[12] Norbury was historically a township in the ancient parish of Marbury, which formed part of the Nantwich hundred of Cheshire.

In some cases, including Marbury, the civil functions were exercised by each township separately rather than the parish as a whole.

In 1866, the legal definition of 'parish' was changed to be the areas used for administering the poor laws, and so Norbury became a separate civil parish.

[18][19][20] From 1974 until 2009, at a district level the civil parish formed part of the borough of Crewe and Nantwich.

There are several small areas of woodland, including Canal Covert around the canal and Steer Brook, Handley Park Covert, and Norbury Common in the north-west corner of the parish, near Common Farm.

[25] The oldest listed building may be Stokes Cottage in Swanwick Green, a timber-framed longhouse with brick infill and a thatched roof; it dates from the 16th or early 17th century.

[26] Another candidate is Brook Farmhouse in Gauntons Bank, part of which originally dates from the late 16th century, and was subsequently extended several times.

[28] Olive Cottage in Norbury Common is a timber-framed building with brick infill and a thatched roof; it dates originally from the mid-17th century.

[29] Church Bridge on the Llangollen Canal dates from the late 18th or early 19th century; its single span is constructed of red sandstone.