holds today. ‘The Walk’ was Norwich’s Bond Street; its high quality shops sold luxury goods. It was the place to strut your stuff.
Inns and taverns have always been an integral part of the history of Norwich’s Marketplace. As coaching travel increased, the inns around the Market became pivotal to the commercial and social life of the city. Of particular importance were the coaching inns, which included the Angel, now the site of the Royal Arcade. In 1884- 5 there were over thirty hostelries serving the Marketplace. Many were renowned for their entertainment, which included cockfighting and visits by reptiles - all of which make the
The Market in the 1800s
karaoke and jukeboxes of later years seem somewhat tame.
Over the 19th century the buildings around the Marketplace continued to evolve. Both the Guildhall and St Peter Mancroft Church received Victorian embellishments, whilst the old fish market was destroyed and replaced by Mr E Benest’s grand neoclassical styled building on St Peter’s street. Along Gentleman’s Walk the Royal Hotel closed its doors to be replaced by George Skipper’s beautiful Royal Arcade.
Designed in the art nouveau style, it opened to much public acclaim; indeed, a local newspaper effusively wrote, ‘It’s as if a fragment of the Arabian Nights has been dropped into the heart of the old city’.
At the turn of the 20th century the Market continued to thrive, and events held on the Marketplace continued to reflect the hopes and fears of the City. Many of the multitudes who gathered here to hear Edward VII proclaimed King would no doubt have also been here four years earlier to celebrate
office@finecity.co.uk
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. However, in 1914 there was little to celebrate when the military assembled here prior to being sent to the front line. Poignant photographs showing young men gathering before they are sent to the trenches, some from the Essex regiment, are pictured receiving the regulatory short back and sides – one cannot help but wonder how many survived. The Marketplace continued to play its part in wartime activity. In 1918 a tank was transported to Norwich and parked in front of the Guildhall as part of Tank Week, held to promote the sale of War Bonds. Later that year the Marketplace was the natural place to gather to celebrate Armistice Day, and, subsequently, it was here that soldiers received medals for their bravery.
To advertise call 01362 288084 7
The Market in 1949
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48