Things to do in Norwich
Knowledge Train Norwich,
Cavell House & Austin House,
Stannard Place,
Norwich NR3 1YE,
England,
United Kingdom.
Attractions
Norwich is a popular tourism destination in the United Kingdom. Attractions include Norwich Cathedral, Norwich Castle, Cow Tower, Dragon Hall and The Forum.
Norwich is one of the UK’s top ten shopping destinations. Norwich Market is one of the largest outdoor markets in England.
The Northamptonshire Central Library in the town centre is a Grade II listed building. Other public libraries are dotted across Northampton.
The Forum is the regional headquarters and television centre for BBC East. Its collections contain the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library and provide a venue for art exhibitions, concerts, and events, although the city still lacks a dedicated concert venue.
The city promotes its architectural heritage through a collection of notable buildings in Norwich called the “Norwich 12” – Norwich Castle, Norwich Cathedral, the Great Hospital, St Andrew’s Hall and Blackfriars’ Hall, The Guildhall, Dragon Hall, The Assembly House, St James Mill, St John the Baptist RC Cathedral, Surrey House, City Hall and The Forum. The annual Norfolk and Norwich Festival draws many tourists into the city from all over eastern England.
Norwich Arts Centre is a famous local live music venue located in St Benedict’s Street. Norwich has 3 cinemas – Odeon Norwich near Riverside Leisure Centre, Vue inside the Castle Mall and Cinema City in St Andrews Street opposite St Andrew’s Hall.
Music venues and cinemas in Norwich
The Adrian Flux WaterfrontThe Waterfront, 139-141 King Street, Norwich NR1 1QH, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 01603 632717 |
Epic Studios112-114 Magdalen Street, Norwich NR3 1JD, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 01603 727727 |
The TalkOak Street, Norwich NR3 3BP, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 01603 660220 |
The SpaceThe Space, Norwich NR7 8SQ, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 01603 484630 |
Map showing music venues and cinemas in Norwich
Theatres
The Theatre Royal is the largest theatre in the city and is nearly 250 years old, though it has undergone several rebuildings and many alterations.
The Maddermarket Theatre opened in 1921 and was the first permanent recreation of an Elizabethan theatre.
The Norwich Playhouse opened in 1995. Located in the heart of the city, it is one of the most modern performance spaces of its size in East Anglia.
Sewell Barn Theatre is the smallest theatre in Norwich, featuring raked seating on three sides of an open acting space helping to draw the audience closer into the performance.
More theatres in Norwich
Norwich Theatre RoyalTheatre Street, Norwich NR2 1RL, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 01603 630000 |
Norwich Playhouse42 – 58 St Georges Street, Norwich NR3 1AB, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 01603 598598 |
The Maddermarket TheatreSaint John’s Alley, Norwich NR2 1DR, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 01603 620917 |
Norwich Puppet TheatreSaint James Court, Whitefriars, Norwich NR3 1TN, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 01603 629921 |
Platform TheatreNorwich NR1 2QH, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 0844 888 9991 |
Sewell BarnNorwich NR3 4BH, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 01603 418803 |
Map showing theatres in Norwich
Museums
Norwich has several museums, the largest of which, Norwich Castle Museum, has extensive collections of archaeological finds from Norfolk, art, ceramics and natural history.
Strangers’ Hall, a merchant’s house from the early 14th century, is one of the oldest buildings in Norwich. Exhibits include costumes and textiles, domestic objects, children’s toys and games and children’s books.
The Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum illustrates the history of the regiment from its 17th-century origins to its incorporation into the Royal Anglian Regiment in 1964, along with many aspects of its military life. There is an extensive display of medals awarded to soldiers of the regiment, including two of the six Victoria Crosses won.
The City of Norwich Aviation Museum is at Horsham St Faith, on the northern edge of the city, close to Norwich Airport. It has static displays of military and civil aircraft, with various collective exhibits, including one for the United States 8th Army Air Force.
Dragon Hall is a recreation of a medieval merchants’ trading hall. Most of the building dates from 1430. It is complemented by displays on the history of the building and its role in Norwich through the ages.
More museums in Norwich
The Museum of Norwich at the BridewellBridewell Alley, Norwich NR2 1AQ, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 01603 629127 |
The South Asia CollectionThe South Asia Collection, 34-36 Bethel Street, Norwich NR2 1NR, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 01603 663890 |
Norwich Castle Museum & Art GalleryCastle Street, Norwich NR1 3JU, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 01603 493625 |
Strangers’ Hall4 Charing Cross, Norwich NR2 4AL, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 01603 493625 |
Map showing museums in Norwich
Norwich trivia
Norwich had significant manufacturing industries in the early 20th century, including shoes, clothing, joinery, structural engineering, and aircraft design and manufacture.
Norwich also has a long association with chocolate making, but all chocolate manufacturing operations have since moved to York.
The city has a long tradition of brewing and while major breweries have moved elsewhere, many privately owned microbreweries remain today.
Norwich suffered extensive bomb damage during World War II, affecting large parts of the old city centre and Victorian terrace housing around the centre. Industry and the rail infrastructure also suffered. The heaviest raids occurred in April 1942 as part of the Baedeker raids. Norwich’s new City Hall survived unscathed but the Morgan’s Brewery building, Colman’s Wincarnis works, City Station, the Mackintosh chocolate factory, and shopping areas including St Stephen’s St and St Benedict’s St all suffered extreme damage.
In 1945 the city was also the intended target of a brief V-2 rocket campaign, though all these missed the city itself.
In 1960, the inner-city district of Richmond between Ber Street and King Street was condemned as slums and the whole borough was demolished. Communities were moved to high-rise buildings such as Normandie Tower and new housing estates such as Tuckswood, which were being built at the time. Ber Street, a once historic main road into the city, had its whole eastern side demolished.
Other housing developments in the private and public sector took place after the Second World War, partly to accommodate the city’s growing population and replace condemned and bomb-damaged areas. It has been said that the council destroyed more of Norwich’s architecture in post-war redevelopment schemes than during WW2.
