Norwich – my home abroad

My First Visit

When I think of the first time I walked through Norwich, it’s the flint I remember most. Stark, black, imposing, gorgeous, and everywhere. I imagine after many of my memories of Norwich are gone, it will be the flint that I continue to remember.

It didn’t take much for me to become enamored with the city. That day, all I did was take a short stroll through the Norwich Lanes, but it was enough to fulfill many of my hopes for moving to England. Nearly every storefront seemed to belong to a locally owned business. I got lost in the winding streets which were filled with timber framed buildings dating back hundreds of years. Leaded windows on the upper floors reached for the sunlight that, on a clear day, would creep over the neighboring roofs. You see, I didn’t want to move 4,000 miles away only to feel like I was in just another city which could be in any of a dozen different countries. Norwich, to me, felt quintessentially English, and just what I was looking for.

Norwich Market

Now, nearly 3 years later, I’ve had a chance to get to know Norwich a little bit better. What I saw in that one afternoon didn’t even scratch the surface of what the city has to offer. If you wander in just the right direction through the Lanes (or use a map) you’ll find the market. Norwich Market is Britain’s largest outdoor market and oldest permanent market. It has won a few awards over the years and I think those are absolutely deserved.

The market has changed over the centuries, as one would expect for anything which is 900 years old. The last renovation was completed in 2006 which “upgraded” the previous stalls to allow for more defined aisles, level floors for stall owners, and a more robust infrastructure. The overall character of the market, I believe, has been retained, but I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia for the market which existed in a time I have no real right to miss. Perhaps, though, it was a reasonable compromise between health & safety and maintaining some aspects of its character and traditional layout. In any case, the market has survived many transformations over hundreds of years and continues to be an active place of trade today.

From Monday to Saturday it bustles with activity. There’s no doubt that it is the perfect place for a quick meal and a browse. The food scene within the market has recently blossomed and cuisine from around the world can be bought at a reasonable price. But if you’re just looking for British classics, you can find those here, too. Occasionally, usually around payday, I’ll do my grocery shopping there. At times I’ll even splurge on a nice round of Selles sur Cher, a lovely goat cheese from France.

Norwich Castle

From the top of the market peering towards my favorite creperie, you can see Norwich Castle elevated high above the rest of the city on its man-made motte. Its proximity to the market isn’t accidental. After the Normans Conquest in 1066, they built a castle and moved the market from Tombland to its current location. The castle keep we see today, lovingly nicknamed the square box on the hill, replaced the timber structure in 1094.

At the time, the Normans had only recently gained control of the throne and they were attempting to show their strength and intentions to stay. As a result, there was tension between the Normans and the Anglo-Saxons. It was helpful to have the market near the castle so that trade could be managed and the peace could be kept should fights break out. The castle, conveniently, is close enough to shoot an arrow from the battlements into the market in order to disband any violent mobs.

Norwich Cathedral

At the same time the Normans were building the castle, they were also building the cathedral. Two ways to impose oneself onto a new people: government and religion. The stone used for both was floated on barges from Caen in Normandy – another imposition of Norman landscape onto the people of Norwich.

What were once a show of Norman power and control are now beloved parts of the city. The spire of Norwich Cathedral can be seen from almost anywhere within the medieval walls of the city. It’s nearly the tallest in England second only to Salisbury Cathedral. The cathedral and its spire have become a rather comforting sight for me. It’s something sure and fixed no matter where I wander in the city. In the evenings I’m always aware that there is a chance, if I’m lucky, that the sun will hit it just right and make it look as if it’s made from gold.

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Shaped by Fire

Just a short walk from the cathedral is Elm Hill, a real gem within the city. Elm Hill is probably the best preserved street of Tudor houses in England. Often people think London should surely have something that outdoes it, a larger collection, a better preserved street from the 1500s. This story of the Tudor landscape is shaped by fire.

Elm Hill

In 1507 Norwich had a series of devastating fires which destroyed at least 700 houses, most of them timber framed with thatched roofs. On Elm Hill, the only building which survived was the Briton’s Arms. After the fires, there was a huge effort to rebuild the areas of the city which were destroyed. The recovery took decades.

The sheriff and mayor of Norwich at the time, who was also a wealthy wool merchant, rebuilt most of Elm Hill in the Tudor style of architecture. The cobbled streets can be a cumbersome walk, but there are sidewalks which can make it easier. Situated at the top of the hill is Briton’s Arms, once a house for religious women now a coffee house. As the lone survivor of the fire, it is the oldest on Elm Hill dating from 1347, and one of only 6 thatched houses remaining in the city today.

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London

Similarly, London experienced fires in 1666 which raged for 4 days between September 2 and September 6. It destroyed over 13,000 houses, 87 parishes and St Paul’s Cathedral. Within the old city limits of London almost nothing survived. Unlike in Norwich, when the city was rebuilt, Tudor architecture was no longer in style.

My Home Abroad

Home is an uneasy word for many expats, myself included. We tend to have connections with people who are scattered across the globe and bits of our hearts get left with them. In some ways, it’s a beautiful thing, but at the same time, it means we rarely feel entirely whole.

That being said, I am very fond of this home of mine. It has enchanted me and allowed me in. I have learned from its people and its history and I have grown from the experiences it has provided me. I hope someday many of you will also have the chance to wander around Norwich and explore my home abroad.

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