Norwich has a superlative amount of domestic vaulted medieval undercroſts. About seventy of


these cellars or crypts have been documented, but there is thought to be at least one hundred within the city walls. Tis is three times more than any other British town...


Dragon Hall undercroft


I


did find all seventy and identified the outside of the building for each. Many of these are private, which is why I have not always specified where they


are; and unless open during Heritage Open Weekend in September, there is no public access at any time.


Crypts are sometimes confused with churches and the burial of the dead; but although these


HALF SUNKEN SO THAT THERE ARE WINDOWS AND NATURAL DAYLIGHT WITH SOME STEPS DOWN FROM STREET LEVEL. THEIR SURVIVAL – SOMETIMES THE ONLY PART OF A BUILDING – SHOWS THEIR STRENGTH AND THE QUALITY OF ENGINEERING.


UNDERCROFTS ARE OFTEN Written by Elspeth Rushbrook Photos provided by Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust (HEART) office@finecity.co.uk To advertise call 01362 288084 17


vaulted rooms appear under churches and we speak of burying someone in the family vault, this article is not dealing with these. I mean: stone or brick cellars under grand houses, used for storage, because they are strong and cool.


They also underpin great halls such as London’s Guildhall and are found in monastic complexes – although none of East Anglia’s


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