I booked a room for Norwich this weekend! I'm planning to spend one night.
And now, please tell me what I should be sure to see. The cathedral is already on my list, as is the castle. Looking at the area website, it looks like there are several interesting museums, including the castle museum and a Bridewell museum. There's also something called "Strangers Hall."
I know I'm past the prime tourist season, and a lot of tourist stuff is closed now, but I'm where I am when I am.
ps. Is there anything surviving re Julian of Norwich? Which church (or monastery) was she "attached" to? Is there a way to "visit" her? (I wonder how many tourists ask that? It does seem weird to want to visit an anchorite.)
It was bombed to the ground in WWII, but rebuilt shortly thereafter, including her cell. Looks like it's been recently renovated, too: http://www.julianofnorwich.org/julian.shtml
ReplyDeleteQuod She is my source of all things Norwich. When I went, I just did what she told me.
ReplyDeleteBTW, there is fantastic birdwatching around there!
The Adam and Eve pub. St. Peter Mancroft.
ReplyDeleteThe Castle Museum has some great stuff from the old civic parades (St. George etc.), as well as some paintings from the Norwich School.
You can go onto Mousehold Heath, where Kett's rebellion camped.
There are boats on the river...
I lived there for a year more than 30 years ago, so some stuff I don't know any more, but the market used to be lots of fun.
Oh, and the Assembly Rooms: you can get a cup of tea, and at least they used to have delicious cheese scones. And while it's not as big as Bath, you can see what an 18th C provincial town had as an "assembly room" -- Norwich was, of course, pretty important in the 18th C, but still, it wasn't Bath.
I was really taken by the Cathedral. You aren't by any chance staying at Gothic House, are you?
ReplyDeleteFrom what I hear the restaurant scene is pretty good as well, but I made the mistake of planning my two-night stay there poorly, and was stuck there on a Sunday night. Virtually everything closed at 5; by that point, I'd spent quite some time in the UK and was used to that, but this was a severe shutdown.
In addition to the above, walk around the Elm Hill area. The Adam and Eve pub is there and a great cafe, the Britton Arms, with a fireplace. There is a lovely country pub just out of town near Itteringham, The Walpole Arms. It has a web site. Holkham and Blickling are nearby, as is Ely and the beautiful Cathedral. Of course, now we're talking a week's stay. The Stranger's hall is associated with the Dutch immigrants, who were textile workers. They were known colloquially as "the strangers."
ReplyDeleteHere are my posts on Norwich:
ReplyDeletehttp://quodshe.wordpress.com/2008/02/03/sticking-up-for-norwich/
http://quodshe.wordpress.com/2008/02/06/more-pictures-of-norwich/
The one thing I didn't get to see (which would have interested me) was "Dragon Hall." I mention and link to it in the post, but I don't know how touristy (or not) it is.
I don't know why I didn't post pictures of Julian's reconstructed anchorage, but I went there. But Vellum has given you the website. It's fairly near Dragon Hall, as I recall, but both are a bit off the beaten path.
Also: what everyone else says.
Thanks, all!
ReplyDeleteDr. V, I went back and read your posts, and was amused to see that I'd responded to the first saying that I'd never been to Norwich. And now I'm going!
I'm just about ready (except for morning toothbrush and contact lens stuff packing), and have written down your suggestions :)
Thanks!