EXT. NORFOLK — REGION
Norfolk is flat country with an enormous sky: saltmarsh and dune on the north coast, reed, river and windpump on the Broads, pine forest and heath in the Brecks, and some of the grandest estate houses in England. It reads nothing like the south coast — and it is under three hours from London.
● The short version
Norfolk has an official film office, Norfolk Screen, which handles location enquiries and helps with permissions, but it does not own the ground. Council land sits with the district councils and Norwich, each with its own terms — North Norfolk and King’s Lynn & West Norfolk publish theirs. Road closures go to Norfolk County Council as highway authority. The Broads Authority wants to discuss any commercial drone work first, and the big estates and the National Trust coast have their own routes. Private land needs the owner’s permission and a location agreement.
● THE GROUNDTERRAIN & WHAT IT READS AS
GRD/01
The north coast runs from the Wash to Cromer: saltmarsh, creeks, shingle spits, wide sand at low tide and pine-backed dunes at Holkham. East of Cromer it turns to soft cliff and long beaches down to Great Yarmouth. Tides move fast across the flats — a scheduling question as much as a safety one.
GRD/02
The Broads are rivers, reed beds, open water and windpumps — low, horizontal and wet. In the south-west, the Brecks are sandy heath and the pine plantations of Thetford Forest, managed by Forestry England. Between them sit flint villages, market towns, Norwich’s medieval centre and the great estate houses.
● ACCESS & LOGISTICSWHO CONTROLS WHAT
Permission in Norfolk depends on who owns the ground and which council area it is in. This is the short form.
ACC/01
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Film office | Norfolk Screen, the official film office for the county — location enquiries, permit and road-closure support, unit base advice. info@norfolkscreen.co.uk. It advises; it does not own the land. |
| Highways | Road closures for events and filming are applied for through Norfolk County Council; Norwich City Council acts for it on Norwich roads. Norwich asks for at least 6 weeks for a closure. |
| Norwich | Norwich City Council — events@norwich.gov.uk. Initial contact at least two weeks ahead, £5m public liability, letter drop to neighbours at least seven days before. |
| North Norfolk | North Norfolk District Council — communications@north-norfolk.gov.uk. Public liability and a risk assessment. Daily fees from £100–£500 for small productions, up to £1,500 for large. |
| King’s Lynn & West Norfolk | Borough council communications team — communications@west-norfolk.gov.uk. £5m public liability and £5m employer’s liability. 7 days’ notice for simple shoots, up to 2 months for complex ones; basic requests free, complex £30. |
| Great Yarmouth | Borough council application form. Drones over council property need CAA documentation and £10m public liability. |
| The Broads | Broads Authority: contact it before any commercial drone filming, with CAA permission number, insurance, risk assessment and operational details. No drones over nature reserves, including How Hill. 01603 610734. |
| Estates & forest | Holkham: through the estate’s appointed location managers, Historic Houses Association terms; no drones without written approval. Thetford Forest: Forestry England East District, permit for large commercial projects. |
| National Trust | National Trust Filming and Locations Office — filmoffice@nationaltrust.org.uk. Filming needs a contract signed by both parties; no unauthorised drone flights on Trust land. Its Norfolk coast includes Blakeney, Brancaster, Morston Quay and the Stiffkey saltmarshes. |
| Private land | No council permit. The owner’s written permission and a location agreement. |
Requirements last checked 23 October 2026. Verify current figures and notice periods with the authority before you rely on them.
● QUESTIONSFROM PRODUCTIONS
FAQ/01
Yes. Norfolk Screen is the official film office for the county, appointed by Norfolk County Council. It handles location enquiries and supports productions with permissions, road closures and unit bases. It does not grant access to private land, and council land still needs the relevant district or city council’s permission.
FAQ/02
The district and city councils, each for its own land. Norwich City Council asks for initial contact at least two weeks ahead and £5 million public liability. North Norfolk District Council charges from £100 to £500 a day for small productions and up to £1,500 for large ones. King’s Lynn & West Norfolk asks for £5 million public and employer’s liability and up to two months’ notice for complex shoots.
FAQ/03
Norfolk County Council is the highway authority, and closures are applied for through it; Norwich City Council acts on its behalf for roads in Norwich. Norwich asks for road closure applications at least six weeks in advance. Norfolk Screen can help with the process.
FAQ/04
On the Broads, contact the Broads Authority before any commercial flight with your CAA permission number, insurance, risk assessment and operational details; it asks operators not to fly over nature reserves, including How Hill. Holkham allows drones only with prior written approval and £5 million insurance, and the National Trust does not allow unauthorised drone operation on its land. Every flight also falls under CAA rules.
FAQ/05
The owner. Some large estates, such as Holkham, route filming through appointed location managers. For privately owned houses, farms and land without an agent, a location library such as EXT. holds the relationship, negotiates the fee and the location agreement, and manages the day with the owner.
● EXT.PRIVATE LOCATIONS
EXT. is scouting privately owned houses, farms, estates and coast in Norfolk for the library. If what you need is in private hands, that is the route in.
EXT/01
Tell us the brief and we will tell you whether it exists here, who owns it, and what it costs. mike@extlocations.co.uk · 01202 022 158. Own somewhere in Norfolk? List it free →