25,502 peopleB#801 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 61% of UK towns

19Dereham20,788 peopleB#878 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 57% of UK towns

20Long Stratton5,218 peopleB#900 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 56% of UK towns

21Costessey2,608 peopleB#912 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 55% of UK towns

22Heacham3,978 peopleB⁻#950 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 54% of UK towns

23Hunstanton4,230 peopleB⁻#985 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns

24Gorleston-on-Sea24,474 peopleB⁻#1,054 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 49% of UK towns

25Hoveton and Wroxham3,620 peopleB⁻#1,123 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 46% of UK towns

26Feltwell2,919 peopleC⁺#1,254 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 40% of UK towns

27Blofield2,667 peopleC⁺#1,276 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 40% of UK towns

28Watton11,549 peopleC⁺#1,322 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 37% of UK towns

29Stalham3,383 peopleC#1,383 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 34% of UK towns

30Dersingham4,753 peopleC#1,387 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 34% of UK towns

31Martham3,633 peopleC#1,391 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 34% of UK towns

32Watlington2,593 peopleC#1,438 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 32% of UK towns

33Hemsby5,724 peopleC#1,467 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 31% of UK towns

34Attleborough11,236 peopleC#1,468 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 30% of UK towns

35Hethersett7,018 peopleC#1,501 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 29% of UK towns

36Mundesley2,777 peopleC#1,509 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 29% of UK towns

37Sheringham7,087 peopleC#1,515 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 28% of UK towns

38Belton3,603 peopleC#1,532 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 28% of UK towns

39Ormesby St Margaret2,741 peopleC⁻#1,588 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 25% of UK towns

40Mulbarton3,807 peopleC⁻#1,630 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 23% of UK towns

41Poringland7,105 peopleC⁻#1,663 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 21% of UK towns

42Taverham and Drayton14,989 peopleC⁻#1,700 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 20% of UK towns

43Cringleford4,686 peopleC⁻#1,709 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 19% of UK towns

44Caister-on-Sea9,095 peopleC⁻#1,767 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 17% of UK towns

45Brundall4,378 peopleD#1,816 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 14% of UK towns

46Horsford4,396 peopleD#1,853 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 13% of UK towns

47Spixworth3,418 peopleD#1,856 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 12% of UK towns

48West Winch2,828 peopleD#1,882 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 11% of UK towns

49Hopton on Sea2,575 peopleD#1,947 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 9% of UK towns

50Bradwell11,632 peopleD⁻#2,118 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 2% of UK towns

51Queen's Hills4,465 peopleD⁻#2,130 of 2,156 nationallybehind almost every UK town

Not ranked

Not on this list

1 military garrison town or university campus keeps its grade but isn’t ranked: most residents serve in the forces or are students.

Marham 2,608 people. Garrison town.

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the most historic town in Norfolk?

Great Yarmouth ranks first on history among 51 towns, with an A+: better than 96% of UK towns. Cromer and Aylsham follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The History Grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): listed buildings, monuments and registered parks (Historic England, Cadw), per resident and as a count, and homes built before 1919. The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers Norfolk’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in Norfolk is on the county page.

Go deeper

More Norfolk lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Norfolk rankings →

Best places to live51 towns · #1 Poringland Best small towns38 towns · #1 Poringland Most affordable towns51 towns · #1 Queen's Hills Safest towns51 towns · #1 Mulbarton Towns with the best schools51 towns · #1 Wymondham Healthiest towns51 towns · #1 Poringland Best towns for jobs & income51 towns · #1 Cringleford Most walkable towns51 towns · #1 Great Yarmouth Towns with the lowest flood risk51 towns · #1 Blofield and 17 more Best towns for the outdoors51 towns · #1 Sheringham Towns with the most civic life51 towns · #1 Mundesley Towns with the highest household incomes52 towns · #1 CringlefordDescribed, no letters Towns with the lowest council tax52 towns · #1 King's LynnDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters52 towns · #1 Great YarmouthDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers52 towns · #1 FeltwellDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers52 towns · #1 SheringhamDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts52 towns · #1 CromerDescribed, no letters Driest towns52 towns · #1 Caister-on-SeaDescribed, no letters Wettest towns52 towns · #1 CromerDescribed, no letters

Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Cadw listed buildings, scheduled monuments and registered historic parks and gardens via DataMapWales, October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.