Out & About in Norwich

Norwich is the county city of Norfolk. It was the second largest city in England during the eleventh century as well as being one of the most important places in the country. Norwich today is a delightful mix of old and new. The contribution of the past is preserved and valued and yet Norwich is definitely a 21st century city.

Norwich has cobbled lanes, beautifully preserved streets and also a medieval street pattern. The most famous part of the area is Elm Hill with timber-framed houses and unique shops. In fact the number of medieval churches in Norwich is greater than any other city in Europe. It has even been said that Norwich has a pub for each day of the year as well as a church for every Sunday!

By way of contrast, the beautifully designed modern Forum near the church of St Peter Mancroft contains an interactive attraction which explores Norwich's development over the last 2000 years. There is a tourist information centre here as well as the public library, café and restaurant.

Norwich has changed identity several times over the ages. It has gone from being a major port during the Anglo-Saxon age to the centre of the wool trade in the Middle Ages and later became a banking centre with shoemaking and engineering activities also. Today it is mostly known as being the gateway to the Norfolk Broads.

Shopping

Norwich is a delightful place to shop having a large number of speciality shops. You will find the Colman's Mustard Shop with its Museum right beside the usual high street names. Much of the shopping centre is pedestrianised which makes for easy shopping. Norwich also has one of the biggest open-air markets in the country which is open 6 days a week. In 1993 the Mall Norwich opened. Ingeniously, this shopping mall provided a solution to the age-old controversial problems of new retail space appearing in an historic environment in a city centre. Thanks to the ingenuity of its designers, much of the building is concealed underground and is built into a hillside, the car park being on its roof.

Food and Drink

Everything from Moroccan, Lebanese, Thai, Indian, Spanish and English food is offered in the numerous restaurants and pubs in Norwich. There are many attractive options for a good meal. For those who enjoy pub food, Maid Marion's and the Marsh Harrier on the Ipswich road will serve up a hearty meal. For a typically English meal of fish and chips, the Marsh Harrier cannot be beaten as its portions are known to be large.

Vegans and vegetarians are not forgotten. The Greenhouse is an environmentally friendly vegetarian café as is Pulse on Guildhall Hill. For those who enjoy real ale, Norwich is home to the Fat Cat - a real ale paradise which has over 25 real ales and in fact boasts of being the only pub in the UK which has won the CAMRA National Pub of the Year competition twice!

Arts and Entertainment

Norwich's vibrant arts scene compares favourably to much larger cities and in fact Norwich is considered to be the arts capital of the East Anglia Region. There is a huge mix of theatres which include the Norwich Playhouse, Norwich Puppet Theatre, the Norwich Theatre Royal and Maddermarket Theatre. There are four cinemas too: the UCI, Hollywood Screen, Cinema City specialising in arthouse films, and Ster Cinema.

As well as all this, concerts, exhibitions and festivals are held in Norwich throughout the year. These include the Norfolk and Norwich Festival which is held in May, the East International festival in July/ August held at the Norwich Gallery and there is also a beer festival. A collection of contemporary art is housed at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts and the centre plays host to visiting exhibitions.

Hotels and Travel

There are major trunk roads to the area but, despite the city's size, there is only one large station. The station is 10 minutes walk from the centre of the city and has bus connections to the Airport and University. Coaches go to Stansted Airport, Heathrow and Gatwick.

Norwich's major regional airport is Norwich International which has connections worldwide via Edinburgh, Manchester or Amsterdam.

There are major hotels chains here such as Holiday Inn, the Hilton and Premier Travel Inn and Travelodge. Just outside of the city are hotels popular with golfers. Small bed and breakfast establishments abound and the local tourist information will be pleased to give details about these. In the lovely countryside surrounding Norwich are many self-catering cottages and country houses too.