By 1066 Norwich was one of the most important and largest boroughs in the country with its easy access to the sea and existing trade with Europe. The Normans were quick to realize its importance and within a year of the Norman Conquest, a Castle had been built on a man made hill of soil. The original castle was built of timber and was to stand for some 60 years before being replaced with a more lasting structure of stone around 1125, today this magnificent building still stands proud in the centre of the city and houses the museum. However the exterior stone work was replaced in the 19^th century with the present Bath stone. In 1096 the Normans began the building of another magnificent structure, the Cathedral  Work continued for nearly 200 years before it was finally complete with stone being imported from France and brought up river and along a specially constructed canal right to the building site.

These massive feats of engineering were all completed without machinery as we know it to day and defy belief. Other churches were built throughout the city and by medieval times there were nearly 60 churches within the city walls. In fact the city has more medieval churches than any other city in Europe.

As the building of the cathedral was nearing completion in 1297 the building of the city walls commenced. These were mainly built of local flint and many sections of the wall together some of its towers remain today.

No sooner had the walls been completed than the rebuilding of most of the churches commenced. It was done not so much out of need as a way of showing the cities growing wealth and importance. This was completed between 1350 and 1530 and at the same time the Guildhall was built.

130 trades were now represented in Norwich the most important being the weaving industry. By the 1400’s Norwich was the country's primary worsted manufacturing city.

The 1500’s saw many houses and businesses in the city destroyed by fires. Most of the properties were built with thatched roofs, using the local reed and in 1507 this was outlawed and all buildings in the city were built with tiled roofs. In 1549 there was an uprising led by local farmer Robert Kett. The rebels took over the city for a time and destroyed and damaged many buildings. They were finally overcome and Kett was hanged.

In the 1560’s thirty Dutch families settled in Norwich bringing with them the skills to weave clothes other than worsted and the first canaries that were to become the symbol of Norwich.

Prosperity which had suffered as a result of the fires and a down turn in worsted markets returned and by 1670, Norwich with a population of 21,000, was probably the largest provincial town in England. The city with its excellent connections to the sea and ever improving roads linking the towns and villages in England exported its cloth all over the world and visitors came to the city from far and wide both for social events and business.

In 1775 the wealthy Gurney family, having made a fortune in the area from worsted opened its first bank in the city: today it still exists as part of Barclays. In 1790 a wine merchant and banker, Thomas Bignold founded an insurance company that was to grow into the present Norwich Union. With wealth such as this Norwich was able to build many impressive and important buildings such as The Assembly House, The Theatre Royal and the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital as well as to rebuild many of the facades of the houses in the city in the impressive Georgian style.

By now Norwich had found yet another source of income with Norfolk Malting Barley being the best in the country and six large breweries were to be found in the city by the early1800’s. 

The population of Norwich had by now swelled to 80,000 and the city had begun to expand outside of the city walls.

Large factories and rows of terraced properties to house their workers appeared all around the city and with coming of the railways Norwich continued to grow with companies as diverse as chocolate manufacturers, shoe makers, weavers and breweries to be found in and around the city.

The 1900’s saw many changes in the city the tram system came and went, the motor car came and started to take over, huge department stores opened in the centre taking over existing buildings and building new ones. In 1938 the new City Hall replaced the old Guildhall second only to London’s in size and built overlooking the old market and Gentlemen’s Walk, it looks somewhat out of place.

Norwich’s weekly cattle market held in the shadows of the Castle stopped.
The area, initially turned into car parking, now contains a huge underground shopping mall known as Castle Mall. With care the planners have managed to retain much of its old charm and yet service the needs of today.

In 1963 the University of East Anglia was opened in the Earlham area of the city today it is home to The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts and is a hive of activity.[picture]

Norwich has since the 1960’s renovated and restored many of its old buildings large parts of the old city wall at one time allowed to decay have been saved and incorporated into modern schemes. Cobbled streets such as Elm Hill with its quaint houses and shops give the visitor an insight into old Norwich and an abundance of historic buildings are open to the public. Areas such as Tombland the site of an open market in Norman times immediately in front of the Cathedral have open-air cafes and several of the streets have returned to pedestrian ways. Every effort is being made to reduce the effects of modern transport from the city centre and to make it a more pleasant place to visit.

To see old and modern-day pictures of Norwich, go to:
Norwich Pictures

Please also visit   http://www.norwichweb.com