Norwich 12
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Norwich 12 is a collection of individually outstanding heritage buildings spanning the Norman, medieval, Georgian, Victorian and modern eras in the city of Norwich, England.
The group consists of: Norwich Castle, Norwich Cathedral, The Great Hospital, The Halls - St Andrew's and Blackfriars', The Guildhall, Dragon Hall, The Assembly House, St James Mill, St John's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Surrey House, City Hall and The Forum.
Seen as a group they form an internationally important showcase of English urban and cultural development over the last millennium. Not only do the buildings have great architectural value in themselves, they also house important religious, civic, commercial and other institutions which have helped to shape the city's development, as well as cultural collections of international significance.
Norwich 12 is an initiative by Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust (HEART), a private, charitable trust set up to act as an umbrella organisation for all the heritage on offer in Norwich and to be a best practice exemplar internationally for heritage as a social and economic regeneration vehicle.
In 2006 HEART secured almost £1 million from HM Treasury's Invest to Save budget to launch the Norwich 12 initiative. The overall aim is to develop the 12 iconic buildings into an integrated family of heritage attractions which will act as an internationally important showcase of English urban and cultural development over the last 1,000 years.
The project was inspired by a similar heritage concept that has been adopted in Philadelphia, USA. The American city's Independence National Historical Park is a collection of buildings and open spaces that are managed by the US National Park Service. As with the Philadelphia project, Norwich 12 seeks to connect the group of buildings and promote them as a significant collective destination.
