By Vanessa Trevelyan
A tour of Norwich's bridges, comparing the bridges we see today with historic images.
Vanessa Trevelyan is a Former Chair of the Norwich Society, and presents this video as the Society's first virtual talk.
By John Trevelyan
A look at how to use existing maps in historical research, as well as how to create maps to illustrate research findings.
John Trevelyan is Chair of the Society's Civic Environment Committee, and presents this video as the second in our Historians Virtual Talks Series.
Accompanying notes to this video can be downloaded here.
A look at the history of the River Wensum
This video by Vanessa Trevelyan was originally created for Heritage Open Days 2020.
By Michael Blackwell
An exploration of what sorts of dramatic performances could be seen in Norwich, where these took place and the censorship theatre companies frequently had to deal with.
Michael has led on the coordination of the Society's Historians Group talks for a number of years. He has a particular interest in theatre and in this talk he shares his research on theatre in Norwich during what historians call 'The Long 18th Century', from the Restoration period in the early 17th century through to the Regency period in the early 19th century.
By Jonathan Hooton
Norwich has had the reputation of a pub for every day. This claim is examined and taken as a starting point for finding out where they have all gone.
The Norwich Pub Detective examines the evidence still to be found to identify former pubs in the City of Norwich and its suburbs from the blindingly obvious to the obscure and quirky. It also is an excuse to discuss many of the interesting and intriguing stories from the past that surround our former pubs.
Jonathan Hooton is a City of Norwich Tour Guide, a former Head of Geography at Notre Dame High School and has a fondness for, and plenty of experience of pubs. He has been a regular feature in the Society's event programme, and had been scheduled to deliver both a live talk and a guided tour of Norwich pubs in the 2020 summer events programme.
By Michael Blackwell
A look at the history of pantomimes in Norwich over the past three hundred years. Grab a light-stick and a bucket of pick-and-mix and enjoy the presentation!
On behalf of the Norwich Society Historians Group, Vanessa, Jo and Michael would like to wish our growing band of members a very happy Christmas season…or at least as happy as it can be in the present trying circumstances! We thought we’d give our video release for December a seasonal theme - and what better than a trip to the pantomime!
WATCH THE VIDEO
By Terry George
This talk is a voyage of discovery as Terry introduces viewers to the treasures hidden beneath our feet as we walk through the streets of Norwich.
There are in the region of 80 Undercrofts beneath the city of Norwich, Terry has managed to gain access to around 60 of them. Some are accessible to the public, for example at The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell and Dragon Hall, but many are located underneath privately owned buildings, haven’t been visited in years and are all but forgotten.
Retirement has provided former teacher Terry George with an opportunity to explore the subjects he is passionate about. Terry’s talk follows on from an article in the Norwich Society’s Member magazine, Aspects of Norwich Autumn 2019, and was received with much enthusiasm and featured in the Eastern Daily Press. This publication can be purchased from The City Bookshop and Jarrold, see publications for details.
By Richard Matthew
A virtual tour of this important, but often overlooked and taken for granted building located in the centre of Norwich.
Richard Matthew is a former Guildhall guide, and this tour focuses on the physical history of the building in the city from the 15th Century through to the present day.
WATCH THE VIDEO
Building Norwich is the first video in our Exploring Norwich Series.
This video by Vanessa Trevelyan looks at the various building phases which have shaped Norwich through the centuries.
Norwich was a centre of weaving as early as 1174 and, by the 1670's 50% of freemen were connected with the textile trade. This talk takes you round the sites involved and associated with this historic textile trade.
Our speaker, Vanessa Trevelyan is a past Chair of The Norwich Society but, perhaps more importantly an Honorary Life President of the Costume and Textile Association.
This video was recorded in March 2023.
John Trevelyan will tell us about The Norwich Society's Civic Environment Committee’s Atlas and Directory of the city’s more than 100 parks and open spaces—many of which have a fascinating and not well-known history. He will identify some of the clues to the past that we can discover for ourselves as we visit the places he will talk about.
John is a member and former chair of the Norwich Society’s Civic Environment Committee and led the project to produce an atlas and directory of parks and open spaces.
This talk was first presented live in January 2023 and recorded in March 2023.
