Love Letters to Norfolk: a new centenary campaign

These letters can be personal, reflective, poetic or practical. They might celebrate a much-loved landscape or coastline, recall a formative memory, or express concern for the environmental pressures Norfolk faces today.

Together, they will form a collection of voices speaking up for the places we value and want to protect.

Imagined voices from Norfolk’s past

To help inspire people to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard), we will be sharing a series of imagined love letters from figures closely associated with Norfolk’s history.

These include:

• Lord Nelson, reflecting on the county that shaped his sense of duty and resolve. (Read Lord Nelson’s letter here)
• Boudica, writing fiercely of land, freedom and identity (Read Boudica’s letter here)
• Julian of Norwich, offering a contemplative vision of care, continuity and hope (Read Julian of Norwich’ letter here)
• Edith Cavell, speaking quietly of service, compassion and responsibility (Read Edith Cavell’s letter here)
• Anna Sewell, talking about Norfolk as a kind companion with truth and beauty (Read Anna Sewell’s letter here)

We are also delighted that CPRE Norfolk’s President, Sir Nicholas Bacon, will be contributing a special letter, to be published on Valentine’s Day.

These letters are not intended as historical reconstructions, but as creative reflections – a way of showing that love for Norfolk has always taken many forms, and that the impulse to protect it is shared across time.

Why love letters – and why now?

Norfolk’s countryside faces growing challenges: habitat loss, climate change, development pressure, agricultural intensification and declining biodiversity. At the same time, it remains a place of extraordinary beauty, productivity and cultural identity.

By inviting people to write love letters to Norfolk, we want to:

• Celebrate what makes the county special
• Give space for people to express concern as well as affection
• Build a shared picture of why protecting Norfolk’s countryside matters
• Mark CPRE’s centenary by amplifying the voices of those who care most

Your letter does not need to be polished or political. What matters is that it is honest.

How to write your own Love Letter to Norfolk

Not sure how to begin?

We all get a little tongue tied sometimes, so here are a few prompts to help get you started. Remember, there’s no right or wrong.

Dear Norfolk,

I love you because…
The place in Norfolk that matters most to me is…
When I spend time there, I feel…
This landscape matters because…
It gives us…
I want future generations to know…
Norfolk has shaped me by…
One memory I’ll always carry is…
I’m writing this letter because I want Norfolk to be…
With love,
(Your name)

Your letter can be as short or as long as you like. It can focus on one place, one memory, or one concern. There is no single right way to write a love letter.

How to take part

Please email your Love Letter to Norfolk to LoveNorfolk@cprenorfolk.org.uk

Alternatively, you can post it to:
15, Pigg Lane
Norwich
Norfolk
NR3 1RS

Selected letters will be published on our website, shared through our social media channels, and may appear in local media as part of CPRE’s centenary celebrations.

We hope this campaign will remind us that caring for the countryside begins with paying attention to what we love – and finding the words to say why it matters.