Norwich ( (listen)) is a city in Norfolk, England, about 100 miles (160 km) north-east of London. Located on the River Wensum, Norwich is the county town of Norfolk and traditionally seen as the chief city of East Anglia. Its population in 2019 was estimated at 197,212. The local authority for the city is Norwich City Council.
The site of modern Norwich was settled by the Anglo-Saxons between the 5th and 7th centuries, near the former Iceni capital and Roman town of Venta Icenorum. Norwich became fully established as a town in the 10th century and developed into a prominent centre for trade and commerce in East Anglia. Norwich Cathedral and Norwich Castle were founded soon after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Norwich was granted city status by Richard the Lionheart in 1194. The city greatly benefited from the wool trade throughout the Middle Ages and prospered as a port with the status of a staple port; until the 18th century, it was the second-largest city in England (after London).Norwich's fortunes declined with the advent of the Industrial Revolution and the rise of new industrial towns of the north. The city underwent de-industrialisation in the 19th century but remained a regional agricultural and manufacturing centre, with a prominent shoemaking industry. After the Second World War, Norwich gradually transitioned into a service-based economy. The University of East Anglia, established in 1963, is located on the outskirts of Norwich.