The civil parish has an area of and in the 2011 census had a population of 12,634. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of North Norfolk.
North Walsham, an Anglo-Saxon settlement, and the neighbouring village of Worstead became very prosperous from the 12th century through the arrival of weavers from Flanders. The two settlements gave their names to the textiles they produced: "Walsham" became the name of a light-weight cloth for summer wear, and "Worsted" a heavier cloth. The 14th century "wool churches" are a testament to the prosperity of the local mill owners. North Walsham's church of St. Nicholas was originally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and is one of the UK's largest parish churches. It was also the site of a wayside shrine to St. Thomas of Canterbury. This church had the second-tallest steeple in Norfolk until its collapse in 1724. Plans for its rebuilding were abandoned at the outbreak of the Second World War. The ruined tower dominates the town centre and is a famous landmark of the area, visible from many miles away. In the parish church of St. Nicholas can be found the ornate tomb of Sir William Paston; the remains of medieval painted screens; a telescopic Gothic font canopy; a unique Royal Arms Board; an ancient iron bound chest; and many other ancient artifacts. North Walsham was involved in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. The peasants' leaders were defeated at the Battle of North Walsham and the site is marked by a wayside stone near the town's water towers. The English naval hero, Horatio Nelson and his brother William were educated at Paston Grammar School in North Walsham, founded by Sir William Paston in 1606. Nelson left the school to start his naval career at the age of eleven. The school became Paston College in 1984. As part of the millennium celebrations, ten mosaics were commissioned, showing scenes from local history, including the Peasants' Revolt and the Great Fire of North Walsham and a picture of a Norfolk wherry – an allusion to the canal. During World War II a North Walsham man lost his life when his Royal Air Force training airplane crashed in the United States. Local residents living near the site, in the State of Oklahoma, erected a monument in 2000 honoring the lives of all four RAF fliers who perished. The residents, who include Choctaw Native American People and the Choctaw Nation government, continue honoring the lives of all four on each anniversary of the crashes, which took place in February 1943.
Cinemas
North Walsham Picturedrome opened in King Arms Street around 1912 and survived until around September 1931. In 1931 the Regal Cinema opened in New Road and was open until 1979. When the Regal closed the building was turned into a Vauxhall car dealership and later a Plant hire business, but in 2018 was knocked down to make room for housing. 32 years later, North Walsham now has a cinema once again, in the form of the Atrium which opened in 2011. The Atrium is a state-of-the-art theatre and cinema with regular screenings and special events around the films.
Great Fire
The Great Fire of North Walsham took place on 25 June 1600. It began at six o'clock in the morning from a house occupied by a person with the surname of Dowle. Dowle subsequently fled and was captured and placed in gaol. The fire was devastating and destroyed one hundred and eighteen homes, seventy shops, the market cross and market stalls. Although the church caught fire in five places it remained mostly unharmed and provided shelter for the people whilst the town was rebuilt.
is a community school, for pupils aged 11 to 16 located in the town. The school includes a £5.3m arts and education development called the Atrium which is open to the wider community, funded by the initial co-location funds of reanimating communities. The building belongs to North Walsham High School, but the theatre, cinema, workshop and events programme is run by a registered charity. The charity formed in early 2013 and operates as 'the Atrium'.
Sport
North Walsham is home to a London 1 North rugby team. North Walsham R.F.C. narrowly missed out on promotion to National League 2 in 2005-06, losing a play-off to Nuneaton.
Museum
North Walsham is also home to the Norfolk Motorcycle Museum. A privately owned collection of around 80 motorcycles up to 1960. Also on display are toys, especially die-cast toys.
