Norfolk is the fifth largest county in England, covering an area of 5,371sq km. It was also one of the more heavily populated, according to the Domesday Book, until around 1600. However, it was badly affected by the Black Death and the various outbreaks of the Plague, with thousands of people failing to survive. This, coupled with Norfolk\u2019s relatively isolated location, means that it is one of the few counties where the current population is lower than it was in the early 14th<\/sup> century.<\/p>\n A Centre for Churches<\/strong><\/p>\n Norfolk has 659 mediaeval churches, which is believed to be the highest concentration in the world. It also has 125 churches with round towers, which is a record number in the UK.<\/p>\n And the county can also lay claim to a third church record. St Nicholas\u2019 Church in Great Yarmouth, also known as the Minster Church, is the largest parish church in the country. This is due to its floor surface area, which covers 23,000 square feet.<\/p>\n Modern Postcodes Started in Norwich<\/strong><\/p>\n The Post Office wanted to make the sorting of mail less labour intensive, so it came up with a machine-readable code which people put on addresses at the end of letters. The first trials began in Norfolk\u2019s county town in 1959. The success of this pilot scheme persuaded the Post Office to roll out postcodes across the rest of the country.<\/p>\n The whole programme finished in 1974 back in Norwich, which was given a fresh code. This date is recorded on a blue plaque on the site of the old Post Office in Gentleman\u2019s Walk in the city, now the site of a bank.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A Famous Forest<\/strong><\/p>\n Thetford Forest, on the county\u2019s border with Suffolk, is the largest lowland pine forest in England, covering an area of about 18,730 hectares. The first trees were planted there in the 1920s to replace the nation\u2019s supplies of timber after the First World War. Today part of the forest, known as the Stanford Training Area, is reserved for military exercises and is closed to the public.<\/p>\n Much of the forest is, however, open to visitors and it attracts around 1.5million people every year. It is a haven for wildlife and has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Many people go there for special events such as concerts at the High Lodge Visitor Centre. Ed Sheeran, Simply Red and Blondie have all played there in recent years.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"self](\"http:\/\/www.hamiltonsremovals.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/thetford-forest-300x200.jpg\")
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