People's Choice: The Norwich You Love formed part of the Norwich 100 photographic exhibition held at The Forum during Heritage Open Days in September 2023.
The slideshow features places that Norwich people value or hold particularly dear, and can be viewed on the Society's YouTube channel.
This slideshow showcases 77 sites across Norwich where you can see clocks, sundials or weathervanes.
The Norwich Society has produced two reports about clocks, sundials and weathervanes, including directories listing the sites where they can be seen. SEE HERE to read and download Society reports.
This slideshow showcases The Norwich Society's Views Report 2020 which provides an assessment of the views from the River Wensum bridges and strategic views of the Norwich's city centre in summer and winter.
How the Society has supported Norwich for 100 years.
The threat to Bishop Bridge in 1923 prompted the founding of the Norwich Society to help protect Norwich’s historic environment and encourage new development that will be worthy of our fine city. Norwich 100, a photographic exhibition, showcases 100 places in Norwich – one for very year of our existence – that we feel represent our activities and campaigning over the decades.
The exhibition was held at The Forum, Norwich during Heritage Open Days week in September 2023.
This slideshow showcases the photographs displayed during the exhibition and also additional photographs of the 100 places take during the exhibition development process.
Learn all about the ancient ritual of marking the bounds with their amusing traditions. Enjoy identifying many of the remaining Markers displayed around the City. See and understand how the different Church architecture has played its part along the route covering 8 churches.
The decision to demolish Bishop Bridge was the catalyst that brought the Norwich Society into being in 1923. This is the story of how they managed to save this part of our Heritage. We will take a virtual tour around Norwich covering many of the other successful campaigns to protect Norwich’s heritage, (as well as some failures). Without the Society’s activities, Norwich would look a lot different today.
Jonathan Hooton is a City of Norwich tour Guide, a former Head of Geography at Notre Dame High School and a regular feature in the Society’s Events Programme.
This talk is about some of what can been seen around the city that tells you about times past. This includes plaques, boundary markers, street name signs, flood level markers and some memorials. John will also talk separately about war memorials.
John Trevelan has lived in Norwich for over 25 years. He is a member and post Chair of the Society’s Civic Environment Committee. John has led on a number of research projects including: Telling the Time in in Norwich, and produced self-guided walking trails including: Clocks and Sundials Trail. Both of these can be found on the Society’s website.
This talk is part of the Norwich History Festival
The open space at the west side of Norwich Cathedral is today an oasis of calm in a busy city. But this space has not always been so - from a bone depository to a bell tower, medieval tourist shops and an early food bank, the early Close was a busy place, full of monastic life and the people tasked to support it. Through history, buildings have changed use; others have disappeared; dangers have come and gone. Join us to step back in time as we discover the history of this space on our time traveler’s adventure.
Meet in front of the West End of Norwich Cathedral.
Learn all about the ancient ritual of marking the bounds with their amusing traditions. Enjoy identifying many of the remaining Markers displayed around the City. See and understand how the different Church architecture has played its part along the route covering 8 churches.
The open space at the west side of Norwich Cathedral is today an oasis of calm in a busy city. But this space has not always been so - from a bone depository to a bell tower, medieval tourist shops and an early food bank, the early Close was a busy place, full of monastic life and the people tasked to support it. Through history, buildings have changed use; others have disappeared; dangers have come and gone. Join us to step back in time as we discover the history of this space on our time traveler’s adventure.
Meet in front of the West End of Norwich Cathedral.
As an important medieval City, Norwich still has many alleyways away from the major road network. Many of these alleyways have an interesting story to tell.
This route will introduce some of these stories in a guided walk from the Market place towards eastern Norwich. It is an almost circular route, returning to the bottom of Westlegate once the tour is over. The secrets of Weaver’s Lane, Boar’s Head yard, the origin of the name of Winall’s Yard, Chapel Loke, Lady Julian’s cell, Old Barge yard, Stepping Lane and Grouts yard, will all be revealed.
Meet outside the tower of St Peter Mancroft opposite the Forum. End at the bottom of Westlegate. This should take about 1 ½ hours and is on reasonable footways although there will be several slopes and steps involved in the walk.
