Distant Day Out - Norwich (Part 1)

I visited Norwich at the tailend of last year to watch Millwall play, yet I've only been able to write up this blogpost just now. As a result, you probably already know the score of that match, so I'll focus on the city itself for this post.

Norwich is the largest city in East Anglia, and is also the oldest in the region, having been granted city status in 1094; however, it has been inhabited since the Iceni tribe settled there in the 1st century AD. Since then, it has significantly grown, perhaps most notably under the Normans, who ordered the construction of a magnificent castle and cathedral, and whose architecture continues to shape the city centre today.

The architecture, in fact, is so fantastic that the city even has a list of twelve buildings - the creatively named Norwich 12 - which they deem to be the highlight of the city. I didn't know about the Norwich 12 before I visited, but I did spot many of them, and thus this post will focus on the twelve that I did see.

Norwich Cathedral

Norwich has historically also been a religious centre, with various churches and priories dotted across the city. It was also the site of a Benedictine monastery, which was eventually transformed into Norwich Cathedral.

The construction of Norwich Cathedral began in 1096, and took fifty years to be fully finalised. The end result, however, is nothing short of marvellous. The magnificent spire, one of the tallest in England, the lovely Caen stone casing, and the ornate hall within is great to look at, and certainly worth a wander around the large cathedral grounds. There's a statue of Lord Nelson, a Norfolk native, to be seen, as well as Edith Cavell's grave, though I didn't have time to see it myself.

 

Rather curiously, some of the stained glass windows are more abstract than one might expect from a church, let alone a medieval cathedral, and the windows themselves are more shaped like chess pieces than icons - though the charm they give outweighs any possible inaccuracies. 

Near the cathedral lies the intricate Ethelbert Gate, now standing unceremoniously by a Zizzi. Its history is rather intriguing, having come about from a series of riots in 1272. At this time, there was a fair held on Tombland, a road in Norwich, which resulted in the monks of Norwich Priory killing many locals - in response, several citizens burned the cathedral down, along with St Ethelbert's Church nearby. In response to these riots, King Henry III ordered the local people to build a gate to replace the church; the gate opened in 1325, and its ornate details make it a worthy entrance to the cathedral grounds.

Norwich Castle

Not too far from the cathedral lies the second significant Norman structure around here - Norwich Castle. Constructed following the Norman Conquest, it was completed in 1121, initially intended to house the king. However, the castle was royally owned for only 200 years - its second life, as a prison, lasted almost 500, during which its Caen stone casing was removed and the structure declined. In 1894, the castle was converted into a museum, and it remains so to this day; when I came by it, there was scaffolding placed around parts of the castle, so parts are currently closed off to visitors. I didn't end up visiting due to timing - the match wasn't too far off at this point - so I couldn't see their many galleries tracing back Norfolk's history or the exhibition of JMW Turner's work, which they proudly advertised outside their grounds. There is, admittedly, a cost - a standard adult ticket is at £7.80 - though there is a twilight ticket at £2.50, and I can't say I've heard of those before. (more on ticket prices here.)

 

City Hall and Guildhall

The City Hall, where Norwich Council are based, is a comparatively modern addition to the city centre, having opened in 1938. Its art deco stylings are quite wonderful and classy, and the Romanesque columns on the balcony were surrounded by fully adorned Christmas trees when I turned up.

Not too far from the City Hall is the Guildhall, which is where the council used to reside, for nearly 500 years. It's far more elaborate, far more excessive, and far more medieval - all strengths in my opinion, even if it's maybe not as suitable for council work. Both make for a refreshing contrast to the bland steel and glassworks that dominate most cities' councils. 

Surrey House

As its exterior reads, this was where insurance provider Norwich Union were situated upon its construction in 1900. Designed by Norwich local George Skipper, its interior is covered with fifteen different types of marble, originally intended for Westminster Cathedral, along with forty columns and stained glass windows in a magnificent looking Marble Hall. Unfortunately, I didn't step inside, though its exterior is quite wonderful, too, and not a letdown.

Norwich Union eventually became Aviva, who still own the building but are now centred in London. 

The Forum

I didn't take a great photo of it as I didn't think too much of the building, then draped in Christmas lights, and thought it looked nothing more than a glassy shopping centre to me. Having since seen aerial photos, it does look lovely in retrospect, and as such I'm disappointed I didn't bother capturing a better image. Here's a better photo, revealing its true extent.

The Forum, unlike my initial assumptions, is part library, part entertainment venue. The BBC are also centred in one wing of the building, whilst the Norfolk Heritage Centre can be found here too. It opened in 2001 to replace the previous Norwich Central Library, which had burnt down in a fire in 1994, and having seen images of its interior, it looks far better than any library that I've been in.

There are thus six other members of the Norwich 12 which I either didn't spot or didn't photograph - the full list is here, and they all look worthy of visiting. I'd love to return to Norwich one day, just to visit the interiors which I unfortunately didn't have time to visit. It's a wonderful city, one which is almost hidden away in Norfolk and has plenty of charm within.

There will be a part 2 on the places in Norwich not considered notable enough to warrant a listing on a marketing page.